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I adore being a business owner. It’s a LOT of work, but all the time spent working on it, day in and day out is totally worth it. That being said, I can't do this alone. I am a one-woman show, but I also utilise many online subscriptions that make life a lot easier.
If you are thinking about starting your own business, or are already dipping your toes into this world I thought I’d share my list of essential subscriptions and memberships that make this entrepreneurial journey a little easier. There are links for each too if you want to check them out.
Photo from Pink Pom Pom Social
Flourish: if you are running a handmade business like me then this is the group for you. They are based on Facebook, so you will need an account there to access Flourish. They are basically a support and advice group for handmade sellers around the world. They have business advisers who have knowledge of pretty much every aspect of running a business you can think of, and they regularly give live presentations in one of the Flourish Facebook groups on certain topics that will be helpful to you on your journey.
Many of the members are massively successful sellers and share their stories with the members. You can post in the groups and receive help and advice from advisers and fellow members. There are also regular camps throughout the year to get you and your business ready for busy seasons, especially at Christmas. It is a paid membership, but worth every penny.
Canva: signing up for Canva has been a total game changer for me this past year. Before I was using another website for all my graphic and design needs, but it wasn’t the easiest to get around and I didn’t enjoy using it, so only did so when I needed to. With Canva, it’s so easy and fun to use I keep thinking up reasons to get in there and start designing.
They have an amazing collection of photos and graphics you can use. They also have a wide collection of templates that make things easier. You can make simple graphics, animated social media posts, videos, etc. There is also an app that I have on my iPhone so that I can easily design something on the go to add things to Instagram or Facebook.
One of my favourite things about Canva is that they have a Brand Kit on the site that stores your colours and fonts for your branding. When you are creating something these colours and fonts are ready to access and use in your design.
There is a free version of Canva, but I use one of the paid options as I am using it so much now that I need all of the bells and whistles, especially the brand kit. You can get a trial for the paid versions to see what you think.
Photo by Jaime Dantas on Unsplash
Headspace and/or Calm: as much fun as running my own business is, it can also be stressful. Life in general can be massively stressful, especially since 2020 when we started dealing with a global pandemic. With everything that has been going on I have made a conscious decision to take better care of myself, and that includes my mental well being.
I signed up for both Headspace and Calm, and find benefits from both. Headspace has a section called Sleepcasts, that are stories read in very soothing voices to help you get to sleep. Calm has a Scene option for the very front page of the app that allows you to pick a different scene to greet you every time you go onto the app. My favourite is Tropical Beach, which has waves crashing into the shore of a stunning beach. It also has sound effects, so you can really imagine yourself sitting on that beach. Sometimes just seeing that beach and hearing the waves is enough to lift my spirits.
I always thought meditation would never work for me. I am still at the beginning of this journey, but I’m finding using these apps very beneficial. I think if it was left up to me alone I wouldn’t do it, but they both have guided meditations that are really helping me get comfortable enough to let go.
Pink Pom Pom Social: In conjunction with my comments above about Canva - sometimes you just don’t have the time to make pretty graphics yourself. This is where Pink Pom Pom Social come in.
They have some of the cutest photos and graphics out there, and they are all perfect for making your social media content really pop. I also use them on my blogs, such as this one, my website, email list newsletters, etc.
They have photos for pretty much every need, and some are very general and could be used for anything and everything.
They are aimed at handmade business owners, but many of their photos and graphics would work for other businesses. They release a new collection every Monday, and there is a Facebook group to join as well for help and advice. And just to make it sweeter, they are also Flourish members and can be found there for advice too.
Photo from Pink Pom Pom Social
Plann: Scheduling social media posts is a small business owners best friend. My preferred method is using Plann. Plann is a website and app that allows you to plan out your social media content for days, weeks or even months in advance.
You can automatically post to Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for you, you just have to add the detail to your calendar, schedule it, and away you go.
They give you the option to save hashtags in groups so that they are easy to access and add to your posts. There is also a strategy section where you can highlight topics and themes that you want to use and add to your calendar to help you fill out your content calendar. They have set topics or you can add custom ones.
There is a free option if you want to give it a try, but the free option doesn't include all of the above benefits. You will need to have the paid option for all the bells and whistles.
Skillshare: if you are not familiar with Skillshare, this is a fantastic website that has classes and lessons on pretty much every subject under the sun. I use it a lot for tips and tricks on how to improve my photography and videography skills. It's almost like an online school for all ages, skill levels and subject needs. They don't just have business courses, they will also show you how to paint watercolours, flower arranging or how to create ceramics. It truly has it all.
Photo from Pink Pom Pom Social
And last, but certainly not least is Netflix and/or Amazon Prime. These little beauties, and all the similar companies (Disney, Apple TV, etc) don’t have a thing to do with business, but they sure help me to wind down in the evenings when I have been hard at work all day. I also love watching something while I’m knitting and crocheting. And yes, I am one of those people who loves to watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas year round.
So that’s my list. Are there any you have discovered that you can recommend?
Until next time……