The Tools and Resources that Make Scaling Your Biz a Breeze

February 2, 2021

One of the most common conversations I have inside my DMs—aside from conversations about how cute my golden retrievers are or the latest veggie bowl I’m making in the kitchen—center around the tools and resources I would recommend in order to scale your creative business.

I totally get it—there are so many options out there, from CRMs to apps to products. Along with such an overwhelming number of options comes the responsibility of figuring out which ones are actually worth it and which of those are right for you.

Now trust me, I have done my fair share of research and trial & error with different tools and resources. At this point in my business, I can confidently say that I know which resources and tools work for me and which ones have helped take my business directly to that next level.

If you’re dreaming of finding some time-saving apps and workflow streamlining tools to scale your business up to that next level, then keep on reading, friend!

TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR CLIENT EXPERIENCE

HONEYBOOK

To elevate your client experience, I cannot recommend my CRM HoneyBook highly enough.

Utilizing HoneyBook has saved me hours upon hours as I seamlessly streamline new client inquiries, book consult calls, and send out proposals and client agreements without having to really lift a finger.

Thanks to HoneyBook’s automated workflows, I’m able to do all of this without actually sending any emails on my end. That allows me to spend more time getting to know potential clients, learn about how I could serve them well, and then point them towards the level of service that will be the best fit for them. I don’t have to worry about digging through the archives to find the right client agreement or drafting an email from scratch. I’m able to utilize all of the built in features and templates within HoneyBook that allow me to put together killer design proposals in just a few seconds.

I could go on and on about how much I love HoneyBook. If you want to hear more of this juicy love story, click here for my thoughts on this incredible tool!

Give HoneyBook a try for 14 days for free and save 50% off your first year when you use this link.

THE CONTRACT SHOP

Your client experience is bigger than the emails you send out, the proposals you’re sharing, or the gifts you send your clients. One often-overlooked part of your client experience actually boils down to your contracts and client agreements.

Inside my signature group coaching program, the Heartfelt Brand Society, I spend 6 months coaching an intimate group of creative, service-based entrepreneurs through the process of successfully scaling their businesses without adding more to their already overflowing plates. One way this can can be accomplished is simply by streamlining workflows through client contracts.

I can tell you hands-down that having a solid contract in place will not only streamline your client experience and position you as an expert, but it will also make your work as a creative so much easier. Your contract should include details like when payments are due, the nature of your relationship, and the scope of the work you’re doing in very simplified terms. Your client agreement should outline the expectations on both sides so that, going into this new working relationship, both you and your client know exactly what to expect.

This creates a sense of trust from the very beginning of your time working with a client. It’s an easy-to-implement step that helps you take your business to the next level.

Friend, regardless of what industry you’re in, I would highly recommend hopping on over to The Contract Shop to take a look at my friend Christina Scalera’s done-for-you, iron-clad contract templates, covering everything from wedding photography to graphic design. She has so many industries represented with bulletproof contracts that will do the heavy lifting for you.

TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR YOUR BRAND

SC Stockshop & Social Squares

If you’re struggling to take your brand to the next level visually, but you aren’t quite ready to invest in custom brand photography, then I cannot recommend SC Stockshop and the Social Squares brands enough!

These are gorgeous, beautifully styled professional images that are hugely affordable and give you the chance to update your website, refresh your collateral, and generate endless numbers of on-brand social media posts at a fraction of the cost.

I personally love using my membership to Social Squares to make creating content for my Instagram easier than ever.

I also love utilizing all of the desktop and screen images from SC Stockshop to create gorgeous mockups for my custom branding clients.

The Promptlate Shop

If elevating your website through polished professional copy has been a pain point of yours, then it’s definitely time for a change. Although the design of your website is an important factor in how you capture your ideal client’s attention, the words that you share on your brand’s online home are ultimately what will do the heavy lifting for you.

I like to think of design and copywriting as a power couple that allows you to put your best foot forward, both visually and verbally, in order to inspire connection with your ideal client. But if you’re not quite ready to invest in a professional copywriter—because I know that that can be a steep investment for some—then you need to head on over to Jess Jordana’s The Promptlate Shop.

Jess has done something I think is just a little bit genius—she has created a product that is 50% prompts and 50% templates to make writing the words for your website easier than ever. Through these Promptlates, Jess makes it easy for you to create web copy that meets your business goals at a fraction of the price of investing in her custom copywriting services.

Honestly, I can’t think of a better investment for your business. One of the easiest ways you can refresh your website without going through a full rebrand is simply taking your copy to the next level. Click here to head on over to the Promptlate Shop and get browsing.

Take 20% off the Website Bundle Promptlate using code BRANDSTRATEGY at checkout

TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR YOUR MARKETING

CONVERTKIT

Email marketing has been a hot topic in the creative industry for years now, and I fully understand the buzz. But when it comes to taking your email marketing to intentional new heights and making it go the mile for your brand, sending out the occasional email here and there won’t quite cut it.

Personally, I use and love ConvertKit and have leveraged this tool over the last few years to create everything from simple welcome sequences to complex automated sales funnels to drive new subscribers to the offering that will serve them best.

If you want to try out ConvertKit for free, you can click here to get started. If you want to learn more about why I love ConvertKit and how I use it to supercharge my email marketing, head here! 

PLANOLY

When it comes to content creation, one of the biggest questions I get centers around Instagram scheduling. Now, I know there are a ton of different tools and apps out there that make it easier than ever to schedule your Instagram content… but personally, I love using Planoly.

I love that it has a highly visual desktop component where I’m able to sit at my computer, import my images, add in my captions, and create a realistic mockup of what my feed will look like when I publish those posts.

It gives me a chance to really have my finger on the pulse of how my feed is coming together aesthetically, without sacrificing the functionality and the strategy of being able to publish content in the right way at the right time.

TAILWIND

Another tool my team and I use daily and love is Tailwind to schedule our Pinterest content. We work hard to create free content for you, and Tailwind is one of our favorite ways to get this content out into the world. Thanks to Tailwind, Pinterest has become a major long-term traffic driver to my website.

Instead of spending time every day pinning, Tailwind has allowed my team to create a complete Pinterest strategy that drives 85% of our social traffic to my website for months to come.

We schedule blog content in advance and, thanks to Tailwind, know that content we’ve worked so hard on is reaching our audience time and time again.

THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES THAT HELP GROW MY BUSINESS

One invaluable resource I’ve leaned on over the years has been mentors and coaches. And, for the past several years, I’ve been able to pour my heart, experience, and knowledge into my own group coaching program, The Heartfelt Brand Society. Inside this program, I’m a completely open book, sharing every strategy, method, and tool I’ve used to achieve my own definition of success and successfully scale two businesses over the last eight years.

If this program sounds like just the thing for you, then pop your name below to be the first to know when doors open for our next HBS cohort!

Join the HBS Waitlist

Doors for my signature six-month group coaching + mastermind program are currently closed, but you can be the first to know when applications re-open!

Pop your email address below to join the waitlist. I can't wait to work together to elevate your brand strategy, woo your ideal clients, and transform your bottom line!

P.S. I HATE SPAM, TOO! I PROMISE TO ONLY SEND YOU THE GOOD STUFF AND TO NEVER SHARE YOUR DETAILS WITH ANY THIRD-PARTY. Powered by ConvertKit

So friends, there you have it. Those are some of my go-to tools I have loved and used for years and years.

I’d love to hear from you! What are tools you’ve been loving and enjoying to help make your process as a creative easier? Comment below, I’d love to hear.

PS. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission on any purchases. Please rest assured that I only share products I use and love myself. By purchasing through my link, your support enables me to continue to provide free content just like this. Thank you for your support. I’m so grateful for you.

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My name is Bonnie – I’m a brand designer, strategist, and writer which all adds up to one eclectic conglomeration of qualities that enables me to serve you well! Past clients have dubbed me "the Joanna Gaines of brand design," and I've had more than a few call me a dream maker, a game changer, and a design wizard (my Harry Potter-loving heart didn't hate that one, let me tell you!). At the end of the day, I'm a big-hearted creative who will get teary-eyed as you share the heart behind your business; who will lose sleep over the perfect font pairings and color selections to bring your brand to life visually; and who will work tirelessly to empower, encourage, and equip you to share your work with the world intentionally. 

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