5 favorite apps and programs for running my handmade business
Running your own business means a constant balance between DIY and outsourcing. I am always trying to figure out what I want to, or should do, myself, and what I should pass on to someone who has more expertise than I do! I also have the temperament of, "I do it myself" - just like my four year old yelled about 45 times today.
I have definitely learned the incredible value of hiring others to do lots of things. (Just because I /can/ doesn't mean I /should/) -- and what I have gained in time, money, and being able to support other small mom-owned businesses has been so valuable. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't still have that do-it-yourself tendency. And because I make so many unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of handmade jewelry, there are some things that really are just easier to do myself, and I need dependable systems for sharing hundreds of photos and files with my assistant (also known as my Executive Function.)
So here are a few of my favorite apps and programs that I've discovered during this handmade business journey.
Airtable
Nothing has been more business changing than this program. It's an incredible data management system. Every vendor application for the Royaboya Handmade Bazaar gets routed through airtable, which keeps all of the information all sortable and manageable. I track every single earring I make, every single sale, and every single customer. I track the location of each physical piece of jewelry, and it makes selling and fulfilling orders so much easier. I track customer reviews and photos. I track blog posts, articles, and urls. It's searchable and sortable through great filtering systems, which means content is really easy to find and use.
Google docs/presentations/sheets
Basic and badass. I do most of my general brainstorming, list-keeping, goal-forming in one of the google programs. I love it because I can access it from all of my devices, and I can share with my assistant/Executive Function so she can see the behind the scenes and prioritize her tasks as well.
Canva
Canva is a graphics creation app and it's SO MUCH FUN! If I am doing my own graphics, I definitely use Canva. It has templates for every kind of social media, and so much more. There is a free version, but at some point I caved and started paying monthly because I love millions of excessive font options.
Dropbox
My assistant and I use dropbox for storage - we share folders, and both can access and upload anytime we need to. It's another basic storage system, but you can get plenty of space and it's so much easier than trying to transfer files to each other in any other way.
Planoly
When I remember to use it, this is a social media scheduling app that I love. I am definitely under-utilizing it, but it's a fantastic resource. You can plan your posts, see them all purty ahead of time, and save your hashtag lists!