I have tried so many different tools to streamline and boost my business over the past few years, and I have found myself talking about a few of them over and over so I wanted to share those few favorites here on my blog with you all! These tools/products/resources have helped me so much- and best of all, some are so inexpensive or free! I hope these help you as you plan your upcoming year, and as always I’m cheering you on! **some of these products have a referral or discount code linked for you too!

 

• Honeybook!! Before choosing Honeybook, I tried two different CRM softwares (CRM- customer relationship management) and nothing has fit my needs quite as well as Honeybook. From sending brochures/proposals/contracts/invoices to client communication, I love that my clients each have their own workspace to keep everything organized and in one easy to use place. In fact, they have recently made some even more incredible updates allowing you to sync with Calendy (which I alos highly suggest for scheduling) and Zapier for automation! I wrote a whole separate blog on my love for Honeybook here, but if you are interested you can try them out for FREE for 30 days, and if you use this link you can get 50% off after your free trial if you decide to sign up!

 

• This next product may not seem life changing, but it truly has the potential to change the way you look at your time and how you plan toward your goals! It’s a year-at-a-glance wall calendar and it’s AMAZING. I love that I have stopped planning based on months and instead I can see my days and weeks as they actually unfold. Too often, I was letting myself drop the ball on things because they were happening “next month”- when really that was just an illusion of extra time! The only thing you need to consider before buying this calendar is where you will hang it- because it is LARGE. Check it out, and you can use this link for 10% off (although, it is fairly inexpensive to begin with- double win!)

 

 

•   Trello! I love making lists and while I am definitely a “pen and paper” kind of girl, sometimes your life starts to get so busy that your pen just can’t keep up as efficiently as a tool that is designed to swiftly control your chaos! From checklists to categorizing your boards, Trello is great at keeping you on task and aware of what tasks are waiting for you! Another alternative to Trello is Asana, which is more project-based (perfect for those big goals that need to be broken down). Both have free versions, so test it out and see what works for you!!

 

• The Apple Watch! I wish I could share a discount for this one, but I will say this pricey little piece of tech has been an amazing addition to my days! I love that it is super convenient on a wedding day or at a photo shoot, and also keeps me aware of important reminders during the day. When you work at a computer from home all day every day, it’s easy to forget to get up and move, and it has been a (only slightly annoying) push for me to remember to take care of myself and to get out from behind my computer every so often!! Check out my girl Dawn Elizabeth Studio’s write up on how she uses it on a wedding day as a photographer here! Her blog post was so helpful for me on wedding days!

 

If you have a product or tool you love telling other small business owners about, tell me about them in the comments!!

Here’s to an organized and productive New Year!!!