One of the joys of online business is that there’s a multitude of tools available to help you keep on top of things and make life easier – and a lot of them are free!
For any given task or project I could easily list a bunch of tools you might use but for now I thought I’d start with some of the ones I am using every single day in my business.
planner
Used for: task tracking
As much as I love digital tools, I do well when I have my to-do list in front of my face. And when you have 47 tabs and 12 different apps open… that’s not likely to happen. That’s why I love my EmmaKateCo planner. It’s always open in front of me on the week view, and I can quickly scribble down my top tasks across a week, and other bits n pieces that I need to capture as they pop into my brain. I’ve also been trying to make a note when I practice my ukulele, so I can see how much progress I’m making.
Image via @emmakateco
asana
Used for: project and task management
I”ve been using Asana for years, because it’s such a useful and robust tool (and there’s HEAPS you can do on the free version). I use it for my own project/task management and my content planning, and most of my clients use it for their project management too – which means I can quickly flick between workspaces to see what’s on the go.
google apps
Used for: everything!
When I was first choosing tools for my business and saw how ugly and clunky my host’s webmail interface was, Gmail for business (or whatever it was called back then) was a no brainer. I was already familiar with the Gmail interface and preferred it over Outlook (and still do!). Between Gmail, Calendar, Google Docs and Sheets, and Keep notes, I’m flipping in and out of Google products all. the. time.
pocket casts
I 💙 background noise and when I’m walking, running errands, cleaning my house etc I almost always have a podcast on. Plus it’s recently become my favourite way to start the day (check out some of my podcast recommendations here). I’m an Android person, and Pocket Casts is my app of choice for podcasts.
kajabi
This one I’m currently in every day to support clients, and when I’m ready to launch an online course I’ll most likely be using it too. Kajabi is a great platform for your online course or membership, and it has the capability to be an all-in-one and house your website, landing pages, marketing funnels and email lists too. It’s not cheap, but it is powerful! And if, like me, you’re happy to pay for simplicity, ease, and convenience, it’s a good investment.
activecampaign
My clients and I currently use ActiveCampaign mostly for email marketing and marketing automations, but it can also be your CRM, house your marketing funnels, and a lot more. If you’re totally new to the space the learning curve can feel a little steep, but I think it’s worth investing the time because it’s a great tool to automate, track engagement, and connect with your audience. Plus I can help you get it set up and get your head around it! You can start that conversation here.
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From all the options available, I know it can be hard sometimes to figure out what you need and how best to use it. For me, the best way has been to pick something and play around with it – and be willing to cut and run if it’s genuinely not working for you.
If you’d like to chat more about what tools might best suit your business and your needs, why not book a supported brainstorming session with me? I’d love to geek out with you!
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