Small business owners and entrepreneurs have a lot on their plates. Running a successful business involves much more than creating services and products we share with our customers. Behind the scenes, there are business management, marketing, creative, and business development tasks and projects we must navigate. Using business tools that simplify my to-do list and free up my time. They allow me to focus on providing the best value I can for my clients.

Here are the top business tools I can’t live without.

HoneyBook

HoneyBook is the business tool that I count on to manage many vital aspects of my business. It’s a customer relationship management (CRM) program that helps me manage everything from proposals and questionnaires to invoicing and billing. Using HoneyBook lets me keep all of my important information in one place. With workflow tools and scheduling functions, I can stay organized.

One of my favorite things about HoneyBook is that you can integrate its contact forms right onto your website. That way, when I receive a new inquiry from a prospective client, they’re automatically entered into my system for me to follow up with!

Want to try Honeybook out? Get 20% off your first year.

Canva

Canva has grown a lot in popularity over the last several years, and I have to admit, I’m a big fan. With free and premium options, the platform has made basic design accessible for many, and there are various ways I enjoy using it across my business. It’s certainly one of my go-to business tools.

As a graphic designer, I do many of my intricate designs within Adobe. However, I’ve found that Canva is a much better platform for creating designs that can be easily reused and repurposed for other platforms. 

What I like the most about Canva is that it’s allowed me to create designs that my clients can use without having to invest in expensive software they’ll never use again. Creating premade Canva templates also makes it easier than ever for small business owners to show up consistently in different areas of their marketing, especially on social media. 

To really grab the attention of your dream clients and boost your brand visibility, check out my premade Canva branding kit!

Mailchimp

Email marketing is essential for any small business owner or entrepreneur looking to build their clientele and provide value. Email has the best ROI of any marketing activity: $42 for every $1 spent, to be exact. Developing an email marketing strategy, and finding the right email business tools for your business can be a gamechanger. For me, that tool has been Mailchimp.

There are countless email marketing platforms out there, all with different features and benefits to choose from. However, Mailchimp is a great fit for my business.

The simplicity in creating landing pages for different lead magnets and products, and generating emails to help me connect and engage with my mailing list, is exactly what I need. 

Tailwind

If Pinterest is part of your small business’ marketing strategy, Tailwind is a must. The Pinterest partner has been crucial to me drastically increasing visibility for my Pins. I get up to four million monthly views and countless leads from using Tailwind. 

Using Tailwind as one of your business tools helps you to simplify your Pinterest activity. It also saves time and builds your Pinterest account. The software lets you auto-publish Pins, schedule them for optimal viewing, connect and engage with fellow users, and even create Pins. 

I can’t recommend Tailwind enough. If you’re looking to boost your Pinterest engagement and views, you can get one month free of Tailwind using this link!

Asana 

If you’re hiring a team for your growing small business and need a good project management tool, Asana is a great option. Available on the web and on mobile devices, Asana helps me track, organize, assign, and manage tasks and projects. 

Asana serves as a central hub for a lot of the work that happens behind the scenes in my business. It’s one of my essential business tools.

Using it helps me communicate important project deadlines and details with my team, exchange files and notes, and ensure we create all client work with correct processes and on time. 

There you have it! The 5 business tools that help me run my business more smoothly. If you would like to sign up for some one-on-one training for any of the platforms listed above, sign-up for a coaching call with me, and we can go over how they work and how I’ve incorporated them into my business.

Sign up for a creative coaching call here.