My Favorite Business Tools
Fave Tools I Use to Run my Business
I’ve tried my fair share of systems, processes, software and vendors since starting my studio. Some have been great, and some I moved away from. So I thought I’d share some of my favorite tools and resources for running my business. Some are design-specific, but a lot are helpful for all kinds of small businesses! These tools may not be the best solution for everyone, but they currently work for me :)
*Some links below are affiliate links, but they also offer great discounts for you as a new subscriber if you’d like to try any of these systems!
Project Management & CRM for Solmade Studio: Notion
Boy, do I love Notion. Notion is a project management and note-taking software system. You can build your workspace to be whatever you want it to be. The software offers tons of tables, databases, kanban boards, etc to organize whatever information you’d like. You simply start typing on the web page and drag and drop sections–it’s so versatile. I use Notion to write out and track my business goals, take notes during client calls and make checklists. I also use it as my CRM (Client Relationship Management) tool, keeping a database of past and current clients there. It took a bit of time to understand how to use it to its full potential, but once I did I’ve really been able to benefit from how powerful it is.
I previously used it for my client portals as well. And I love the way I had my portal built out. But the one (okay 2) things I need that Notion hasn’t quite figured out yet are contracts and invoicing. I could deal with sending a separate invoice from Quickbooks for client projects (which I did for a long time), but they also don’t have a contract-building solution that I find satisfactory. So I reached a point where having to do the additional step of going to Quickbooks to send an invoice, PLUS use another third party for contract-signing was too manual and cumbersome. So I’ve switched to Honeybook for my clients, as it addresses project management, invoicing and contracts all in one–more on that below! But I still use Notion for myself because it’s just the best and most agile in every other way.
Client Portal: Honeybook
Like I said, I recently switched to Honeybook for my client-facing portals. So when I onboard a new client, they get a link to their own portal in Honeybook where I have their proposal, contract, invoices, timeline and any other project details in once place. I’ve templatized all of these pieces so onboarding has gotten sooo much smoother now that everything is in one place. A client can go in, sign the contract, pay the invoice and view their timeline all in one step. No more jumping between 3 different platforms to complete all of these steps (for me or the client). New dream state unlocked.
Meeting Scheduling: Calendly
I use Calendly for meeting scheduling. When I need a client to book a meeting with me, I send them a link to my Calendly calendar, where they can see my schedule and choose a time that works for them. Calendly syncs with my Outlook calendar, so if I add a dentist appointment or another client meeting on my regular calendar, Calendly will block out those windows to prevent anyone from scheduling a meeting during those times. I love this because I know my Calendly calendar is always up-to-date. It also syncs with Zoom, so when someone books a meeting, the meeting is automatically added to their calendar and mine, with a link to access the Zoom meeting in the email body. So all of this is automated for me in one action.
I have an “Essentials” subscription for $8/mo, and this is working great for me so far. The next tier includes features related to automated email workflows, customized reminders and integrations with third party apps, but the Essentials plan works just fine for what I need.
Bookkeeping: Quickbooks
I track all of my finances in Quickbooks. I use Quickbooks Online Self-Employed to monitor my revenue, expenses, and I tag my income sources to track how much I earn from client work vs. art licensing vs. product sales, etc. We have a CPA do our tax return every year, but I use Quickbooks to manage my finances day-to-day. And I go in there and look at my numbers every day. I would encourage anyone who’s running a business (or not) to look at your finances every day or at least weekly, even if it’s painful (lol). It will force you to know where you stand and take action to either bring in more revenue or cut your expenses.
Print Vendor: Printswell Fulfillment
Printswell is my go-to printer for just about anything print-related in terms of standard paper stocks for marketing materials, etc. I use them for my “thank you” inserts, kisscut sticker sheets, the greeting cards I sell in my product line, and any other basic collateral printing. They are the most affordable small-batch, digital printer I’ve found, and print the highest quality I’ve found, and they typically print ship my orders within 1-2 days of placing them! I don’t use them for foil printing or packaging, but for pretty much anything else they’re my fave. Their customer service is also wonderful. No affiliate link or anything, just a fangirl over here who loves them.
Web Platform: Squarespace
There are many web development platforms available today, and there are reasons for using each one. I was a long-time Squarespace user for my personal portfolio website before starting this business, then I moved away for a while, but am now back. And it is my preferred platform for building client sites. After exploring many other options, Squarespace is currently my favorite (again) for its design flexibility and powerful backend. The platform is built to be highly responsive to different screen sizes, SEO-friendly and provide well-built features behind the curtain to help you rank well in search engines. It has also really up-leveled its game with the fluid engine in recent years, and therefore is my top choice for non-e-commerce sites.
For e-commerce sites, Shopify is the go-to. There are some competitors to Shopify coming onto the scene, but so far none can really compete (in my opinion) with its robust themes and expansive APIs. I’ve explored other platforms that have a Shopify integration (like Showit) but the features are very limited and difficult to manage for an inventory of more than a few products. I love building in Shopify and use it to build my e-commerce client websites.
Email Campaigns: Flodesk
I’m brand new to email marketing, but I’m using Flodesk! I was attracted to their design-forward templates and intuitive user experience. It’s very easy to use and I love it so far.