My Favorite Things…
I’ve tried a ton of tools over the years which means I’ve learned a thing or two (maybe three) about what works and what doesn’t.
I’ve compiled a list of the tools, tips + and resources I’ve used and still use for my projects and inside my agency to improve our projects, workflows, and processes.
For more resources, don’t forget to check out SociallyUP.
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Website Design
Sure, social media is a great engagement tool, but ultimately, you need to establish yourself and your brand on your own website. Think of your website as your home base. Your website is your place to shine bright and establish your brand. If you’re not ready to hire a website designer, are a website designer, or want to become a website designer, these tools will help you wherever you are in your journey.
As a website designer, I like to support other designers. Sure, I could design a custom site every single time there is a need for a website but there are times when a template solution is the best fit. Also, when you’re in your own design space all of the time, it feels nice to see the design perspective of other creatives
and entrepreneurs
Website Hosting
Flywheel website hosting is the ultimate source for hosting. feel it has enough perks, resources, and actual human support to justify the price tag.
This hosting is designed to help designers design without the often confusing elements of development.
Use this link to see the latest discount.
Squarespace Templates
. GoLive HQ is another excellent resource for well-designed and easy-to-use Squarespace Templates which, come fully installed and ready for you to use.
Big Cat Creative is an excellent resource for great design and easy to setup Squarespace Templates..
Community & Networking
People need people. Even those of us who think we can do everything on our own *raises hand, need people. Surround yourself with likeminded entrepreneurs and you’ll always been in a state of growth and learning. Don’t be super salesy though, we all have had enough "Hey Girl!” dm’s to last us a lifetime. Am I right? I’m right.
I’ve followed the founders of this community of bloggers for years. They keep things real, call bloggers out on their BS, and are all around relatable. A few years ago, I was an active blogger, then one day I came to the realization that I didn’t feel authentic and I quit. Even though active blogging is in my past, I still enjoy supporting the bloggers who are doing things authentically.
Client Management
Client Management is one of the most important things you can do from the very start of your business. Organizing your clients will enhance your client relationships, help you establish pricing, invoicing, and communication. Basically, you need to look professional and client management is one of the first steps you should take in your business.
01. 17HATS
17hats is one of my top choices for client management. You can organize and automate your small business fairly easily with the creative freedom to make your proposals look how you want without coding. You can check them out here and use this referral code “pwkrtddhtv” for
a 50% off discount.
02.DUBSADO
If I had to pick a close second for client management, I’d select Dudsado. Overall it’s very forward-thinking in how you can manage your clients. I also like how you can see all of the data you need right on the login screen. I did find the setup to be a bit overwhelming. Signup and receive 20% off the first month or year. You can signup here.
Email Marketing
Email marketing should not strike the same fear as a trip to the dentist (no offense to dentists). When I realized I was dreading to write my client emails, I started looking for solutions. These are the tools I trust for email marketing for myself and my agency.
01 FLODESK
Flodesk is one of my preferred choices for email communication for myself, my agency, and many of my clients. Ultimately, you’ll need to decide if the structure of Flodesk fits your brand. For more industrial brands, this may be too lightweight. For creatives such as myself, this should be a great fit. You can use this link to save 50% off of a Flodesk subscription.
Content Creation
Content is everything. We can talk about all the tings we want to do but it all changes when that content starts rolling out. Even more so when you’re consistently creating content. Think of content as the road your business dreams are driving on. Do you feel inspired? I hope so! Now it’s time to make some content. Here are some of the tools I use to create content for myself and the client’s of my agency.
01. Pallyy
I’ve tried almost every scheduling tool available to individuals and to agencies. Each one has something I love, like, or hate. Currently, Pallyy is my favorite. Sure, it has some features I’d like to see added but overall it has more usable features and easy-of-use than many of the others I’ve tried.
02. Later
If I had to pick a close second for content scheduling, I’d select Later. I used Later for years until I felt the price was outweighing the easy of use and features. It’s tough though, there are certain parts of Later I truly miss. But overall, I’ve moved on to try new things. I still recommend Later as a great choice though to anyone needing to schedule across multiple platforms including stories.
Extra Tools
01. Poshmark Refferal Code
I love resell and I have since 2013 when I owned a small vintage store. While I’m not as active in resell, I do enjoy Poshamark and I’ve been active on Poshmark since 2013.
03. $5 Acorns Referral
Acorns is also a great choice for investing and saving. It operates like the name, you can set it to round up small increments from your spending accounts (acorns), or add money as you can into investment accounts.
02. 3 MOS. FREE OF ELLEVEST (CODE)
Investing doesn’t have to be complicated and Ellevest is an investing company made by women for women.
04. Robinhood
Robinhood is also a great tool to invest and save with.
You can invest, save, and start small or big.
Bonus Tools
01 Buy Me a Coffee
Buy Me a Coffee is a unique way to showcase yourself as a creator. For example, I use my page to quickly list my poetry ebooks, custom poetry writing, and some other fun extras. Sure, I could use my website for this. In fact, my website makes it super easy for me to sell items but I like how the Buy Me a Coffee dashboard feels unique, more personal and multi-functional. Plus I like to try out new things.
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