5 of my favourite tools to use in your solopreneur business.
I love tools that simplify my business, and therefore my life. As a solopreneur, I need these tools but as my revenue is lower than a multi-person company, I am conscious of keeping my expenses to a minimum. So, if there is a FREE version of the tool or a trial, then even better.
I have a few favourite tools that I’ve been using for years and some new ones that I’m trialling. Whilst I don’t really have time for testing new applications if they came recommended then I sometimes give them a go.
Let’s explore this further 💃🏼:
I am a huge fan of Squarespace. I have been using it for the past 5 years. I design and implement Squarespace websites and I find this one a must-go-to if you don’t have a background or experience as a website designer. Squarespace is so easy to use and anyone can use it. You will pick it up in no time giving you the flexibility to update your website yourself as you start out in your business. However, if you would like a bespoke or customised website solution then an investment in a professional designer like myself will help you achieve your goals.
Squarespace has 4 different plans and I always recommend going for the most popular BUSINESS PLAN. It’s around $300USD a year and is unrivalled in comparison to any other website platform. It’s flexible, affordable and easy to use which allows me to provide my clients with a super customisable professional website.
Another big plus to Squarespace? They constantly upgrade their system and bring amazing new features so our businesses don’t fall behind.
I have been using Asana for the past 3 years and while I’m not an expert on it, this tool has saved my life!
It allows me to check my tasks daily and assigns deadlines to keep me accountable, I can easily plan my week, I can drag and drop my tasks to readjust my week if projects get busy or life gets in the way!
If collaborating with someone I can assign someone external from my company to work on a task and it’s fantastic for ongoing communication relating to the task.
Admittedly, I don’t use Asana to its full capability but the part that I do use has made a significant impact on productivity and is making my business run smoothly. I will recommend it to anyone that is struggling with keeping organised + you can use the free version until your income allows you to upgrade as your business or team grows.
Square is amazing for invoicing and many other things. I use it for invoicing and scheduling discovery calls. This is another tool that I use for free. The paid version gives me amazing other features but if you are starting up then you could do without them.
I was introduced to it by a Photographer friend 3 years ago. Before Square, I would manually create a pdf invoice for my clients, there was a lot of manual work involved and while at the time it didn’t feel much, once I moved my invoicing to this tool I realised how annoying the manual process was.
I don’t pay for a monthly or yearly plan, which is fabulous when you are a solopreneur/freelancer trying to save every single dollar. There is a small % fee for the invoices that are paid through the app but there is a workaround to this. What I do is give my clients the option to pay directly to my bank account and then manually from my phone, I open the Square app, and tick the payment as received. 90% of my clients pay directly to my bank account with the other 10% through the app. Even if 100% of them pay through the app I would only pay 3% to Square Up. It’s a small fee to pay for an easy-to-use and valuable tool. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
I have been in love with it for the past 6 years, basically since they started. Another amazing simple tool that will help you communicate with your clients in a much easier way.
I use Loom to record educational videos for my website templates + other digital products. When working with One on One clients I record educational videos to teach them how to navigate and make changes to their websites and sometimes present my designs to them in a more active way. I work with people all around the world and sometimes taking videos is the only option I have to present something to them.
Loom is another free tool that I would recommend it to everyone in a heartbeat.
And last, but not least…
Oh, Canva! My love for you keeps growing day by day. As a graphic designer, I never thought I would recommend this tool, it sort of was against my principles but the more I use it, the more my clients use it, then the more I love it.
I was honoured to be invited to #CanvaCreator #TheFutureIsVisual event and 🤯, my head exploded! This company knows what they are doing and like Squarespace, they keep growing and bringing new features to make everyone’s life easier.
I use Canva for almost everything design related these days. The reason? It’s so easy for my clients to update any template design I create for them, Instagram posts, presentations, documents, videos, you name it.
Canva has three plans. A FREE plan that you can easily use and create amazing things. PRO plan that I have, and I don’t question any cent I pay for it cause every month I get so many new templates, photos, and elements to choose from and you can do anything you want with it. Canva FOR TEAMS is another plan but if you are a solopreneur or starting your business you won’t need this.
Are these all my favourite tools? Nope, I have a few more, but if you are just starting out in your business, then these will be great solutions for you.
Please get in touch with me today if you have any questions or if you would like to share any recommendations for productivity tools that you use. I would love to hear from you. Did you find this information helpful? Please email me, I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.
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