the 15 tools i can not run my business without

In today’s chaotic landscape, having the right tools can make or break you. I’ve curated a list of 15 indispensable tools that can empower you to elevate the way you do business. From project management to financial planning to creative apps, you’re likely to find a nugget of gold in this list!

1 - INDY

Indy is my project and client management platform. I use this bad boy to mange my proposals, send contracts, and keep track of clients and projects with ease. I love it for the ease of use and the organization it brings to addressing operational chaos.

2 - NAMECHEAP

Namecheap has been my trusted domain registrar since I built my first HTML website. While you may be comfy snagging your domains from GoDaddy, you can find the same domain name and an array of additional features at a more budget-friendly price point at Namecheap.

3 - BACKBLAZE

Does the scenario of an unfortunate computer crash resulting in the loss of very important documents that you spent hundreds of hours on haunt you? Well it will now… unless you use Backblaze! This service will constantly back up every file on your computer and hard drive. If the unthinkable happens, you can download it all onto a new or rebooted computer anytime you need.

4 - WEALTHFRONT

Wealthfront is a financial planning platform that lets you view all of your accounts at once. You can connect it to you other finance accounts, utilize their 5% APY cash account, and setup cash/investment accounts to achieve certain goals and milestones. It’s a game changer for planning for the future for yourself and your business.

5 - ROCKET MONEY

I am new to Rocket Money, and let me tell you it has already proved its worth. This app makes tracking business expenses and revenue quick and effortless. Next year, tax season is going to be as easy as sharing funny cat memes with your bestie.

6 - ACORNS

Acorns is similar to Wealthfront - but here’s my favorite part… set up “weekly recurring” and “roundups”, then forget about it. Check in in 5-6 months and you should have a pretty chunk of change set aside that you don’t remember missing. Use it to do something nice for your business.

7 - NORTHWEST REGISTERED AGENT

Here’s a secret - You don’t need to pay extra for Mark Cuban’s namesake to set up the formation of your business. Northwest Registered Agent is the best company, for price point and ease of use, to secure your LLC  and serve as your registered agent.

8 - POE

Here’s the thing about AI… if you don’t use it, you’re going to get left behind. POE gives you access to more than 20 of the leading AI chatbots… on the same screen. It delivers the solution to not putting your eggs in one AI basket - and you can use it for FREE.

9 - CHAT GPT

l nicknamed Chat GPT “my bestie”. AI holds the key to making mundane everyday tasks faster for you. Don’t use it as a crutch - use it as a tool to fine-tune your business - from processes, to copywriting, to brainstorming new ideas, to researching your target market.. Chat GPT WILL gain bestie status in your life if you let it.

10 - ADOBE CREATIVE SUITES

Now we all knew this was coming… like most other designers, me and the creative suites go HARD. Adobe CC is not cheap and it isn’t easy to learn, but there’s an app for almost every creative endeavor you could think of. The opportunities are LIMITLESS.

11 - CANVA

Docs, presentations, videos - oh my! Canva is the best for busting out quick documents. I use it for my social content, designing templates for clients, and building e-books. Bonus points if you pay for premium and set up your brand guidelines - it’s simple and fun to create with.

12 - CALENDLY

In a digital world, it feels GOOD to connect face to face! Calendly lets potential clients and customers schedule a Zoom right on your calendar without any work from you. The key to scaling your business is automation and this helps!

13 - SQUARESPACE

I’m a Squarespace designer, so of course this is making the cut. The platform is user-friendly, grows and transitions with your business, is SEO-friendly and performance-driven, and offers 24/7 support. If you’re looking for a new website or need to bust out some landing pages, I highly recommend!

14 - G-SUITE

I have and will always be a Google girl. GSuite is tops! I use it for my design business and   run a growing clean-tech company on the platform. GMail is great, and you’ll find me regularly interacting with Forms, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Calendar.

15 - LOOM

This desktop video capture app will save you loads of time. Whether it’s training, explaining, or delivering - you can use this app to record your screen along with you speaking. I use this app to deliver design ideas to clients as well as customized follow-up videos so clients can reference how to make small changes to their site anytime they feel lost.

And those are my top 15 tools! I genuinely hope that something from this list proves to be instrumental in making a strategic change to your brand or business.