Small business tools
Below are some of the tools I use or have used when running my web design business.
Note, products marked with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links.
Design tools for your small business
Squarespace*
This is an obvious one because I clearly love this web building platform. You can read more here but in short, it’s a very flexible website builder that is secured and maintainted by Squarespace whilst also allowing for custom design and built in business running tools.
Canva*
Canva has become such a popular tool for business owners to create graphics and documents for their businesses. They have a good free plan but their premium plan offers many more useful tools at a great price. They are putting a lot of effort into improving the platform and adding new features which is good to see.
Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe is a bit of an investment unless you are a designer or specifically need some of the tools within the suite. I use Photoshop for photo editing, Illustrator for graphics, XD for website layouts, Rush for mobile video editing and Premiere Pro for video editing.
Money & finance tools for your small business
Tide*
I’ve been using Tide as my business bank account for around 5 years now and I’ve loved it. The application process was simple and fast. They have a great app with quick chat support if you run into any issues.
FreeAgent*
My accountant brother recommended I use FreeAgent for my accounts and I have to say I’ve found it really easy to use. It connects with my bank account and allows me to submit my tax return directly from the platform. It’s got a great app too. It can be used for invoicing, etc, although I’ve not tried that out personally.
Link below will give you a 50% discount on your first 6 months.
Admin tools for your small business
Dubsado*
For the past couple of years I’ve been using Dubsado as my client management tool. Honestly it did take some time to set up but now I have it working the way I want it to, it’s such a time saver for contracts, invoices and project management.
Loom*
Loom is without a doubt my most used business tools. It is a screen recorder that can record just your screen, you and your screen or just you. There’s a Chrome plug-in so it’s always available and on the paid plan it auto-generates captions, let you edit and you can download videos.
Asana
I would be lost without my tasks all written out and assigned within Asana. It allows me to track what needs to be done in my business and within specific projects. I also use it to communicate with clients throughout projects. The free plan is absolutely brilliant and gives you all the tools you need.
Marketing tools for your small business
Squarespace Campaigns*
I use the built-in Squarespace email marketing tool for my Kirsty M Design newsletter. It’s a basic tool but it integrates well with the existing content on my website and allows me to set up simple automation to welcome new subscribers and customers.
Flodesk*
I use Flodesk for email marketing within my second business Bake This Happen. It’s been simple to use and allows me to keep my subscribers organised into different categories based on where they signed up and what opt-ins they’ve accessed.
Link below will give you 50% discount on your annual subscription.
Moo
I’ve used Moo for over 10 years and have always been very satisfied with the quality of print on their business cards and flyers.
Link below will give you 25% discount on your first order.