Clients always ask me what resources I use to run my business – everything from social media tools to appointment scheduling and newsletter apps. Today, I’m going to share some of them with you!
Tools I Use
Toute Suite CRM
As an entrepreneur, I can say that it took me WAY too long to implement a Customer Relationship Management system. You know why? Because all of the ones I tried were hard to use, expensive, very unintuitive (and super frustrating!) PLUS, they didn’t have all of the functionality I wanted/needed. That’s when I decided to collaborate with my brilliant web dev friend, Aeryn, to offer our very own CRM tool. And that’s how Toute Suite was born! It does everything – literally. See for yourself!
MeetFox*
This tool handles all of my online bookings and even has integrated video conference calls. That means less time manually sending reminders and video conference links to clients. There’s even a built-in payment checkout feature and invoicing (which I *would* use if I didn’t already have Freshbooks… see below!)
*use this link to sign up for a FREE MeetFox starter account (3 meetings/month); if you upgrade your plan, you’ll get 30% off your first 3 months!
Freshbooks*
Looking for an easy way to invoice clients and keep track of your business finances? Freshbooks is my favourite way to do it! Invoice clients easily from the desktop or app, send proposals and estimates and take payment via your favourite payments processor (Stripe, etc) or their own in-house one. Got expenses? Their app makes it a breeze to add them on-the-go (coffee shop receipts, anyone?) and their easy-to-read dashboard gives you a bird’s eye view of your income and expenses at all times. Give it a try and see what you think… the first 30 days are free!
*use this link to try out Freshbooks; if you buy a plan, we BOTH get a $25 gift card!
Asana
Need to get – and stay – organized? Asana is a great (free) tool that can help! Set up your tasks into workspaces, categories or projects… whatever makes the most sense for your business and workflow. It allows you to collaborate with clients (simply invite them to the project) and assign tasks with set due dates.
Setmore
I don’t use this tool, but I included it on this list because I have implemented it for a few clients – and it’s awesome! If you want to offer classes or workshops, this is the tool for you! It allows you to set the capacity for each, add team members (that can also book client sessions) and more.
Where to find great digital tools for business…
There’s a site called AppSumo that I truly LOVE for discovering new tools for my business. And not only that… it also offers the BEST deals on digital tools. Like, crazy-good deals. LIFETIME deals!! Think of all the SaaS (software as a service) tools you use right now, and then add up your monthly subscription fees for them.
Don’t get me wrong, if something is working for you, it’s most definitely worth the money! But I’m here today to share some of my favourite tools that are currently on AppSumo that you may not have heard of, but that might make you think twice about what you’re using now (especially if you don’t really love it)!
Full disclosure: I’m an AppSumo affiliate because I buy so many tools that it made sense to do so! Every product comes with a no-questions-asked 60-day money back guarantee (another reason I 💗 them!), so if the tool doesn’t do what you need or you just don’t like it, no problem! Money refunded!
Here’s a round-up of my fav products for social media – and running your biz – currently available on AppSumo:
SendFox
Automatically send customized emails to your subscribers, followers, and fans
(Plus, there’s a plugin that allows you to capture emails directly from your WordPress site!)
Postly
Social media content scheduler with built-in AI writer and more!
TidyCal
Simple, efficient scheduling app to book paid or free meetings.
ApproveMe’s Ultimate Contract Template Library (FREE!)
If you ever need contracts for vendors, service providers, etc this is a great free resource that provides you with simple templates.
I’d love to hear which tools YOU use to make your business run more smoothly and efficiently! Drop a comment below. 👇