Tools for entrepreneurs & designers
Don’t go it alone - the tools for entrepreneurs that have revolutionised my business
Running your own biz isn’t always the laugh a minute you think it will be - here are my favourite tools that make life easier & give me more time to enjoy the ride!
Part of our role as entrepreneurs is to help one another out…
When I first started out, it seemed like such a mine-field to find & choose the right tools & resources to invest in. Those that would actually save me time & be worth the investment!
Now, several years in, here are the tools that have stood the test of time, and are my virtual colleagues, allowing me to do my best work, be more efficient & give my clients the best possible service.
Tools for Communication & Client Management
Disclaimer: Those denoted with an asterix (*) are affiliate links, meaning I get a small kick-back at no cost to you. I only ever recommend things I use & love myself.
Flodesk*
What’s better than a female led, innovative & aesthetically gorgeous email marketing platform? Not much I’d say. With flodesk I actually look forward to sending my weekly email to my list, not to mention that setting up my workflows including automated freebie delivery & emails packed with value took me literally minutes (I didn’t believe it either until I’d tried it). Get a free trial & 50% off your first year of flodesk here.
Dubsado*
I always get compliments on my onboarding process - and here’s the secret to my success… Dubsado. I have online contracts & invoicing set up, client welcome packs, not to mention secure client areas where all of our project files can be kept all together.
Calendly
I find Calendly so incredibly easy to use, and have embedded it into my client workflow to great success - even the free version has enough functionality for most use cases, and it reduces the amount of admin required to book consultation & other client calls enormously (it also stops me needing to figure out time-zones, a huge win if you ask me!
Loom
I’d heard about Loom a long time before I tried it, and goodness me I wish I’d made the leap sooner. Not only are videos more precise & personal (I often record one in a few seconds to respond to a client question), Loom also allows you to make transcripts, easily edit videos & track whether they’ve been watched. I couldn’t be without Loom now - and the best thing, the basic version is free & I can think of so many ways that it could be used in loads of different small business settings!
Zoom
I’m making rhymes now! Zoom - the OG of internet calling software, and still my fave. I love that I can integrate it with Dubsado & Calendly to instantly create call links in my meeting invites, that recording & sharing my meetings can be done with the click of a button - perfect for allowing clients to have a record of coaching calls, or ensuring we have a record of what we’ve agreed! The blurred background is super for a more professional setting wherever I am… and the option to add virtual lipstick a mega bonus from those WFH chill kinds of days!
Google drive
On the list of couldn’t-be-without tools, google drive has to be right near the top. I’ve used it since day one, and love it for its reliability, simplicity & user friendly interface. Being able to live time edit and add comments and questions to client copy, collaborate on shared projects without version issues & access my work from any machine anywhere are just a few of the reasons I love it so!
Tools for designing
Creative Market*
Creative Market… the designers best kept secret! Looking for a stand out font, icon set or even a specific type of mock up for your product - creative market has it all. It’s a bit like an Etsy for graphic designers to sell their products on and I’ve found (and continue to find) incredible templates, designs & fonts that allow me to create designs that better meet my clients needs, and elevate my own branding & design. One health warning has to come with this one though… once you start it’s hard to stop (how many fonts is too many fonts anyway?!) Go on … start browsing now!
Canva*
I know some designers get sniffy about Canva - and it’s true that the adobe suite is much more involved & gives many more options when it comes to graphic design. Having said that, there is nothing quicker or easier to use than Canva, to whip up social media graphics, lead generators, templates & more it’s my go to every time. So easy to edit, very simple to navigate & the results look mega pro. For the majority of small business owners it’s a really great option, and the fab news is that the free version is already a great start giving you pretty much everything you need to get started creating beautiful designs for your business. Check it out & try for free!
Moyo Studio*
Moyo studio - the one stop shop for beautiful, minimal & calming mock ups. Great for designers to showcase their work, but also awesome for any business who wants to show off their online home, brand or paper assets in a crisp, clean & stand out way. Moyo regularly have some incredible bundle offers that give you a huge number of mock ups & scene creators to use, and awesome, clear & generous licensing making them my number 1 choice for stock images, mock ups & scene creators. Get 50 free pictures here!
Website & SEO tools
Squarespace
I’ve written a number of times about how much I love Squarespace… and it’s true, that none of my business would exist without it. Squarespace has evolved enormously over the past few years and It continues to be the best fit platform for the vast majority of small businesses in my view. Want to benefit from an extended trial of 6 months & then 20% off your first year?! I’ll sort you out!
Google analytics
Still the market leader for search analytics - google analytics gives you the tools to be able to identify where your visitors are coming from, what they’re doing when they get onto your site, and crucially insights into how you can improve your SEO and design to attract & convert more people. I couldn’t be without google analytics & highly recommend you get it set up for your website. Even if you’re not ready to use the data yet - it’ll start collecting it so it’s there for when you are!
Uber Suggest
Uber suggest - brain child of Neil Patel, is my go-to keyword analysis & SEO tool. The free version is already excellent, but I love that you can purchase a lifetime subscription - a one time payment giving you access to incredible data and resources for, well, life. Find out what keywords your competitors are doing well for, what keywords have the highest traffic and even get ideas for site improvements to help you boost your organic reach.
Legal & Accounting tools
Stripe
As someone who is not a Paypal fan, I needed another solution for automated payment processing. Enter Stripe. Mega easy to set up, integrates perfectly with Calendly, Squarespace and all of the other tools I use to collect payments from clients. Allows clients to use whatever form of payment they prefer and tracks everything for me, making accounting easy. I have more to explore about what Strip can offer me - but so far, am a big fan!
Get Terms*
Want a guaranteed way to stress an entrepreneur out? Ask about their website legal policies… It can feel like such an unknown world and so stressful if you’re not sure what you’re doing or where to start, not to mention that if you pay a lawyer that could well end up in the thousands - probably not in your working budget if you’re just starting out. That’s where templates come in, I love Get Terms who provide a range of website legal document templates - including a lifetime offer that ensures that each time a law is updated - your policies are too - no more stress! Check it out!
Wise (the artist formerly known as Transferwise)
Wise, which used to be called Transferwise is an incredible tool for businesses working across multiple currencies. You can easily set up a range of different bank “accounts” for various currencies, making it easy for you to receive payments from all over the world. I’m then a particular gan of the currency exchange rate alerts which tell you when it’s a good moment to exchange your money from one currency to another. Love it! Check out Wise.