Finding the right tools for your business to operate is paramount when it comes to efficiency.
Sometimes it takes a few trials of different tools to find the right ones for you. The ones I’m sharing in this post are tools that I have been using consistently for a couple of years now. I can’t imagine running my business without them. If you are looking to make a change, looking to begin, or simply just want to know some of the best solopreneur tools out there, I hope these help you on your journey!
Trello – Admin
Trello is the mothership of my solopreneur tools! It helps me clearly visualize everything that is happening in the business. Trello is a collaborative tool, however, you don’t need to have a team to get the full use out of it. Imagine a bulletin board filled with lists of Post-its. Each post-it has a task or project name and these “Post-it’s” are magic. You can fill each one with photos, attachments, checklists, and due dates. You can also connect your Dropbox, Google Drive, and other apps to it. Plus, if you do have a team, you can add others as collaborators. I love it because the mobile app is just as easy to use and
Dropbox – Admin
A few people in my circle are moving from Dropbox to Google Drive due to the pricing structure, but right now I still have quite a bit of space with the plan that I have and it’s easy. I have eight years of content on there.
Learn more _ sign up for Dropbox.
Planoly – Social Media Planning
I can’t imagine my life without Planoly. Seriously, it has made planning my Instagram content so much easier! It’s also one of those solopreneur tools that I use for my freelance clients. You can use Planoly on your phone or through a browser. If you’re using the browser for planning, you’ll be able to see a grid calendar as well so you can see what days you have a post to share. Personally, I like to schedule at least two weeks out, and if I know that content is coming up but I haven’t had a chance to shoot it yet, I’ll add a placeholder tile with some notes. Planoly cares about its members and provides a lot of resources on their blog, emails, and educational webinars.
Learn more + sign up for Planoly.
Wave – Estimates + Invoicing
I started using Wave once I had more regular freelance projects. It has still done the job for me. Wave is a free platform, and it doesn’t limit your invoicing, contracts, estimates, expenses, etc. Fees only come into play if you need to add payroll, payment processing (credit card or bank transfer). I also love that you can add your own branding to invoices; I’ve uploaded logos and stored all company and client information.
Canva – Design
If you’re a solopreneur, there’s a chance you’re going to have to design something. I use Canva to create flyers, infographics, Pinterest pins, headers, quotes – you name it! I also use it for my consulting client’s flyers and social media promos. When you sign up for Canva Pro, you can add your own brand kit to the platform, which means that your brand fonts, colors, files, and preferences are all integrated and saved for every session. You can also easily resize any project you’re working on by just two clicks of your mouse. Need to share a file with a team? Not a problem and no software is needed. It’s seriously the best.
Learn more + sign up for Canva.
Grammarly – Admin
Giving off the impression of professionalism is important, especially in the early stages of your business. Not everyone can afford a proofreader for every single thing and Grammarly has saved my butt more times than not. It’s an extension that you add to your browser and it automatically detects misspellings and incorrect punctuation. It’s active when I’m writing emails and drafting blog posts. It’s been awesome! The desktop app gives you even more insights around your sentence structure, tenses, and more. I currently have a free account and it’s been perfect for my business flow, however, they do offer a paid plan that unlocks some additional features
Learn more + sign up for Grammarly.
Flodesk – Email marketing
Have you heard about Flodesk? The streets are talking about this one…and what I mean by that is, it’s hot and changing the email marketing game day by day. It’s currently in beta, but the program came out strong with beautifully designed templates, fonts, and add-ons. Have no idea how to code? No problem – your emails are going to look like you do. Currently, it is $38/month if you sign up now, but through my referral link, you can sign up for $19. That price is locked in no matter how large your list gets. I’m not used to paying for email, but I’m happy to know I’m saving time and money from outsourcing by being able to do so much more on my own. It also makes me want to send out more emails!
Learn more + sign up for Flodesk.
Your notes app of preference
I know notes apps are personal to solopreneurs just like picking the right planner, so I’m not going to tell you which to use, however, we use them to jot down every little idea. Sometimes a great idea or phrase or location pops out of nowhere, and being able to jot it down for future reference is so important! To make sure those gems don’t just live on your phone, set a time (maybe it’s your social media planning day) where you add them to your Trello board. See what I did there? 😉
What do you think about these solopreneur tools?!
I hope these tools help your business run as smoothly as they help mine! I’ve tried many things since starting this blog and growing my freelance business, and these tools have been the cream that rose to the top. Please share your favorite tools with me if you didn’t see them listed!
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