My Favorite Business Tools
Looking back at the beginning years of my business makes me giggle.
I was making moves but they were a little messy. All of my expenses were tracked on a spreadsheet and I only had one method of accepting payments, no client agreement. Oof, no need to continue this waltz down memory lane. In short, it wasn’t pretty.
But I also commend “just-getting-started” Cass for making it happen even when she really didn’t know what she was doing.
If I could go back in time, I would share these business tools with my former self so she could have a firm grip on the systems and processes that would help her business thrive.
Google Workspace
A day without Google Workspace is well…vacation. I use it for email (of course) but I also use it for taking notes on calls, sharing questionnaires, providing checklists, gathering photos, and everything else in between. I have a folder for each of my projects and all of the documents I create or documents that get shared with me all live in that folder so I can easily find anything related to each project.
CRM
This one took me a while to adopt and in hindsight I wish I had cultivated a CRM (customer relationship management) system sooner. A CRM system helps you gather the contact information for your leads, create templates for client agreements, packages, and proposals. You can also set up payment schedules with reminders for those payments sent automatically. Each CRM is unique in what it can do but it will keep all of your leads and current projects in one place so you know where everyone is at in your process with all the next steps clearly laid out and emails sent automatically.
I use Dubsado as my CRM and I only kind of recommend it. It’s great for designers and freelancers but can be a little complex to fully set up. A couple other CRMs to check out if you’re in the market is 17Hats and HoneyBook.
Quickbooks
All praise the Quickbooks gods for keeping my finances in check. I happily pay the monthly fee for this tool because it keeps my finances straight and estimates my federal taxes so that I can make my quarterly payments on time with ease. I categorize my transactions as they’re made so at the end of the year all I have to do is export a report and send it to my accountant. You can also send invoices through Quickbooks which is a great way to accept payments.
Novo Bank
If you have a business, it should have its own dedicated account. I love using Novo because it’s made for small businesses like mine and it’s fee-free - bonus!
If you’re in the marketing for a bank account, I highly recommend checking out Novo.*
Trello
I used to write a list per day. Literally re-writing the tasks for my day even if they were on the previous day’s list. No more handwritten lists with Trello! I have my main Trello board laid out in a weekly calendar so I can see each of my tasks for the day. I also have columns for what I want to accomplish each quarter of the year so I can check in on my goals for the year. You can make a Trello board for specific projects, goals, etc.
FloDesk
A place to hold all of the email addresses for your community is crucial. This is your email list and will help you communicate with your people and keep them updated on what you have going on in your business. I love FloDesk for their beautiful templates, advanced automations, and intuitive user experience. Check out FloDesk here!*
Squarespace
Saving the best for last!
Squarespace is my right-hand-woman in business. It is the most amazing website builder that makes it simple and intuitive for my clients to update their own websites. Squarespace has so many tools integrated into their platform so it’s practically an all-in-one solution for online business. In addition to websites, they also offer email campaigns, membership areas, ecommerce integrations, basic analytics reports, and so much more. As a Squarespace Circle Member, I’m in the know about all that’s to come on this platform and it’s only going to get better and better. If you’re ready to build your digital home - check out Squarespace.*
These are just some of the main tools I use in my business. All in all it’s about finding the right tools for you and committing to setting them up in a way that supports you. They each require a bit of learning (like anything new) but it’s time well spent to ensure your business has the structural integrity to grow overtime.
Cheers to your business thriving with the right tools to support you!
Cass
* These links are affiliate links and if you choose to sign up for an account on that platform using my link I’ll get an affiliate commission.
