Tackling your business goals can feel like juggling a dozen bowling balls. When you’re starting a new business, it’s not uncommon to feel like you’re acting as a web developer, social media guru, HR department, and customer support specialist all-in-one!
As I’ve grown my own business, I’ve researched and used countless tools to help me streamline my processes and shoulder the burden of my everyday responsibilities as a business owner. And, after over a decade of entrepreneurship, I can confidently say that some business tools have risen to the top of the list… and stayed there. Some of them have been my ride-or-dies for over a decade!
Today, I’m sharing a round-up of business tools I’ve loved through the years from most affordable to most expensive. Whether you’re looking to spend a lot or a little, I know you’ll find a resource here to support your business goals so you can do more growing and less bowling-ball juggling!
Quick disclosure: Many of the links I dropped in this post for you are affiliate links, which not only get you cool discounts and bonuses (at no extra cost to you), but they give me a kickback, too. Just FYI!
01. Start An Email List
Price: FREE!
Start with your smartest business move ever! I’ll be pointing business owners and entrepreneurs to this one valuable resource forever: make sure you’re serving an email list! I know it might be one of those tasks that’s easy to put off year after year, but by putting it off you’re wasting time when you could be serving and selling to a group of people who actually want to hear from you! If you’re not sure where to start, I created a FREE Zero-to-250 Email List Building Challenge! In less than a week, I will show you the ropes for going from a completely empty list to having 250+ folks to launch to! Plus, it’s totally free!
02. Smarter ‘Admin’ with HoneyBook
Price: 7 day free trial – less than $16/month (30% off!) for your first year
Make the admin part of your biz easier! There were days when I felt like I spent my entire work week chasing down payments and contracts. Trying to remember where I was in the process with each of my clients took every last brain cell… and tbh, I needed all of my spare brain cells to run the creative side of my business. Ever been there? Well, HoneyBook is what finally helped all that stress melt away because it helped me streamline my services without feeling like I had clients slipping through the cracks! Less lost business and a lot more growth. Which is what you deserve to feel, too. Join here and get 30% off your first year while you’re at it!
03. Get in Inboxes with Flodesk
Price: First 30-Days FREE – $19/month (50% off!) for your first year!
Speaking of an email list, what if I told you that you could design emails people are actually EXCITED to open every time they see you pop up in their inbox without hiring a graphic designer? Listen, whenever I share the magic of Flodesk with a friend, I just sit back and wait for this moment because it happens every time: they text me, “Where has Flodesk been all my life?” I love that feeling. That’s how a business tool should make you feel, and that’s why Flodesk is one of my forever faves.
Flodesk makes that ‘I want to serve an email list but not have to think hard about it’ dream a reality with gorgeous, easy to edit templates, and genius design. You’ll quickly see why it’s a must-have for me (and everyone else)! And when you join Flodesk through this link, you get a 30-day FREE trial and 50% off your entire first year!
04. Steal My Templates and Tools from the JK Shop!
Price: From FREE – $497
Steal my own business templates and strategic tools from my shop! I would be remiss to not point you toward all of the powerhouse resources right here in my digital living room. It’s my fave one-stop-shop and where you’ll find my custom photo editing presets you won’t find anywhere else, my strategic, customizable templates like my media kit that I use every day in my own biz, plus my full suite of courses and programs that are ready and waiting for you if you want to level up your business growing strategies BIG TIME. This is the easiest way to snatch up what I use in my business every single day! I offer courses for every price range, and you’ll even find payment plan options as well. Snoop around the shop and level up your business support while you’re there!
05. Get Effective Contracts from The Legal Paige
Price: $67-$497
This is a major truth about running your own business (one that a lot of people overlook): You will never regret having great, legal contracts in place. Well-made contracts aren’t cheap, but not having them might just end up being the most expensive thing to ever happen to your business.
If you don’t have contracts in place, or you’re not sure if the ones you whipped up feel as solid as they should be, this is your moment to get what you need and feel that sweet relief that everything you do is finally protected. Tick that to-do off your list and snag all the contracts you’ll need from The Legal Paige to fully legal-up your biz. And then high-five yourself!
06. Refresh Your Site Using Gorgeous Templates
Price: $160-$275 (and save 15% with my code!)
When I first started my business, I knew I needed a website that could take a casual observer to a raving fan in a matter of minutes. But getting that *chef’s kiss*, perfectly YOU kind of website can felt like an impossible task… until I found Tonic. Jen and Jeff at Tonic are the brilliant masterminds behind my website design…and the best part? It’s a website template!
Now it’s time for you to do some homework: Pull up your own website and take a look at it. Does it feel like you? Does it fully and beautifully represent all you are to every new customer? If not, it might be time for a website refresh, and nothin’ does the trick quite like a Tonic template!
Tonic has templates for all kinds of humans and businesses. It’s code-free, and customizable, and you don’t have to spend an arm and leg trying to get your website to look like you did. Save 15% off your template with code JENNASENTME here!
07. Have the Perfect Photo to Post with ÉLEVAE
Price: $95.20/quarter or $399.20/year (with my exclusive 20% off code!)
Okay, let’s get suuuuper real here. We know that posting on socials frequently and consistently is a must for keeping up that engagement and getting fresh eyes on our businesses, but sometimes the content creation machine (i.e. YOU) is overwhelmed and needs a dang break. Right?
So, where do you turn when you have nothing to post and your camera roll is spent? I lean into ÉLEVAE. Whether you need a website refresh, quick photos to snag for anInstagram or Pinterest post, or stock video for that reel you’re creating — ÉLEVAE is your main hub for getting gorgeous and fresh stock images and video! Sign up today and you’ll never be stuck in the content-needing department again. Use code JENNASFRIENDS for 20% off!
08. Create Your Own Online Course
Price: $1,428/year or $149/month (use my link to get 3 months for $99!)
Long before I became an online educator, I was a learner! And I’ll never stop being one. I love how vast and accessible online learning has become, and I get so stoked seeing people expand what they love by creating their own courses. Sharing your skills, your experience, and your passion in a course is a GENIUS way to grow beyond what you can do as one person and start seeing your business run itself (even while you’re asleep).
Creating my own courses has allowed me to grow beyond solely being a photographer. It’s enabled me to expand my passions and given me the opportunity to teach so many kinds of absolutely astounding humans all over the world about how to turn their dreams into powerful realities. Kajabi has made my course creation and hosting process so seamless, and I think it’s a prime tool for people who want to host a course that students love to take — even if they’ve never built a course before! Wanna test-drive it a bit? Get 3 months of Kajabi for $99 to start your business here.
Want to see what I use to level up my life?
Go to the JK Fave Things Shop and snoop around at everything I love and use daily!
