So, you’re here for the free business tools, I get it! As a small business owner, and oftentimes one man bands, it’s important to leverage as many free resources as you can. I’ve found some pretty incredible tools that I know I could never survive without – and I’m sharing not only 5 of them with you, but ALL of them (paid programs, too)! Click to get the FREE list of all of my favorite tools in my toolbox!
Here are some of the best tools that run my day-to-day business
Dubsado:
Dubsado is by far how my business runs! Without it, I would be lost and so would The Kate Collective! Dubsado allows you complete and total access for FREE for your first three clients! This is so much better than a traditional 30 day free trial, because it allows you to navigate the entire client experience from beginning to end: lead capture, proposal generation, contract signing, project management, and beyond. Sign up for your FREE Dubsado account and see how much time you get back in your day!
Asana
Hands down the most user-friendly and effective project management tool (in my opinion). It is totally FREE (although there is also an upgraded paid version that I have never tried). I use Asana to manage my personal business tasks and my client projects. It keeps me on track and I can see everything in one place. Plus, if I’m overdo on a task, Asana never lets me forget. 😉
Canva:
Are you tired of navigating Photoshop and Indesign? Canva makes designing marketing collateral beyond easy and it’s available on their mobile app! I can create Instagram graphics, flyers, brochures, etc. and if I need to make a quick edit on the go, I pull out my phone and quickly make the change. I honestly can’t decide if this is my favorite FREE program or not – I use it so much simply because it is just… easy. I learned design using Illustrator and Indesign. I would choose Canva over those anyday! Plus, it makes it so easy to share designs with my clients allowing them access to make changes to their collateral quickly.
Google Analytics
If you’re not tracking how traffic is getting to your website you could potentially be spinning your wheels aimlessly! Knowing how traffic is getting to your site will help you better allocate your time wisely. For example, if you are spending 5 hours a day on Instagram and 30 minutes a day on Pinterest, but Pinterest is driving more traffic to your website then you would likely choose to swap those in your daily schedules. This tool is completely FREE and it shares so much valuable information with you! The feature I love the most is being able to see at what point I am losing traffic; are they leaving my site on the home page, or are they navigating a few more pages before leaving? Is there a recurring theme in the spot my traffic is leaving me? If so, what can I do to fix that? This tool is a treasure! Go get it!
Flodesk:
My last favorite business tool is Flodesk! I love this email marketing program because it is the best of both worlds: so easy to use with amazing pre-built drag + drop templates AND no tier pricing! I love their simple workflow setup and the fact that I don’t have to spend so much time designing my emails. Right now they are offering a beta FREE trial and when you use my link to sign up, you get 50% off each month for life! That makes your subscription only $19 AND the price doesn’t go up when you gain more subscribers! Sign up or use code THEKATECOLLECTIVE and start wooing your clients with your email campaigns!
*Note: I also recommend Mailer Lite for a FREE version of an email campaign system for those who are just starting to build their subscriber list. When you get to a point of having to pay for Mailer Lite, Flodesk was the winner for me!
Click to get the complete list of tools + resources!
The Kate Collective is a branding and website designer with a primary focus on photographers and wedding industry professionals. The Kate Collective is based in Phoenix, Arizona and serves the United States and Canada. To inquire with Katie fill out the form to connect!
