Running your own business is a nice mix of feeling satisfied in the work that you do and connecting with the clients you have and being overwhelmed from wearing 20+ different hats at once. You’re the marketer, HR, customer service, web developer, content writer – pretty much anything that needs to get done, you’re the one doing it.

And while your end-all be-all goal is to outsource the stuff you don’t like to do, there’s not much you can do about when you’re working with a strict budget (or you’re simply not sure where to outsource first). But, outsourcing isn’t the only way to lessen the load. With more and more freelancers and small business owners operating as an individual, there are more and more tools for creatives and service providers available to help you with the workload.

Although not every tool is going to work for every creative, finding what works in your tech stack and tools is easier than it looks – partially because I’m going to share all my favorites (both the well-known and the best-kept secrets in the industry).

The Best Tools for Creatives and What They Can Do

Technically, this list is a bit more than just a few tools for creatives – some of the resources I’ll mention are templates, programs, and software. Tool is the best term I could find that would cover all the bits I wanted to talk about!

Each tool is something that I’ve used in my business and personally recommend, but I’ll also share an alternative that works just as well if it’s not aligned with your personal preferences (everyone functions differently, and your tool kit should take that into consideration).

I’ll also share a bit about what I use it for, who it is designed for, and why (or why not) the tool might be perfect for you! Anyway, let’s get into it! Here are my favorite – and, in my opinion, the best – tools for creative service providers:

#1. HoneyBook CRM

Probably one of the most used tools in my business, HoneyBook is a CRM for service providers that is essentially an all-in-one software for your business backend. The program allows you to manage onboarding clients, taking leads, sending/automating contracts and invoices, managing projects, and booking calls – it’s really got it all.

Personally, I’ve never experienced any issues with HoneyBook. The only part that could be considered a “flaw” is that they are their own payment processor – meaning they don’t connect with Stripe or Paypal. This was a benefit for me, but I could see how it could be annoying to someone else.

A great alternative (and potentially their greatest competitor) is Dubsado; it has very similar capabilities and a similar price point. But if you’re looking for something more affordable, you can check out Indy. The only downside is that their processes and automation are a little clunky, but you get what you get at $9/month.

If you’re interested in trying HoneyBook, you can use my link to get 25% off here.

#2. Copywriting Templates from Reveal Studio Co.

Remember how I said my recommendations weren’t strictly limited to a specific type? Reveal Studio Co’s shop is exactly what I mean. Reveal was created by Kaili Meyer, a sales and conversion copywriter for service providers, and let’s just say her copywriting templates work.

Designed to be used by women in business, her templates help you with SO much of your business marketing. For example, some of my personal faves include her Customizable Evergreen Email Funnel (an 8-part email series to help you promote your digital products), her Free Resource to Pitch (an email sequence taking your subscribers from freebie download to paid offer), and her Digital Seller’s Copy Kit (an all-inclusive kit to help you with the full launch of your digital products).

And don’t stress if you’re worried you won’t be able to stick to your brand voice; Kaili’s templates offer multiple “pick your preference” sections for each email, meaning you can sound like you while getting the results you need.

If you’re curious but not committed to a template, she offers a few free resources to help with your client experience and copy! You can check her free copy resources out here.

#3. Pixistock, Stock Photo Subscription

I’ve been a member of Pixistock since the beginning of 2021, and considering I have lifetime access, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. Pixistock is a stock photo subscription (and more); it’s literally anything you could need to create content for your business!

The membership offers over 10,000+ stock photos along with Canva templates for marketing your offers, nurturing your audience, and building your business on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and more. Plus, Alicia, the founder of Pixistock, launched a content calendar that is the most all-encompassing, all-inclusive content calendar I’ve ever seen (and I break it down in my Pixistock content calendar review here).

I recommend Pixistock if you’re looking for a membership that offers support in pretty much all aspects of content creation. You can check out my full review on Pixistock here or head straight to the Pixistock website to learn more.

#4. Flodesk, Email Marketing

I have other options to create better workflows than what Flodesk can handle, but I’m not quite able to give up how easy their platform is to use just yet! I use Flodesk for all my email needs like delivering freebies or adding sign-up forms to my site.

Plus, I’m able to manage sending emails for both of my sites rather than just this one!

#5. Tailwind, Pinterest Scheduler

Personally, I don’t know where I would be without Tailwind. Tailwind is the Pinterest scheduler that I use for myself and my clients. You can also make posts to Instagram and create a ‘linktree’ type smart.bio to use as your website link on your Instagram page!

#7. Trello, Project Managment

I have tried Asana, Click-up, and others but none of them seem to stick with me like Trello! I actually dropped it for a while, but returned back to it after I started taking my social media seriously and started planning out what type of content I would like to post! And I needed a spot to keep all my client information and easy access to links!

If you need any help setting up your business systems (or trying to figure out where the heck to start), feel free to reach out to me! I’m a sucker for a good business backend organizing.