I know I’m not the only one who is grateful that we are at the end of 2020, the wildest year yet. For most people, this year had a steep learning curve that really challenged the way that we do business and life overall. There’s no denying that we all learned a thing or two about technology and using computers to make life a little easier, but personally as I look back on this year I am blown away by the growth I’ve been blessed enough to have in my business. Truth be told, I couldn’t have done it without my tried and true resources and tools that not only helped me manage my business through these “unprecedented times,” but also helped me scale into the next stage of being a business owner.

If you are ready to solidify your business and claim growth for 2021, you’re going to need the following tools and resources:

Stock photos & Content Calendars

Unless you’ve got hundreds of beautifully curated images of you in your home or leading conferences in your field, you likely need some stock photos to help show up visually for your business on social media. I personally love using stock photos for social media, but have found myself tired of using the same canned images that you see all over the free websites– and then I found Pixistock. Pixistock offers stock photos for all nationalities, age ranges, and brands. Even better, if you are stuck on content she offers a content calendar to inspire you. Unsure what type of branding really matches your business? Pixistock offers branding boards. There are workbooks, templates and so much more. They continue to add value and the yearly fee is nothing compared to the amount of value you get.

Customer Relationship Management

As a service provider, my relationship with my clients is my bread and butter. At the end of the day, my business would not have survived without a Customer Relationship Management System to help me make my client onboarding, nurturing, and offboarding processes seamless. When it comes to CRM, I love Dubsado! I am able to create and send contracts, invoices, and proposals all at once as well as send monthly recurring invoices. Dubsado is the most customizable platform on the market, but don’t let the fear of code hold you back! They offer tons of support and videos to get everything you need and more from your set up. Dubsado has transformed my business and I can keep everything on brand, which really matters when working virtually so that my clients know they are working with me. Thanks to Dubsado, I get a lot of positive feedback from clients stating how smooth the process was to start working with me and how easy it is to find their files or get in touch with me. 

Project Management

Back in the day, managing projects looked like a wall of sticky notes and scrap paper on the desk. However, if you are running a business you NEED a digital project management tool that can send you reminders, house your team, and keep you on track with everything you are doing across multiple projects. Hands down my favorite tool for this is Clickup. I can communicate with my team, put tasks, due dates and keep all of my ideas in one space. There is nothing like the feeling I get by being able to view everything I have coming up on one calendar instead of digging through notes and lists. If you haven’t given Clickup a try yet, what are you waiting for?

Templates

Realistically, we aren’t all graphic designers or blessed with an eye for aesthetics nor do we have room in the budget to have a design team on retainer. Luckily for us, Boss Project has gone over the top platforms such as most social media platforms, Dubsado, Shopify, course platforms, etc. and made easy-to-use templates for you to snatch up and put to work. If you are looking to simplify your business without giving up on beautiful designs, check out Boss Project ASAP. 

Digital planner

A friend once told me “a plan is a dream with its workboots on,” and ever since then I’ve made sure to really hash out my dreams into tangible plans that I can accomplish step by step. My biggest problem with planners, though, is that in order to get everything I want within one planner, it would be a 3-inch binder size by the time I’m done with it. Enter in the Breakthrough to Excellence CEO Digital Planner by Jasmin Haley. This planner is one of the best digital planners I’ve seen. Since it is all digital, you can write all over it, erase it and start fresh, add extra pages, and whatever else you need out of it without having to carry around a massive paper planner. Not to mention, Jasmin runs a 6 figure business so it is safe to say that she knows exactly what you need in a planner. 

Content Planner

Sometimes, you can’t beat pen and paper though and that is where my Content Planner by Kat Gaskin comes in. I love love love it! As a social media manager I have to plan plan plan in order to be on top of everything and make sure my clients are happy, so the Content Planner is at my right hand at all times. I love having a planner that I can keep analytics in and plan my content across multiple platforms. It is definitely a perk that the color schemes each year are amazing too!

I know I’m claiming growth for 2021 so I’ll be sticking with my tried and true resources and tools to help me achieve that. I hope you found something on this list that can help you reach your business dreams!

**Some of the links on this site are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”