Have you ever wondered what tools, resources and/or software a creative business needs to run said business?

There’s a few! 

The things to consider when setting up and running a business seem to be endless. There’s your website, marketing, the financial aspects, collaboration tools, and that’s before we even get to the actual fun creative part of the work - the bread-and-butter of the business, the reason for being - you get my drift. 

I’ve collated some of my must-haves and nice-to-haves that I use to keep my business afloat, help me connect to my clients and do all. the. things. 

1. website hosting

You know that having a website shows you’re professional and trustworthy, right? It’s also where you can direct people to learn about your business, book your services, buy your products, or read your blog. In other words, it’s essential. 

I use Squarespace.  It’s super user friendly and offers beautiful and modern templates to help you build your site. Even if you’re not a designer (like me) and have no previous experience with building websites, you can quickly and easily set up and customise pages to suit your brand by using your images, font, brand colours, and layouts. Your brand and your business will look professional - trust me!

The cost is about $300 per annum.

2. accounting

Did I just hear you sigh? Oh sorry, that was me! This side of the business is my least favourite. But, knowing the numbers behind your business is crucial to being successful. It may seem overwhelming at first but once you dive in, you'll wonder why you didn’t get this started earlier.

For my invoicing, bookkeeping and accounting software, I use Wave. It’s 100% free, there are no trials, no limitations, and no hidden fees. Use it as much as you want, for as long as you want, and you don’t get charged a cent. It has all the time-saving tools you need so you can concentrate on making beautiful stuff.

3. email marketing

This is a pretty important tool for any business. To engage your customers and boost your business you need an easy‑to‑use marketing platform. Email / subscriber lists are KING when it comes to bricks and mortar or online businesses. Who doesn't want a direct line to their readers who have already put their hand up to hear what you have to say?

Enter, Exhibit A - Mailchimp. I really like their functionality and ease-of-use.

I have the free plan which allows me to have up to 2000 email subscribers.

4. communicating and collaborating

Most of what I need to communicate with clients, organise my documents and manage my time can be achieved with Google Workspace. It gives me my professional email with my domain -  info@suesinko.com.au  - I know, fancy, huh? I also have access to  calendars, Google Sheets, Docs, Chat, Contacts, Slides and more. It’s a no-brainer.

The cost is about $100 per annum.

5. business profile

You know I’m talking Google here, right?

Creating a Google Business Profile is free and effective for easily connecting with customers and getting leads and clients. It allows you to create and manage your online presence in Google Search and Maps. It’s a good idea to indicate the specific area so that in a google search of an area, your business will show up! . 

Also, customers can write reviews. This is a great feature. I know I read Google reviews for any products or services I’m interested in, do you?

6. mood board creation

I have one word - Canva.

Canva is a free-to-use, easy-to-use graphic-design tool website that combines design, photo editing, and layout to create beautifully finished projects. Canva helps you design everything from posts, flyers, and stories to resumes, magazine covers, banners, logos, and presentations in a matter of minutes.

I design my mood boards for my clients. I also use it for email marketing campaigns, Instagram Stories and Reels and a whole lot of other random visuals using Canva and cannot recommend the product highly enough.

I have the paid version which is about $167 per annum.

7. photo shoot planning

Planning a photoshoot can feel stressful. There are a million things to organise - from the concept, the visual references and props to your final shot list. Here’s where Milanote comes to the rescue!

It is an easy-to-use tool to organise every part of the photo shoot project in one flexible workspace so nothing falls through the cracks. You can add notes, images, links and files and even share them with your clients. You also have access to photoshoot plan templates to help you plan all the things.

I love it - oh, and you can sign up for a free version!

8. image delivery

I’ve only recently switched from Dropbox to Pixieset. It is a very professional and beautiful way to deliver images to clients. It’s a free desktop app (there’s a paid version as well) that houses photos for delivering to clients. Not only does it look gorgeous, but it enables clients to tag their favourites, download, and share. It also allows you to set an expiration date for a collection so that you don't have to remember to take photos down, and it automatically frees up space on your account.

After you create an account, upload the photos into a gallery for the client. You can then send a link to the gallery where the client can view and download the images. 

Presenting the photos in a gallery like this will pack a lot more punch than a google drive or Dropbox folder. As I grow my business, I realise that the quality of the client experience is as important as the quality of the images I deliver.