10 Essential Tools to Grow & Scale Your Business
Running a successful business is no small feat. From dealing with the daily tasks and operations of keeping your business running, to finding ways to drive growth and achieve sustainability - it's all incredibly time-consuming and can be quite overwhelming.
We've been there too, but now we have something that can help: 10 Essential Tools to Grow & Scale Your Business.
This guide shares our tried-and-true tools and apps which have helped us better manage both the day-to-day operations as well as long-term development of our businesses while working smarter and allowing for healthy progress without sacrificing precious hours devoted simply to "keeping up".
Tailored specifically for entrepreneurs, CEOs, and business owners alike; this actionable guide will deliver you real results in terms of productivity gains so you’re able to focus on what really matters - growing your business!
1. 99Designs - Graphic Design
99designs is our go-to spot for high-quality graphic design. Whether you’re looking for a logo, website, poster, or even social media graphics, you’ll find the perfect design for your project. With a unique crowdsource marketplace, graphic designers submit their proposed designs for your project before you buy which removes the risk of choosing a designer before knowing if they really understand your vision & can make it happen.
How we use 99designs:
Every Hatch Tribe logo (from our first in 2016 to our most recent brand refresh in 2023) was created by a 99designs graphic designer. We used the “logo design contest” and were blown away by the quantity and quality of designs we were able to choose from. The designers were super receptive to feedback and making revisions, so by the time we chose our final logo we were super happy.
We also hired one of our designers to develop additional marketing materials after the logo design contest was complete and she’s still helping our team with projects today.
Why you might want to use 99designs:
To develop a strong, cohesive brand identity
To get high quality graphic design at an affordable price
To “try before you buy” with a design contest. You get to see actual designs for your project before selecting the designer
Major benefits of using 99designs:
Speed: You can launch a contest & start getting designs within hours
Quality: The marketplace is filled with high quality, experienced designers
Ownership: The copyright and ownership of the final product is yours
Ease-of-Use: The production ready files are delivered right through the platform
Price range - $299 - $1299
2. Collective - Bookkeeping & Accounting
One of the best things you can outsource as a business owner is your bookkeeping, because you’re not an expert, someone else can do it better than you, and you’re probably making mistakes that are costing you on your taxes! Look no further than Collective. They offer a comprehensive service that includes accounting, monthly bookkeeping and financial statements, payroll support, S Corp formation, annual business tax filings, annual personal tax filing (if eligible), and quarterly tax support. And all that comes as a tasty price that will have you asking “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
How we use Collective:
We hired Collective in 2022 to convert our business from an LLC to an S Corp, and then they completely took over our bookkeeping. Without exaggeration, we couldn’t be happier with their service. They are on top of the books every single month and preparing our taxes has never been easier!
Why you might want to use Collective:
To convert your business to a tax-saving S Corp
To get bookkeeping & accounting in the hands of a legit professional
To free up your time to focus on other work that only you can do
Major benefits of working with Collective:
Time Savings: You can free up your precious time to work on other things
Money Savings: Instead of paying for a bookkeeper + accounting software + payroll software + tax prep, it’s all rolled into one monthly fee that will save you money each month
Communication: Your bookkeeping and account manager will be super responsive to emails and questions
Trusted Financial Reporting & Guidance: You’ll receive high-quality, accurate financial reporting, tax preparation and guidance each month
Price range - $254 - $299 per month
3. Fiverr - Hire Freelancers
Hiring help is a key to unlocking faster growth in any business, but the length of time it takes to hire coupled with the cost can become deterrents for small business owners. Look no further thanFiverr! You can connect with freelancers from across the world to help with projects that are outside of your zone of genius. There’s a freelancer for just about any job imaginable and many tasks can be completed in a fraction of the time, at a fraction of the cost with Fiverr.
How we use Fiverr:
Over the years we’ve hired dozens of freelancers to help with everything from graphic design, to social media, to SEO, to blogging, to podcast editing, and so much more. It’s the first place we hunt for a freelancer for any project that’s beyond our team’s current capabilities.
Why you might want to use Fiverr:
To get help with projects that are really outside of your expertise
To get help with projects that require a quick turnaround
To find a freelancer who can contribute to a team for the short or long term
Major benefits of using Fiverr:
Quality: It’s easy to search & find high quality freelancers for any gig you have in mind
Cost: You can find a freelancer to fit just about any budget
Speed: If you need a quick turnaround on a project, you can find someone to do it for you
Ease of Use: Fiverr is a one-stop shop for your entire project. All communication, payment and final files are delivered through the Fiverr platform
Varies by project! As low as $5 for some gigs
4. Honeybook - Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Honeybook is the perfect CRM tool for business owners looking to streamline their workflow. From managing contacts, bookings, contracts, invoicing and payment tracking, Honeybook allows you to eliminate time spent shuffling paperwork and chasing after payments. This saves time, energy and resources, which means more time available to focus on your true passion - doing what you do best.
HoneyBook streamlines everything you need to manage your business in one place. Paper, spreadsheets and apps be gone! Now peace of mind comes with just one login. Honeybook is your personal command center. See exactly what’s happening with all projects. Manage each stage, from inquiry to payment - and everything in between.
How we use Honeybook:
Full Disclosure: We currently don’t use Honeybook! And it’s not because we don’t love it, but rather because we already have an established system & process that works for our team. That said, we will eventually shift over to Honeybook because we really do love it!
Why you might want to use Honeybook:
To keep track of your sales pipeline, from leads to clients
To easily track contracts, invoices, and payments
To streamline communication with clients & organized projects
Major benefits of using Honeybook:
One Stop Shop: You can keep track of all your projects with your personal command center
Booking Meetings: It’s simply to book meetings with lead & clients through the platform
Tracking: Stay on top of your invoicing and payments in one place
Affordability: Many CRM tools are expensive and overwhelming for small businesses, but Honeybook is easy to use, robust, and cost effective for your business
Price range - $16 - $79 per month
5. Jasper - Artificial Intelligence Content Creation
Chances are you’ve heard about AI (artificial intelligence) and how it can be used to help your business. And we are big fans! Our favorite platform for business owners is Jasper, because it’s super versatile and can help you quickly create a wide array of high quality content.
This powerful writing assistant can help you create web copy, blogs, social media posts, ad copy, and so much more!
How we use Jasper:
We started using Jasper to help with blog writing, and it quickly became one of our favorite tools for all things writing. We’ve since used it to write landing pages, social media captions, and even brainstorm marketing copy for other uses. Heck, we even used it to help create some of the copy on this document. The user experience is so joyful that it’s turned our writing projects into a lot of fun!
Why you might want to use Jasper:
To help you write SEO worthy blogs for your website
To speed up content creation of all kinds, including social media
To improve your writing wherever you are with the Jasper Chrome extension which works in Gmail or Google Docs
Major benefits of using Jasper:
Joyful Writing: Yes, it’s true. Jasper makes writing anything more joyful. You’ll see!
Speed: You’ll drastically cut down the time it takes to write anything for your business
Quality: Jasper is trained to write in whatever tone of voice your tell it to, so you can stay on brand and deliver high quality content to your audience
SEO: You can use the Surfer SEO integration to write what’s keyword optimized for Google which improves your website ranking and relevance
Price range - $40 - $99+ per month
6. Loom - Video Communication
We use Loom every day and at this point can’t imagine running our business without it! Loom allows you to record video directly from your computer and share your desktop simultaneously. It’s a powerful video messaging tool that can be used to communicate with your clients and your team, adding a much needed personal touch to communication that is often lacking in text-based exchanges.
Your video is then instantly available to share through Loom's patented technology.
How we use Loom:
We initially started using Loom to record on-screen, step-by-step videos to on-board and train new team members. These “show & tell” videos were instrumental in helping our team members get up to speed with our systems & processes.
Then we began using Loom with our coaching & consulting clients. It’s a great way to provide feedback to clients with a highly personalized touch!
It’s also a great tool for engaging with potential clients. We often record a video message to accompany proposals, as well as follow-up messages to potential clients in our pipeline.
Why you might want to use Loom:
To engage with your current customers & clients in a highly personalized way
To outreach to potential clients in a way that breaks through the clutter
To break down tasks into visual step-by-step instructions, which is great for on-boarding or training anyone on your team
To cut down on meetings
Major benefits of using Loom:
Engagement: Video is more engaging and personalized that text
Efficiency & Effectiveness: You can easily communicate with your team & clients in way that maximizes your time
Notifications: You will be notified when someone views your video
Feedback: Giving and receiving feedback is much easier with asynchronous video than needing to meet in person every time
Free - $12.50 per month
7. NordVPN - Virtual Private Network (VPN)
We don’t have to tell you that there are some bad actors on the internet, so it’s important to take your internet security seriously when your business is at stake. NordVPN is our go-to virtual private network (VPN) service that allows you to safely connect to the internet. NordVPN creates an encrypted “tunnel” over the internet to protect the data traveling between you and your internet destination — anything from your online banking account to a video-sharing website to a search engine.
How we use NordVPN:
We keep the NordVPN running on our computer nonstop! It allows us to feel more confident that our privacy is protected and our data is secure.
Why you might want to use NordVPN:
To safely use the internet
To protect your privacy
To safeguard your business, everything from logins to financials
Benefits of using NordVPN:
Multiple Devices: You can secure up to 6 devices on one account, including your cell phone
Encryption: Next generation encryption (A-256) keeps your online data safe, even on public Wi-Fi
Speed: Uninterrupted streaming with no limits on bandwidth or speed
Support: If you ever need help you can count on their 24/7 customer support
$3.29 - $15.69 per month
8. MailerLite - Email Marketing
Email marketing is a must for any successful business, but the number of options are simply overwhelming. We’ve tried just about every email marketing software there is and MailerLite is hands down our favorite one! It makes email marketing, automations, landing pages, signup forms, and even websites simple to develop and easy to use. Plus the segmentation options for your email list are fantastic and far easier to understand than many other platforms!
How we use MailerLite:
We primarily use MailerLite to send email marketing campaigns to our subscribers each week. We also have a number of email opt-ins & automations set up to engage with new subscribers and foster new business. It’s super easy to group & segment your subscribers into powerful lists so you can target them with the right message every time.
Why you might want to use MailerLite:
To create and send beautiful, engaging email campaigns to your subscribers
To create powerful opt-ins and email automations to grow your subscriber list
To switch from your current platform to one that’s far easier to use
To get comprehensive analytics that monitor email performance and help you understand what’s working and what’s not
Benefits of using MailerLite:
Templates: It’s never been easier to build a beautiful email with their drag & drop templates
Cost: This is one of the most affordable email marketing tools out there, even as you grow your list and add new subscribers
Automations: It’s really easy to build automations unlike so many other platforms
Landing Pages & Websites: This is truly a one-stop shop for landing pages and websites, which makes building a cohesive brand super easy at an affordable price
Free - $19+ per month
9. Veed - Video Editing
Every social media platform is prioritizing video content, so it’s time to step your video marketing game! VEED is a fantastic tool for creating high quality, professional videos. This easy to use platform allows you to quickly add titles, music, effects, and even incorporate stock video and photo footage. With free storage and unlimited downloads, you’ll find VEED to be a super affordable and easy to use tool to level up in the video department!
How we use VEED:
We love using VEED to add captions to our videos and then resize them for all the various platforms, including YouTube, Instagram (stories, reels or in-feed), and Facebook.
Why you might want to use VEED:
To create high quality videos without needing to master technique
To upload directly to social media
To edit videos with easy, including trimming, adding text and music, and adjusting the look & feel of the video itself
Benefits of using VEED:
Easy to Use: The platform is intuitive and simple for anyone to use
Cost: VEED is a powerful, yet affordable tool for any business to level up their video
Multi-Purpose: While VEED can be used for marketing purposes, it can also be used to create onboard or training videos for your team
Live Stream: You can broadcast live to your followers on YouTube, Facebook, and more and grow your audience in a fun, engaging way
Free - $59 per month
10. NordPass - Password Keeper
If you’re sick & tired of setting up passwords and promptly forgetting (or losing) them, you need NordPass. This is our go-to password keeper that works on your computer or cell phone, so you always have the latest login on hand. It helps you generate super strong passwords that are impossible to crack and then scores them with end-to-end encryption to protect you from breaches and other online threats.
How we use NordPass:
We have NordPass installed on our browser and mobile devices to make it easy to create & store passwords for all the websites we frequent.
Why you might want to NordPass:
To safely store passwords for the websites you use
To create powerful passwords that are impossible to hack
To securely store other information and documents
To get access to your account & passwords with one single master password of your choice
Benefits of using it:
Auto-Fill: The auto-fill features allows you to quickly and securely enter login information
Ease of Use: With both a desktop and mobile version you’ll always have your passwords ready to go when you need them
Security: Your passwords and data are safely stored and encrypted preventing data leaks and breaches that could jeopardize your business
Alerts: You’ll be notified if security breaches happen at any of the sites you use, prompting you to change your password if needed
Free - $3.59 per month
Founder & CEO | Business Growth & Leadership Coach
XO, Hilary P. Johnson
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