The affordable business tools I’ve used to skyrocket the growth of my web design business
For a long time, I've wanted to publish an article about my hidden everyday employees! This is a serious deep dive into how I run the daily tasks of my web design business. All honest reviews of my favourite tools and an informative overview of what I use them for.
Even if you only use one of these tools, apply it, and breathe a sigh of relief because you've taken something off your overburdened shoulders, I'll be overjoyed!
I'm writing this specifically for people who are just starting out in their small business and are wanting to grow. Maybe you're trying to save money by doing everything yourself, or you're waiting to hire a social media manager or an accountant, or you're using all the free versions of everything you can, which we all know takes twice as long, but you think it's worth it to save the monthly subscription. I've been there, and I've wasted far too much time by failing to take myself seriously enough to invest in critical elements of my business.
If you don’t adapt and invest in yourself, you simply will not grow.
You're a new business owner; your time is goddam precious, and as much as we like to think we’re all superhuman, we’re only one person juggling multiple plates. Accepting help and being prepared to pay for it demonstrates that you're a serious business owner who values your time and the experiences of your clients.
I’ve compiled a list of daily tools I use in my business that have improved the way I run it without breaking the bank. Have a good read, and contact me if you need any support.
1 - Notion
CLIENT PROCESSES, DASHBOARD & ORGANISATION - £4.82 /PCM
Notion is a serious platform, originally used by lawyers and mathematicians but slowly becoming the number one organisational tool for small and large businesses.
Notion is my company's HQ.
It organises all my business documents and creates shared work spaces with either team members or clients. A snippet of what lives in my Notion:
‘How to guides’ and video tutorials.
Client deliverables; welcome guides, proposals, website strategies et al.
Bespoke client dashboards.
A place to keep all my handy daily links.
Market research and content planning.
Email templates.
Workflow processes to refer to.
Everyday business links.
Notion is also my personal HQ.
Including but not restricted to:
Quarterly goal setting.
Recipes (I actually refer to this every time I do a shop and it’s slowly becoming a pretty big list. If you’re a organised chap then you’ll love being about to categorise every meal - making it easy to search for lunch/dinner or healthy meal ideas.)
Travel plans - each location is part of a database, you can open up that location into a whole new page with plans and research nestled away.
I even use my personal HQ to track my menstrual cycle and write notes on how I feel - this has helped me plan my month around my hormones. This concept was introduced to me by Sarah Blake (Sarahs Instagram) (Sarahs website) and girls, it’s a serious game changer!
2 - Dubsado
BUSINESS CRM - LEAD MANAGEMENT AND AUTOMATED WORKFLOWS - £17.91 /PCM
If you don’t feel you need a CRM now, you absolutely will very soon. I recommend setting it up now and getting to grips with it because it can be quite involved, but once it’s up and running, you’ll feel like a professional boss of your business - just as you should.
Important processes dubsado has taken off my hands:
Organising my lovely enquiries as they come in.
Outlining all my workflow processes - these were all in place before dubsado but not nearly as succinct and certainly not automated.
One place for all my email templates, I’m able to send out with a click of a button or attach to a stepping stone within my workflow process.
Directly send proposals, invoices and contracts.
Schedule calls.
3 - Loom
SCREEN RECORDER FOR REELS, MOCKUPS AND VIDEO TRAINING MATERIALS - £6.16 /PCM
What a lifesaver Loom is. When I first started out, I was using the free version of Nimbus capture, then having to convert the WEBM file into an MP4, trying to make sure every video was below 5 minutes, and not having the flexibility to choose the size of the screen I was recording. I actually have a giggle looking back now, how many hoops I jumped through to save me the equivalent of £1.50 a week! What a numpty.
Now I can easily create professional reels in a matter of half an hour. All my video tutorials are crisp, customised and, wait for it, as long as they need to be!
If you work online and regularly find yourself converting x - y and rushing your work to stick to those restrictions, which means you save pennies every week, just stop, you deserve better!
4 - Quickbooks
ACCOUNTANT - £4.80 /PCM
Unless you’re an accountant, I believe you need accounting software. This one isn’t about saving time (although it does) it’s about loving your future self and not wanting them to be faced with any fines or blind panic.
Make sure you’re setting aside the right amount of tax, expensing the right things, and documenting your receipts. As a bonus you get to view reports of what’s coming in and out of your business and your self-assessment tax return is an absolute breeze.
5 - Mailchimp
EMAIL MARKETING TOOL - SENDING CAMPAIGNS, AUTOMATED WELCOME EMAILS AND DELIVERING FREE GUIDES - £10.48 /PCM
We all know the importance of building an email list community and having an audience that’s truly yours and can’t be whipped away when a social media platform mistakes you for a malicious force wanting to bring the whole thing down.
I found Mailchimp really easy to navigate since they updated their user interface. Every time someone signs up for my newsletter, they will receive an automated welcome email with free training in it, without mE needing to lift a finger.
A few other uses:
Set up a tailored customer journey from a specific ideal client sign up.
Send out weekly email campaigns.
6 - Tailwind
INSTAGRAM & PINTEREST SCHEDULING - STILL ON THE FREE VERSION! (I LIKE TO PIN MANUALLY EVERYDAY.)
Staying consistent on social media was a constant battle for me at the start of my business. I believed that if I couldn’t stay consistent with manual posting, I wasn’t ready to invest in a scheduling tool. This was silly, it wasn’t until I signed up for Tailwind did I actually become consistent!
Don't get caught up in the cycle of being consistent for two weeks and then being dissatisfied when life intervenes and you feel like you've wrecked your streak. Set up a method to help you get at least a few weeks ahead of schedule, then all you need to do is the fun part - engage!
Other ways Tailwind has improved my social presence:
Recommended times to post when my users are active.
Recommended hashtags.
A create mode that’s halfs the time it takes to design pinterest posts.
So, drumroll please... - That’s £44 (ish) every month for automation, peace of mind and saving a hella lot of time and stress in the runnings of my business. I literally spend the same amount on a takeaway every month (or maybe twice a month.. eek!)
(Please note that the prices I've stated here are estimates of my monthly investments and may vary for other persons.)
Disclaimer: The dubsado link above is an affiliate link; my suggestion is based on my personal experience with this tool. If you see the benefit in using dubsado for your own business and click on the link above, you'll get a discount and I'll get a little commission - it's a win-win!
I'm not saying you have to follow my advice to the letter; there are many solutions available to help you manage your business in the background. Play around, sign up for those free trials, and find what works best for you. Before choosing Tailwind, I tested Later, Social Bee, and publishing tools. Tailwind seemed to fit me and the way I work.