My Favorite Small Business Resources

Running a small business means wearing a lot of hats and the right tools can make everything feel a little less chaotic. These are some of my tried and true tools that I have personally used for years and recommend for keeping your business organized, professional, and easier to manage.

*A quick note before we dive in: some of the links included may be affiliate or referral links, which means I may receive a small commission or benefit if you sign up through them, at no additional cost to you. That said, I only share tools I genuinely use and love.

Squarespace (website + business hub)

My absolute go-to website platform for service-based businesses. Squarespace is incredibly user-friendly, beautifully designed, and gives you a lot in one place, including website hosting, forms, email marketing, scheduling integrations, analytics, invoicing, and more. I’ve worked in Squarespace for years (current Gold Status Circle designer) and I keep coming back. 

Google Workspace (professional email + files)

If you’re still using a personal Gmail address for your business, this is one of the first upgrades I would make. Google Workspace gives you a professional email address using your domain, plus access to Drive, Docs, Sheets, Calendar, and the other Google tools you probably already know how to use. Bonus: If you sign up for the Core plan with Squarespace, you receive a free Google Workspace email for a year! 

Stripe (payments) —

Stripe makes it easy to accept online payments and is used by tons of platforms behind the scenes. It is simple, flexible, and a great option for invoices, payment links, and online checkout.

Calendly (scheduling) —

No more emailing back and forth trying to find a time that works (praise)! Calendly lets clients or potential customers book directly into your availability and is perfect for discovery calls, consultations, meetings, and appointments. If you’ve booked a call with us before, you know this one is our fav!

Adobe Creative Cloud / Canva (design) —

We design exclusively using the Adobe Creative Suite, however, for non-designer small business owners I highly recommend a tool like Canva! It is simple to use, has tons of templates, and makes it much easier to stay consistent once your brand identity is established.

Trello (project management) —

I love Trello for keeping projects, tasks, and ideas organized in one visual place. You can create boards for client projects, content planning, internal tasks, launches, or pretty much anything else you need to keep track of.

Dropbox (file storage + delivery) —

Dropbox is especially useful when you are working with large files or need an easy way to share folders with clients, collaborators, photographers, or contractors.

Later (social media scheduling) —

Later lets you plan and schedule your social media content ahead of time, which can make staying consistent much easier. It is especially helpful if you are trying to batch your content instead of creating and posting everything in real time.

Loom (video communication) —

Sometimes a quick screen recording is way easier than writing a five-paragraph email. Loom is great for tutorials, client feedback, team communication, or walking someone through a process visually.

Dupe (free photo resources) —

Dupe is one of my new favorite places to find more natural, editorial-feeling photography when you don’t have custom brand photos available. Just remember that stock imagery works best when you choose photos that still feel cohesive with your overall brand!

One Last Hot Tip

You do not need every tool on this list to run a great business. Start with the ones that solve an actual problem you have right now, then add more systems as your business grows! 

And, as always, if you need any assistance in building your brand identity and/or website, you know where to find us. Our team is only a call away!