Essential Tech + Tools For Your Creative Business

Quick Disclosure: Some of the links I share in this blog are affiliate links, which means when you click the link and make a purchase, it won’t cost you more, but I may receive a commission for sharing this with you. I promise I only ever share what I use and love, so I’d be sharing these with you anyway!

Summertime and the living’s… not so easy?

I hear ya!

It’s not hard to steamroll into the summer months without a plan. 

Imagine finding yourself in late August, overwhelmed and exhausted. 

You’ve barely seen your family, and you definitely haven’t had a moment to spare to dip your toes in the pool or finally finish that beach read you’re perpetually ¼ of the way through.

Over the past decade, I’ve had plenty of summers I wish I could get back. Times when I would have loved to hit the rewind button and get a do-over. 

I’ll never forget the pit-in-my-stomach guilt I felt a few summers back at the shore when my kids called me to join them in the waves, but I found myself trapped in my beach chair, wrapping up in a last-minute client call, desperately jotting down notes to ensure I didn’t miss any crucial tasks.

Not one of my finest moments. 

Don’t let this be you.

Sure–

When you set out to build your creative business, you probably expected to work hard and be busy. But, you really thought you’d also have time for yourself: to make precious summer memories with your loved ones and unwind from the hustle and bustle of grind culture!

This leaves you wishing you had more time, more energy, or some sort of time machine!

While we can’t actually create more time, and the only energy I could suggest is a Venti espresso (zing!) from Starbucks, there are some simple but effective things you can do TODAY to optimize your time moving forward.

Let’s get your summer back on track before it’s too late!

Because of those lost summer moments, I’ve committed to finding ways to optimize my time and energy without dropping the ball in my life OR business. 

I never want to miss:

• A trip out for ice cream
• An evening stroll along the boardwalk
• A boogie board session

I also don’t want to miss out on opportunities to:

• Serve my clients well
• Pursue my creative and professional passions
• Build my business and financial future

The good news is, over time, I’ve found the tech and tools that work for me. 

And now, I get to share these resources with you. 

While there’s no “right” way to run your business or spend your summers, there is a right way for YOU. It may take some trial and error, but once you find your rhythm and groove, you’ll be able to enjoy the best of both worlds this summer. 

Keep reading to learn about my best tech and tools for your creative business so you can do more in less time (without sacrificing quality or your personal touch) and make the most of your summer season!

Why You Need The Right Tools For The Job

A few years ago, I decided to try my hand at baking bread all by myself. 

Let me tell you, it was a struggle. 

I didn’t have the right tools, materials, or know-how, so my attempts were pretty messy. Finally, my husband suggested, 

“Why not take a baking class?” 

(In fact, he then proceeded to not-so-subtlety gift me a baking class)

The class was SO fun, and it made my at-home bread-baking process exponentially better! I learned which tools, ingredients, and techniques I would need, and let me tell you, it made a world of difference. Not only was bread-making way easier, but the end results were insanely delicious.

Having the right tools for the job isn’t exclusive to the bread-baking world.

The same principle applies to your creative business. When you have the right tools and tech at your disposal, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities, boosting your productivity and helping you achieve success not just in the summer months, but all year long!

Now, there’s no hard and fast rule for which tools your creative business needs, but I’ve found that these core tools have made a huge difference for me and my clients! 

Leverage The Right Tech

If you aren’t leveraging technology in your creative business you’re absolutely working too hard! (I SEE you overachiever– because I am you!) 

Imagine how much more you could accomplish if those tedious, repetitive tasks (aka anything you do more than once) were off your plate! 

I highly recommend you pull in the right tech to streamline and automate whatever, whenever, wherever you can so you can set it and (virtually) forget it! 

Taking advantage of these tech options (both free and paid) can save you so much time and energy this summer!

Implement a Project Management System (PM)

One of the first types of tech I encourage all my clients to implement is a PM System! 

If you want your operations and client experience to run smoothly with minimal effort on your part, it’s time to get on board with tech like ClickUp, Asana, or Trello. 

These tools allow you to streamline various tasks, organize timelines, and manage multiple documents and resources in one place so you can stay on track! 

With a PM system in place, your business will run like a well-oiled machine to boost your productivity and save you time.

Tech Automation 

While your PM system will likely offer many ways to automate, you might also lean on additional tech for more specific needs. 

Look into tools like Tailwind and Zapier to make social media scheduling and connecting various apps and platforms easier than ever. 

CRMs (Client Relationship Management Systems) like Honeybook and Dubsado allow you to sign contracts, collect payments, send custom forms, and schedule meetings so you can offer a cohesive client experience even while you’re sipping cocktails with your toes in the sand (or, if you’re like me, serving up goldfish to my kids at the beach)!

Embrace AI 

Next, let’s venture into the world of artificial intelligence.

I get it, there’s a lot of buzz and mixed feelings surrounding AI these days. But when used strategically and responsibly, AI tools can be a game-changer, especially when you’re looking to reclaim some personal time this summer. 

One of my favorite ways to leverage AI is for transcribing meeting notes. Check out ClickUp’s new AI capabilities for summarization and extracting action items from meeting notes. Otter AI excels at transcribing pre-recorded videos. And when it comes to content ideas, email editing, or market research, Chat GPT is a solid resource to explore.

When leveraged intentionally, PM systems, tech automation, and AI can serve you, your business, and your suntan game (or in my case, sunburn game).

Create the Right Tools

While automation and tech tools are wonderful, there will definitely be things you can’t fully automate. 

But, that doesn’t mean you can’t optimize these tasks and make them a lower lift! This is where you can embrace templates to get your workflows organized. 

Create Templates

One of the simplest and most effective ways to reclaim your time is to create templates. Literally, you have to do it anyway, so why not take a bit of extra time upfront to save a ton of time long term? 

Templates can be so helpful for things that still require a bit more of a personal touch. I encourage all of my clients to create templates they can use again and again such as… 

• canned email responses
• project plans
• client contracts 

Templates can quite literally cut your time in half, reduce mistakes, ensure you respond to everyone in a timely manner, and help you keep up with everything on your to-do list (instead of relying on your memory every time). 

You can even use templates for social media or client projects! 

For example, you might follow the same process for each social post you create or each creative brief you write.

Plus, if you ever decide to outsource similar tasks in the future, you can easily hand your templates over to a team member or freelancer to make sure they can consistently meet your expectations.

Your Summer Powered By Tech

Don’t let your business steal your summer or vice versa!

I hope that you implement at least one of these suggestions and roll with it!

By embracing some or all of these tech options and tools in your creative business, you’ll be able to do more in less time while still finding that sweet work-life balance. 

Putting the right tools in place can make a significant difference and allow you to prioritize what really matters in your life and your work.

Let’s Work Together

Not sure where to start or which tools will make the biggest impact in your one-of-a-kind business? 

Maybe you’re not super tech-savvy?

No worries!

I help my clients find and implement tech and tools to support all seasons of their life and business so that they can not only survive juggling business and their personal lives, but thrive every single summer and beyond.

Want my support?
Click here to schedule your 90-minute Clarity Call today and I’ll help you assess, customize, and implement the right tech and tools so you can enjoy the summer of your dreams year after year while STILL running a successful creative business!