(Please note that this post contains some affiliate links, meaning if you decide to purchase, I do receive a small kickback! But as always, I only share what I use and love!)
When I first started my copywriting business, I quickly learned how many other things there were to do to make it run smoothly, outside of copywriting.
Apparently I couldn’t just write and call it a day. Who knew?
And then I began to realize just how many business tools and subscriptions and services were out there to help me run it. There’s literally a tool for everything and, as a minimalist girlie, (seriously, if I don’t need it — consider it gone) I was overwhelmed.
From CRMs and task management systems, to voice to text software and time trackers, there’s no shortage of tools meant to help make running your daily business operations seamless.
But after I got over the initial overwhelm, I was able to have some fun and play around with many of them to see which ones worked for me and which ones didn’t.
Cause it’s important to realize that not every tool works for every person or business. And some tools, I’ve found, are way too complicated, and if I don’t have the brainspace to figure them out? Next!
So in case you’re on the fence about what you wanna use, these are some of the tools that have worked best for me and my needs!
The Business Tools I Can’t Live without
Flodesk
Flodesk is one of several email marketing platforms out there. I’ve only used one other, but since hearing great things about this one, I gave it a shot and quickly fell in love.
Its design is SO clean and intuitive, and it makes creating and sending out email sequences a piece of cake. I found that I wasn’t nearly as confused as I thought I’d be when it came time to create workflows. Thank goodness. And then creating opt-in forms for my website? I was able to figure it out right away, which is definitely saying something.
Plus the designing aspect is beyond easy. Their templates are gorgeous and super esthetically pleasing. It’s easy to add images and gifs and any other element you need. All huge bonuses.
I’ll literally never use any other email platform!
Dubsado
Dubsado is an excellent CRM (Customer Relationship Management), which every business needs. This is the backend system that allows you to send out invoices, proposals, all kinds of forms, and create portals for your clients that houses all of these things.
(There’s also so much more that you can do, and this probably doesn’t even scratch the surface. But to keep things simple, this is how I’ve been using it.)
What’s also really great about it is that you can customize it to your business, making everything you send out to your clients aligned with your branding, which is a wonderful way to elevate client experience.
And now for the but. As much as I love Dubsado, it definitely comes with a learning curve. There’s so much you can do with it, but it can be time-consuming to figure out a strategic workflow. However, they offer lots of how-to videos which are a life-saver. So I say it’s worth taking the time to figure it out!
Though, if you’re someone who just wants a little bit of help making your forms look good, I’d recommend getting a template. They make your life 100x easier and really add an extra layer to your client’s experience, like we talked about!I
I personally use Frans from the Passion Collective, which you can find here! Along with gorgeous templates, she’s also created the most helpful tutorials, so there’s no headache involved.
Notion
If you grew up in the early 2000’s and were one of those girls with the colorful planners, gel pens, and stickers, you’ll love Notion as much as I do.
Notion is basically a huge organization tool. Which also means that, again if you’re like me, you’ll probably be completely overwhelmed, because you can literally do anything on it.
You can create all kinds of spreadsheets, task trackers, lists, content calendars, portfolios — anything.
The way I’ve approached it is that I only use it for certain things so I fall down the rabbit hole of possibilities. (I also don’t go too crazy on the design, because that’s another rabbit hole I know I’ll never get out of. But you can if you want to!)
I use Notion in the following ways:
- As a client organizer
- As a task manager
- As a resource hub for all of the tools and inspiration I’ve collected
- As a content planner
- As a means to track expenses and income
Loom
Not every business owner will need this, but I really love it for what I do. Loom allows you to record your screen while also recording a video of you presenting whatever it is you need to present. Sometimes it’s just way easier to get your point across with this combo of visual and auditory commentary.
For my business, I use Loom when a client has me audit their copy. I’m able to walk through their website and talk them through my recommendations in a way that’s super easy for them to follow.
It’s also great for those times when you need to explain something to someone but don’t have time for a call. They get the full picture without you trying to awkwardly explain it over email or a voice memo.
Canva
You’ve probably already used this, but Canva’s completely invaluable when it comes to creating good-looking graphics and content, quickly.
You can make everything from social media content, website templates, docs, infographics, and literally any other content you need. It’s easy to use, and while the paid version definitely has more to offer, you can still get a lot done with their free version.
I mostly use Canva to create my pins for Pinterest, and I also used it to create the freebie on my site. (Which you can go grab here if you wanna stalk it!)
Google Docs
Ok, duhh, of course I use Google Docs. But I really freakin’ love it, so I felt like it deserved a shoutout anyway!
It’s where I organize all the projects I’m currently working on and where I archive all my completed projects.
And I personally love it as a means to deliver copy to my clients. It’s simple to use and share, and easy to highlight edits and suggestions.
10/10. I’ll use it forever. And you probably already do too if you’re living in this decade.
And those are the tools that singlehandedly help run my business!
We’ll see which new ones I add to my business along the way, but for now, as someone trying to keep things as simple as possible, these are working for me.
If you’d like to give some of these business tools a try, here are some codes to save you $$:
Flodesk: this link to get 50% off your first year!
The Passion Collective Templates: Use code KACOPY for $50 off here.
Hey, I’m Kristie! And besides writing website and email copy for the best businesses, I also help business-owners like you feel grounded and less chaotic.
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