Top 5 Digital Tools for Streamlining Your Online Service-Based Business
As an online service-based business, digital entrepreneur, or business owner with an online presence, having the right tools in your toolbox is essential to success. Digital tools can streamline and automate workflows, easily create professional and creative graphics, track and organize all the moving pieces of your business, and so much more!
Using the right digital tools can help you deliver the best experience possible to your clients and grow a sustainable business! Isn’t that what we all really want? Let’s dive into my top picks that can help you scale your business sustainably!
Choosing the Right Tools
With so many digital tools out there, finding the perfect fit for your business can be daunting. ✨ Here’s a tip: start by identifying your needs and then test out a few top-rated tools. Most offer free trials that let you explore their features and see if they align with your goals.
However, as you likely know, in the busy lives of business owners, CEOs, solopreneurs, and digital entrepreneurs, finding time to explore different tools can be challenging. Let’s save some time—here are my top 5 must-use tools for the digital space! (These are even helpful for organizations not in the online space, as they save time, are user-friendly, and all offer free versions to get started!)
1. ClickUp - Project Management Perfected
There are many great project management (PM) tools out there—ClickUp, Asana, Trello, and Monday, to name a few. Each one aims to help you organize and manage your projects and tasks all in one place. I’ve used Asana, Trello, and ClickUp, but my current favorite is ClickUp.
ClickUp provides PM functionality with various levels of organization by spaces, folders, and lists. Its customizable fields and views help you to organize tasks with need to know information easily viewable for all team members. It integrates forms and offers various automations and integrations that can save you time and hassle.
2. Notion - Your Personal Productivity HQ
I absolutely love Notion for all things organization. Its customization and functionality create endless opportunities. Don’t let that intimidate you—Notion also offers great templates to get you started!
I use Notion for many things, both business and personal. From weekly planning to housing my central business hub, it provides great organization and productivity for the various areas of your life. Notion is wonderful for creating custom business hubs for resources, team dashboards, and so much more.
3. Canva - Design Made Easy
Not only is Canva super user-friendly, but it also allows you to create visually appealing content and graphics that align with your business brand with ease! If you haven’t tried Canva before, I highly recommend it. It’s changed the way I create. From marketing materials and social media posts to lead magnets and so much more, Canva offers a great graphic design software that is easy to use for your business.
4. Toggl - Time Tracking Made Simple
Understand where your time goes with Toggl. Toggl is a time tracking app that categorizes your time based on projects, clients, and other areas you create. I use Toggl to track client work and projects to see where my time is going each day. Toggl provides very helpful reports with a breakdown of time, the task, the client, and the project. It’s a great way to manage your time more efficiently.
5. Zapier - Automate Your Workflows
Zapier is an automation tool that connects various software to automate workflows via “zaps.” From basic automations to more complex ones, Zapier streamlines your business processes, saving you time and steps. Zapier connects to many well-known digital tools and provides a library of workflows to explore if you’re new to automations.
To help you get started, I’ve created a free guide, “Using Zapier Automations to Streamline Efficiency.” This freebie covers the basics of Zapier automation, as well as 2 step-by-step walkthroughs of Zap setups that you can implement in your small business today (both compatible with the free Zapier plan). These powerful automations can transform your workflow and boost your productivity.
Choosing the Right Tools for Your Business
When choosing the right tools for your business, consider what features are essential to your success. Start with free versions and upgrade as your needs grow. Reading reviews and exploring user experiences can also guide your decision-making process.
By integrating these tools into your business strategy, you’ll streamline operations, enhance client satisfaction, and pave the way for sustainable growth. These are just a few of the digital tools I use and recommend in my online service-based business. By exploring and using the right tools for your business, you can streamline your workflow, improve your client experience, save time, and continue scaling your business!