Blog

All My Business Secrets - Revealed!

Posted on November 04, 2015 by Jensie in Work it Wednesday, About Slanted

Okay, just kidding. I'm not sure I can reveal all of them, because I don't have that many or maybe I don't know the secret. Or maybe I am the secret. But what I wanted to do was give a quick rundown of the tools I use daily to run this show. I'm not an affiliate for any of these, save one which I will tell you about, so I'm not in this for any money. I just get asked a lot about what I use, so I thought I'd share it with you!

Hardware:

  • MacBook Pro - I think it's a 17". Kind of old, still kicking hard.
  • Google Nexus - My phone is the bomb and I wouldn't make it a day without it.
  • LG Headphones - For calls, mainly, but also sometimes to block out kid noise and tune in to my favorite podcasts.
  • My bed - I cannot stress its importance.

Software & Apps:

  • Google Apps for Business - Don't host your email through your website. If you ever want to change hosts, you'll be SCREWED. Google Apps are cheap ($5 per user per month) and you get all the Google goodies to go with the email accounts. They work just like regular Gmail accounts, plus your team can sync calendars and Drive. And we also use Google Hangouts (both chat and video) quite a bit. So awesome.
  • Basecamp - I've tried a couple of project management systems (Trello, Asana) and I just haven't found one as easy to jump in to as Basecamp. It allows me to set up my clients so they can see what we're working on, but we can also put stuff on there for just our team. We can share docs, files, graphics, everything in one place and cut down on the back and forth project emails. 
  • Freshbooks - I LOVE Freshbooks. I switched from Quickbooks earlier this year when I got tired of the complexity of it. Freshbooks is simple and incorporates timekeeping, which makes invoicing super easy for both me and my contractors. I do get some kickbacks from them if you sign up, but only if I send you a link. Let me know if you want one!
  • Hootsuite - There are SO many social media management tools out there. I've tried lots of them. Hootsuite is just right for me at the moment and the price is right. It's not perfect, but I'm absolutely convinced none of them are. If you're just managing one company/person, you won't even need to pay. But if you need to manage a lot of accounts, there's a professional version that is worth paying for!
  • Canva - Need a quick image for social media or for your blog? Check out Canva. Easy to use, lots of options, and I hear the Canva for Work set up is sweet. I'll be checking it out soon, but I can't yet because I'm paying for the big guns.
  • Adobe Creative Cloud - These are the big guns. Admittedly, I don't use these apps much anymore. With Gerrit on board, my need to open up Photoshop or InDesign is very rare. I do LOVE Acrobat Pro, though, so come time to cancel, I think I'll keep that one.
  • Garage Band - This is how I record The Profane Marketer! My spouse set up an easy intro and outro track for me, so I can just record, stick those in, and export. Ready to publish!
  • LibSyn - Host for the podcast. Inexpensive, comprehensive, and does the job. Interface is a little tricky, but once you do it a few times, it's old hat.