Over the past few months, I have taken inventory of the online software programs and apps that I use daily in my business. Last week, in my business coaching program we had a presentation from Jordan Gill of Systems Saved Me and it really made me focus on ways to automate tasks I do often to help me save time and work smarter, not harder! Some of the software/apps were ones I was already using, but others were new to me and you may also find them of value in your business.
These software programs and apps cover everything from custom relationship management software to accounting to project management. I currently use, or have used, each of these tools to help me save a TON of time (and often money) in my business:
My Favorite Software Programs and Apps
Honeybook for Client Management (perfect for web designers and other creatives)
Not long ago, I switched from Dubsado to Honeybook. While Dubsado is a great app for client management, I found that Honeybook was easier for me to customize to my liking and offered more of a macro view of my business in an easy-to-digest display. Honeybook provides everything from lead capture to proposals to invoicing. When visitors view my Contact page, they can submit a form which gets directly uploaded to my Honeybook account with all of the relevant details.
ClickUp (Software program and App for project Management)
I’ve tried a number of different project management software programs for my web design and branding projects— most recently Basecamp— and none of them seemed to be the right fit. Enter ClickUp and I think I’ve finally found the “one!” ClickUp has a variety of different visual layouts and workflows, including lists which and tiles (my personal favorite). If you love being organized in your business and viewing things visually, you’ll definitely want to check out ClickUp. You can choose several different views including Gantt charts, boards, lists, and flow charts for your “spaces.” Spaces are the largest hierarchy under which you can have folders which contain lists, etc.
Depending on the plan you choose, you can invite your clients as collaborators so that they can edit certain tasks (you can set permissions for all tasks). No more having to remind clients about due dates and delegated tasks, as ClickUp will send them email reminders! If you’ve been searching for a comprehensive, easy-to-use project management software, I highly recommend checking out ClickUp.
This post contains affiliate links. We also received a free PRO subscription to Milanote.
Quickbooks Online for Accounting
While I do have a bookkeeper for my business, I’m also a numbers nerd, and Quickbooks online helps me view and track invoices, payments, expenses, and mileage in an easy to analyze format. You can link all of your business bank accounts and credit cards to QuickBooks online to make reconciliation a breeze. If you hire a bookkeeper, having your financial data in QuickBooks will make it much easier for them to manage as well and in the case that you switch bookkeepers, having all of your information in Quickbooks will make it much more portable.
Through QuickBooks, you can accept payment through credit cards and ACH with competitive processing fees. One of the reasons I switched to QuickBooks, rather than using Stripe is that the processing fees are charged out separately, which makes reconciling with invoices much easier on the backend! If you want to try QuickBooks online, you can get 50% off your first 3 months and a $50 Visa gift card (I get one too for referring you!).
SocialPilot for Social Media Scheduling and Analytics
When it comes to software programs and apps for social media scheduling, SocialPilot is my all time favorite, and I’ve been using it for years to schedule my own social media and social media for my clients. I’ve tried a number of different scheduling tools, and I’ve found that Social Pilot’s is the most user-friendly and I love that you can create branded analytics reports. After linking your social media profiles, Social Pilot will allow you to schedule posts and pre-populate your schedule with optimal posting times according to your social media profile analytics.
Currently supported platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (reminders only), Pinterest (reminders only), TikTok (reminders only), LinkedIn, Google My Business, VK and Tumblr. Additional features include the ability to create and manage ads for Facebook and curated content based on keywords that you can add to your schedule.You can also add team members to different social media accounts in SocialPilot. If you’re looking for a comprehensive, user-friendly social media scheduling tool, SocialPilot would be a great fit.
In my opinion, it’s a great value for all of the features offered in its plans.You can try SocialPilot for free (no credit card required).
Milanote (Great for Creatives)
Milanote is a tool for organizing creative projects into beautiful visual boards. It’s a lot like working on a wall in a creative studio, so Milanote is a great fit for designers who work in teams remotely. You can write notes and to-do lists, upload images and files and save things you find on the web to your boards.
You can also organize you items visually using the flexible drag and drop interface. The boards are, by default, a private place to think, but with a single click you can create a shared workspace for collaboration with your team. There are hundreds of built-in templates to help you get started with a variety of different projects, from creating a mood board to writing a perfect creative brief!
Milanote has a free version available (with no time limit) and a PRO version that is $9.99 per month (monthly and annual plans).
Other Software Programs and Apps Used by Web Designers and Creatives
What are your favorite software programs and apps for managing your business?