7 Business Tools I Can’t Live Without
July 27th, 2018
There are SO many decisions to make when starting a business. I remember spending hours researching all the scheduling programs and CRM systems out there and agonizing over which one to choose. I seriously made pros and cons lists of each one like it was my job!
Here’s a list of the 7 business tools I can’t live without. Hopefully it makes the selection process a little bit easier for you!
For hassle free scheduling, I use:
1) Satori App
If you don’t already have a scheduling system in place, I recommend making this a priority! Even if you’re not seeing a ton of clients yet, you’ll save yourself so much time by having an online booking system. Going back and forth to find a time that works for you and a potential client is a major nuisance and time waster! Not only that, it could get your potential client so frustrated that they decide not to schedule at all…no bueno!
Satori App is a comprehensive CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool that I’ve been using for the past few years. It allows me to have clients schedule their session with ease, complete pre-session questionnaires and it also integrates nicely with PayPal.
My whole life is in my google calendar. Appointments, client calls, yoga class. I rely on this heavily, but also still have a paper planner (The passion planner) that I love for other reasons.
For design I use:
3) Canva
I absolutely adore Canva! I love that I can create beautiful and professional graphics for my business without spending tons of money on a designer. I personally use the free version of Canva and find it has everything to suit my needs. Yes it has some limitations, but it’s a heck of a lot easier than learning how to use PhotoShop!
4) Word Swag
WordSwag is a simple app for making cute quotations to post on social media. This can also be done in Canva, but I find WordSwag is more convenient on the go because I can do it right from my phone. There are a lot of font style options and you can easily customize using your own brand colors.
For list building I use:
5) Convertkit
I started my business using trusty Mailchimp and I still think it’s a great option when you’re just starting out. However as my business has grown and things have become more complex I realized that I needed a more robust system.
After my last group program launch and the nightmare of manually figuring out who to send which emails in a sequence to, it became clear I needed a program that could handle segmenting my list more effectively. I switched to ConvertKit at the end of last year and I’ve been really happy so far. It’s very intuitive to use and I know there are still so many things it can do far beyond what I’ve already used it for!
6) LeadPages
Leadpages allows me to design beautiful landing pages to promote my opt-in offers, challenges and webinars that ultimately grow my email list.
There are so many customization options in Leadpages and many of the templates have been tested for high conversion rates. I signed up for Leadpages before Mailchimp had the option to design landing pages and even though I’m with ConvertKit now, I’m sticking with Leadpages because I’ve already learned how to use it and have been really happy with my high conversion rates.
For client calls and webinars I use:
7) Zoom
Zoom is a reliable system for video calls with my clients and also for hosting webinars. I love that I’m able to share my screen and record calls/webinars for future use. I have also used Skype in the past, but found it wasn’t always the most reliable option.
There you have it…the top 7 business tools that I use almost every day in my business.
If you’re still struggling with what tools to use, the best piece of advice I can offer is to just make a decision and move forward. Don’t let indecision hold you back. Each system and tool out there has pros and cons, so just pick one and move on. You can always change your mind later if it’s not meeting your needs.
What’s one tool you use in your business that you can’t live without? I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments below!