I am always looking for apps and services that will help me become more efficient and make my working life easier. I have trialled and experimented with so many apps and services to see if they fit for me and I have found 5, at the moment, that are amazing.
I understand that ASANA is supposed to help teams collaborate on to-do lists which I can see how it would be amazing and helpful.
But as someone who is a solopreneur, I wanted a combination of a calendar and a to-do list all in one. And this is it.
It helps you to organise all of your tasks into categories or by client and then by the date due. I find this so helpful when you have several projects happening at once and need to look at timelines or calenders of when certain tasks are due.
I find this also helpful in planning ahead. I can schedule tasks to repeat for the future so that I have months of tasks all set up ready for me.
It also helps me to see what is coming up next. When a client has a certain task or project, I can easily see what I have to do each day and when I can fit that project in my schedule.
If you are a visual and list person, you will LOVE ASANA!
CANVA
If you are just research 'how to start an online business' you will have come across Canva. This is the one-stop shop for all your design needs. I love Adobe for graphic design but if you need logos, social media, invoices, documents etc, Canva has thousands of colourful templates you can easily customise and download.
They offer a paid version which is great if you have several brands you want to design for and need lots of different photos. But for most users, the free version is perfect for all your design needs.
I have used Canva mainly for social media design. They have so many different designs that suit nearly every client. They stay saved in your account after you have finished so if you need to make any revisions for a client, you can pick up where you last left off.
Before you start anything else, check out Canva for all your design needs.
CLOCKIFY
Looking for a simple app that will help you track your time for each client for easy invoicing? Look no further than Clockify. Again another free app you can add to your computer, add as a browser add-on and a mobile app.
I keep a track of the hours that I work for each client as well as what tasks I complete so I can give a client a clear breakdown of work and a simple invoice. Clockify helps me to track my hours in realtime. A simple click to go and it counts your hours down to the second (but rounds up to the next minute).
If is a simple tool but has so many features. You can create separate clients, assign tasks under them and track your time.
The reporting feature is amazing. There are so many filters and options to show exactly how long tasks too, how many hours you have worked with a client and even how much money you are making per client.
If you charge her hour for your work, this is an app you definitely need.
GSUITE
If you haven't sent up a business email address, look no further than GSuite. I'm a massive Google fan so it wasn't even a split-second decision that when I started my business, I would use GSuite for mail, online store and document creation.
I personally brought my GSuite package when building my website so it was all incorporated.
GSuite has everything you need: your emails, calendar, drive storage, online docs, sheets, slides and more. For not much more than £4 per month per email, it is an easy investment to instantly make your business look more professional.
A new client is more likely going to take you seriously with a 'hello@(business name).com' than '(business name)@gmail.com'.
A small tip for you: if you are a non-profit organisation with a charity number, you can GSuite for FREE! You just need to complete the application form and prove you are a charity and they will give all of your employees and volunteers a free GSuite account.
SENDIBLE
As a solopreneur who offers Social Media Management, I have been looking for a scheduling app that would allow me to schedule 20+ different social media accounts without having to break the bank and purchase a large business package.
After nearly a year of researching, Sendible looked like a great option. Many other platforms have a limit of a handful of social media platforms you can have per user. As someone who manages several accounts per client, I needed a lot and I needed to expand easily when I gain more clients.
For me, it felt like quite an investment to pay monthly but I am already seeing the benefit. Scheduling 10+ posts at a time can be all done in one page with a few simple clicks.
I can engage with comments and likes right through the app across all clients platforms.
I can see a calendar view of all the content that is going out per month so I can easily see the gaps.
If you are looking for an app for high volumes of social media scheduling, check out Sendible.
If you have any other amazing apps that you use, comment below as we would love to see them.
Signing off,
