5 Business Tools I wish I knew about when I started photography
Starting a photography business can be so hard, and the absolute hardest part is trying to figure it all out by yourself.
I’ve been there. I spent years trying to figure out what tools would be affordable AND work well for my business so I can make money and look super professional while doing so.
After almost 7 years in this business I gathered some of my favorite tools that I now use every day and can’t live without.
In this blog post, I’m sharing the 5 secret tools that completely changed the game for me and I know it can for you too!
I’ll be covering:
The BEST CRM (client management system) to use.
The easiest website builder that I’ve ever seen.
Where to host your photography galleries that you send to clients
The best and most used tool in my business
What use to keep track of all my expenses.
So if you’re tired struggling to find the best and most affordable business tools, not knowing where to start, constantly feeling unprofessional, and still getting overwhelmed, then you’re in the right place! All of that is about to change for good! These simple photography business tools are affordable and I use them every single day to run a profitable photography business. These tools have set my business up for success and have truly made such a difference.
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Secret Tool #1 HONEYBOOK
I use HoneyBook everyday to run my small business, I use it to keep track of all my clients, invoices, contracts and I can even schedule meetings directly from the site. It even has a mobile app so I can send invoices and contracts on the go! I absolutely LOVE Honeybook! It has completely streamlined my business. I wrote a whole blog post about it that you can read here to explain more. This CRM (client management system) has not only made my life easier but my clients rave about how user friendly it is and how professional it looks. It's also very affordable. Use this link to get HoneyBook for only $1 for the first 8 months!
Secret Tool #2 SQUARESPACE
I have used Squarespace for my Photography website for the past seven years and I love how easy it is to use. This is actually what this blog is created with! Squarespace has allowed me to make my website look really pretty, professional and exactly how I want it to look. The BEST part is I didn’t have to hire a website designer to create it like most do for Wordpress sites that require coding. It's a drag and drop system. You can start with one of their hundreds of free templates It is very fast and super user-friendly! You can sell products, host a blog, have galleries and SO many other things with this great platform. I also offer website design services if you’re in need. You can check out my prices here.
Secret Tool # 3 CLOUDSPOT
Cloudspot is where I store and deliver all of my galleries. I used Pixieset in the past and that is a great gallery host but I’m loving all the features on Cloudspot and it seems that each month they have more and more new features! You can read my blog post on Cloudspot vs. Pixieset here. It's super user-friendly and my clients love it! Your client can download, favorite, share and order prints and now Albums directly from their gallery!
Secret Tool # 4 CANVA
Canva is literally the BEST tool for any business owner. I use it all the time for promotional ads on social media. They have SO many templates and it's ridiculously easy to use. They have a free version which is great but you can also upgrade to the pro (that's what I recommend and use) You can check it out here! I just used it for the photo above! It only took me three minutes! You can make all sorts of things on here that can easily make you money like ebooks, printable, checklist, to do list, you name it you can make it in Canva without have any graphic designing experience.
Secret Tool # 5 QUICKBOOKS
QuickBooks isn't a fun or an exciting tool but it is necessary for every business owner to have all of their expenses in a nice and neat place. You can keep track of receipts and, bonus if you have Honeybook you can integrate them together so it automatically keeps track of your invoices! Its been a lifesaver for Tax season and has given me peace of mind! If you use this link you will get 50% off your subscription AND we BOTH score a $50 VISA Gift Card!
BONUS TOOL: PLANOLY
Planoly is a great social media posting tool that has saved me so much time and stress. I can now spend one content day a month and figure out my whole social media plan and it will post it for me and my scheduled times. It will also keep a hashtag bank and give you the best times to post!
Once I learned these business secrets and implemented them into my daily life, I finally started feeling and looking more professional, and my clients have definitely noticed. I finally stopped watching other photographers and business woman to see what they were doing, stopped feeling like an amateur, stopped constantly wondering what the secret sauce was. I’ve even been able to enjoy the business side of things now! With these business tools, being an entrepreneur felt seamless, and I feel like a bad-ass boss woman!
