Get Your Brain Back with these Business Tools
Tips from a Business Minimalist & Full-time Mom
There are a lot of people out there who want to tell you how to run your business. They literally want to put their business in your business.
When I first started out, I didn’t know who to trust when everyone was saying they were the game changing key for business owners.
I literally lost thousands of dollars “investing” in programs, systems, people, and sites that promised big gains for me when the reality was it was big gains for them. Meanwhile, I was left with less than I started.
After years of trial, error, growth, and regret I’ve come to trust a few systems and genuinely see them as vital to my business. All of these places will be linked with my referral code if I have one. I’m all about that discount so you better believe I’ll hook you up when I can!
Pixieset
This is an online client gallery platform that’s customizable so it syncs up with your brand. It has multiple tiers (even a free one!) so you’re welcome to use it as a hobbyist, to share photos with family and friends, or as a professional who’s delivering images to a client.
I swear by this platform because it displays your pictures in a really elegant, clean, and professional way. It’s easy for clients to use and you can even connect their gallery to professional printers so they can order high quality prints right from there. Get 250MB of free storage added to your plan by using my link here.
2. SquareSpace
Websites are vital. I used to rely on Facebook or Instagram to house my business but the thing with using social media as your home base, is that it’s not really your home base to use. Someone else is running the show and if you’re not helping them bring in big bucks, they won’t really help you. Plus with the constantly changing algorithms, it’s way less stress and bring more long term gains if you actually have a website.
I started off with Wix and moved to SquareSpace when I was ready to elevate my brand. I’ve been so glad with the switch! Of course, there are free options with both of these hosting site, but if you want your space to really be your space, pay the subscription cost and start showcasing what you do.
It’s not only good for clients, but it’s good for you to have a special, beautiful place to display what you’ve been working on!
3. Dubsado
I was so tired of trying to keep track of everything on Google. From client questionnaires, contracts, invoices, and everything else, I was using a different platform of system for each task because I was trying to keep my cost of doing business low. But y’all, what I was really doing was making more work for myself, my clients, and making my business look cheap.
If I wasn’t willing to invest in me, why would a client??
I finally researched client management systems and fell in love with Dubsado. It keeps track of my clients, it’ll automatically send emails to help them prep for sessions, keeps track of invoices, and is completely customizable so your forms and questionnaires can be as pretty as you want!
And the best part? I not only felt legit and had more time to not be a slave to my business, but I looked way more professional. When you look the part, people treat you that way. I hands down will never go back to trying to do it all. Use my affiliate code here to get 20% off your first month or year! They also have free trail periods so you can try before you buy!
4. White Palm Design
Your time is valuable. For real. Your effort and focus are worth something!
As someone who’s not very tech savvy or good with graphic design, I spent HOURS trying to create a beautiful website, social media graphics, a logo, and keeping up with my blogs. It was just too much! I couldn’t actually run my business because I was too busy just trying to get the backend things set.
Enter White Palm Design. White Palm is specifically structured to help women run successful side hustles. And they’re an absolute godsend. They’re professional, fast, and know what they’re doing. Feel like you’re a perfectionist and you can’t trust someone else to do it? Girl, let that fear go. White Palm will work and rework until you’re totally satisfied with what they’ve made for you.
I’ve had them do my logo, branding, blogging, website design, store set up, education materials, and so much more. I will NEVER to back to DIY. They also have a whole course designed to teach Mamas how to make a business from the very first steps to getting it running. Use my code “JACQUIE50” for $50 off when you purchase here at the Creative Mama Academy.
5. Planoly
Don’t be tied to the Gram. Social media can be a great tool for free marketing but it can also completely take over your life.
You may feel like you have to post at the perfect time, comment and interact for x amount of time everyday, and collect followers like your life depends on it. Let me tell you a little secret: you don’t have to do any of that.
I use a planning and posting platform to schedule and automatically post my Instagram and Facebook posts and it’s a life saver. It keeps my hashtags, lets me move photos around so I can keep everything looking good, and keeps track of ideal times to post so I don’t have to do the research myself. It’s a serious time and focus saver.
I’ve been using it for years and have no plans of stopping! Use my code here to give yourself a social media break.
6. Tailwind
Ok, so I’ve told you how important it is to have your own home base and how social media can be a free marketing tool. But there’s another tool that’s super underutilized and that’s Pinterest. If you want to drive traffic to your site, get your products out there, and start to reap some passive income/marketing - use Pinterest. What’s the best way to start getting pins up and going? Tailwind. This platform will not only help you schedule and get your pins moving, but it will help you design graphics, save and apply your brand aesthetic, and give you analytics so you can see how you’re performing. I love that their whole goal is getting people to your site. That helps you rank better with google and algorithms and ultimately brings more clients to your doorstep. Get a $15 credit when you use my link here.
Running a business should not turn into something that’s running you.
Keep the side-hustle in It’s place and utilize these tools to help you keep everything growing without sacrificing what it is you really want to be doing.
Want more business resources? Feel free to check out my shop here.
