I know I’ve gone on before about how each person’s business is unique, but there are some super useful digital tools for business owners I’ve found that have helped me run an online business for over 10 years. I’m sharing them ALL with you today! There is absolutely no gatekeeping here.
Full disclosure: I’m sharing links to all of these tools, and some are affiliate links, but they won’t cost you anything extra if you choose to sign up for them (and sometimes you can actually score a deal). It’s just one way I create an income stream to help run my business, feed my kid, and pay my rent.😉
If you’re new here, I’m Sarah Huguet, and I run a boutique social media management agency, Social and Stuff. You can probably guess there are a lot of content creation tools in this list, but if you’re showing up online for your business, you probably need them too. I also share the less “fun” biz tools so you have a one-stop read for these business basics.
Let’s get started!
Digital Organization Tools
No matter what kind of business you run, you need ways to keep your stuff organized!
When it comes to digital storage, I’m a Google Drive girl. It’s a user-friendly cloud-based system for sharing documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, and more with my clients and team. You can use Google Drive in your browser, on your desktop, or with the mobile app for Android or iOS. A budget-friendly option is the free account, which gives you 15GB of storage, but I pay an additional monthly fee because client content creation takes up tons of space.
For planning tasks and organizing clients within my team, I use the free version of Asana. It’s simple to create tasks, assign them to team members, and check progress, and it’s where I brain-dump all my ideas for blog content for my copywriter. They have different pricing levels with access to a variety of features depending on what you need for your biz, and there’s an app! Check out the pricing here.
All of my clients’ content hubs live on Airtable, and it’s amazing! Even if you’re just starting out, it’s a fantastic tool because it’s simple to navigate, and it’s free for the first 5 users on your account. When I set up a new client, I start with a template I’ve created to save time. Then I give each client a personalized tutorial video on Loom to help them understand how to use Airtable during our partnership. When they try it, they love it!
Digital Design and Editing Tools
Even if you’re not a graphic designer, you need digital design and editing tools to help with your content creation and online promotion.
I LOVE Canva’s user-friendly ability! They have pricing options for every sized business, from FREE to paid PRO plans. This design software is where I create all the graphics for each of my client’s social media content. They’re always rolling out new features, and with the app, you can make tweaks and edits even if you’re away from your computer.
When it comes to an easy video editing tool, it’s CapCut all the way. With versions for your computer or the mobile app, CapCut is a simple to understand and navigate video editing software. I love the templates I can create for my Social and Stuff Simplified members so they can streamline their reels game.
To create consistent photo edits for my own content and for clients, I use the photo editing app Tezza. It’s available for iOS and Android devices and has a tiered pricing option from Free up to $9.99 a month, depending on the features you want access to. It was also created by women for women, so I’m all for that!
Digital Advertising and Sales Tools
Now if you’re running an online business, you absolutely NEED to have an email list. I know that I’m a social media strategist and offer full social media management services, but the truth is social media is rented space. You OWN your email list! Even if you’re starting from scratch, I highly recommend Flodesk for your email management. It’s easy to use even if you’re not really “techy,” and the monthly price never goes up no matter how many email subscribers you get. Click here to save 50% OFF your first year with Flodesk.
Speaking of owning your own space online…what better place than an epic website that works for you even when you’re sleeping?! My very first website for Social and Stuff was a template from ShowIt. Why? It’s incredibly simple to figure out and customize for your business branding. Even when I did an entire website redesign (read about that saga here!) I found a ShowIt website designer to build my custom site because I loved the platform so much. They even have blog options, which is how you’re reading this right now. If you want to score a FREE month with ShowIt, follow this link.
I’m all about building different income streams to support your business and last through those changing seasons…a.k.a. The slow AF ones. Cue my Stan Store! It holds my digital products and you can book my services directly if you’re just ready to go for it. I’ve also heard from a Pinterest expert that if you don’t have a website yet and want to drive traffic to Pinterest, you can claim a Stan Store link for your account. It’s Pinterest approved. Check it out here!
Moving on to that rented online space…social media. Now, I handle multiple client accounts and don’t have the time to manually post Every. Single. Post! This is where a scheduling platform comes in super handy. My favourite one so far is Metricool. It has the ability to connect all of your social media accounts and more, plus the analytics are fantastic for all you data nerds out there. For all of Metricool’s pricing options, click here.
Backend Office Digital Tools
Whether you need to communicate to clients or your team, like I do, you might need a messaging tool. Slack has become my go-to communication tool for everything when I need to send quick messages over emails. I still only use the free version, but you can check out all their offers and pricing here.
If you need an all-in-one solution for your client flow, check out HoneyBook! You can send invoices, sign contracts, book clients, track leads, accept online payments, send questionnaires, and more. This CRM (customer relationship management) software has streamlined so much of my client onboarding process. It could be the right option for you too!
This is the last and final tool…and while it’s not as fun and glamorous as other digital business tools, it’s probably one of the most important! QuickBooks. This tool is what keeps the relationship between my accountant and me as smooth as it will ever be. They have different levels of plans and pricing for solopreneurs and small business owners. Find the right one for you here.
If you made it to the end of this blog, I’m giving you a virtual round of applause!👏 I know that digital tools and apps that help you run your business aren’t the most exciting topic to chat about, but they’re incredibly important. If I can do anything to help a fellow online entrepreneur out with their business, I will! It’s just how I do things around here.
I’d love to know if this info was valuable for you, so give me a shout at sarah@socialandstuff.com.
Your Social BFF,
Sarah✌️
