Everyday tools as a creative business owner.
Being a one-woman show, running your own business, managing clients, project timelines, contractors, social media, you get it, can be downright hard and overwhelming at times.
Owning a business isn’t all the glitz and glamour and fun times you see on Instagram. The behind the scenes is where the real work happens. To help me run my business, is a number of tools and systems that I have implemented to help keep everything running smoothly, and keep me grounded. And sane.
So, without further ado, here’s my top five tools that I use every day to help me run my creative business efficiently and as streamlined as possible.
Asana
Asana Premium has been the ultimate investment in a tool that I’ve made to date. After years of ‘making do’ with the free version, as my business grew, so did the expectation. Asana allows me to track the progress of a project, set up timelines, assign tasks, view overall project capacity, set up workflows and so much more. While I’m still in the middle of it’s learning curve setting it all up, it has already up levelled my client experience and project management.
Later
Honestly, my social media game would be very poor without Later. Being able to bulk schedule, pre-plan and preview my Instagram and Pinterest feeds has always been a must-have. From day one, I was using a scheduling app - because let’s be honest - who has time to create and post new content every. single. day. Not me, that’s for sure! Later allows me to bulk create and organise all my socials, keeping on top of the algorithm and keeping my audience excited and engaged.
Flodesk
Flodesk - what can I say! Since taking the leap and actually sending out consistent emails to my audience to grow my mailing list, Flodesk has been another great investment. Completely customisable, designer-friendly and user-friendly, I’ve been able to seamlessly navigate a new territory of my business marketing with ease. And after trying a few different platforms, this one takes the cake for my business.
And to get you started on Flodesk, use our affiliate link for 50% off your first year!
Netflix
After just finishing Schitt’s Creek for the second time, lots of my work is done to the soundtrack of Moira Rose’s accent and the now classic saying ‘ew, David’. Without Netflix, my nights would be uninspired and lacking in humour. Thanks to Netflix (and Stan, and all the other streaming services) I have been able to forge on when I’ve needed to, in the company of some great (and not so great) TV (hello, I’m looking at you Too Hot To Handle).
YouTube
I’m going to be honest, YouTube got me through my university degree. YouTube has always been there for me in times of desperate need. When I’m struggling to figure out the best way to do something or just want to learn a new skill, there is an endless amount of content on YouTube that allows you to learn almost anything.
They are just a few of the tools that I use (nearly) every day to help me run my creative business. One thing I always keep in mind when on the hunt for a new system, tool or process, is, will this make my life easier? Will this help me make decisions quicker? Will this give me more time back to do something else?
What tools do you use every day?