I love discovering and using tools that allow me to spend more time doing the work I actually want to do (i.e. working on my design business), and less time being frustrated and stuck in the rabbit hole of admin tasks.

As I’m not in the business of gatekeeping, I'm sharing the tools that I’ve used extensively that can help save time for service-based businesses, so read on to see which one just might make running your business an easier task.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for any purchases you make, at no additional cost to you. I’ll never share or promote a resource or tool that I don’t personally use and love myself.

a mix of closed and open notebooks and glasses on a wooden table

Dubsado*

My Time-Saving Superhero

If there’s one tool that has saved me bucketloads of time, it would be Dubsado. This CRM (Client Relation Management tool) has transformed the way I handle the admin side of client projects, which has allowed me to spend more time on the creative side of projects.

It’s the main hub I use for client proposals, contracts, emails, invoices and call scheduling, keeping everything in one place and saving me from email threads hell.

As part of my brand and website projects, I’ve set up strategy calls quickly with clients thanks to workflows in the background, and Dubsado takes care of all the welcome emails, questionnaires and feedback forms without me needing to set things up manually every single time. The result? My projects sail along more smoothly, and I've bid adieu to countless admin headaches. Win-win, right?

Want to experience the magic of Dubsado? Give it a go for free with up to 3 clients. And for a little extra magic, get 20% off your first month or year using my affiliate link.

Mailerlite*

Finding joy in email marketing again

After being in a long-term relationship with Mailchimp for the first few years of my business, I found true love with Mailerlite.

Creating and scheduling emails, crafting signup forms, setting up automation for my freebies and diving into analytics to see what messages are resonating with my email community – everything feels more intuitive and less clunky. They even have a free Academy you can sign up for if you really want to dig deep into all the ins and outs of email marketing. Plus, the pricing won't give your wallet a heart attack. They even have a Forever Free plan for up to 1,000 email subscribers. Can you say win-win again?

Explore email marketing with Mailerlite

Haute Stock*

- A fresh dose of website images

Ever find yourself on a wild goose chase for the perfect images to spruce up your website? Yeah, I’ve been there.

If you don’t have the budget for your own brand photoshoot or don’t have the time or money to take your own brand photos or videos, this is where a really good paid stock photography membership site like Haute Stock comes in.

Their curated library is a treasure trove of modern and stylish visuals, refreshed every week, and I’ve found it to be a great resource in between my own brand photoshoots. They also have lots of Canva, Pinterest, IG Stories templates, content guides and more available for subscribers if you love a good template to start with.

And if you’re feeling fancy, you can also explore their Couture Curation service – their designers will cherry-pick images that sync perfectly with your brand's vibe, colours, and target audience.

Elevate your website visuals & get 15% off

Squarespace

I may be biased about this one because I’m a Squarespace website designer. Still, it’s a great platform for service-based businesses looking for an affordable and easy-to-use solution.

Without needing to manage many external third-party plugins, you can have a blog, shop for digital products, membership area, courses and more connected to your website. There’s even an option to send emails (although IMO you’re better off using a service like Mailerlite) and schedule calls via Acuity Scheduling.

With so much functionality already built in, Squarespace is my top pick for service-based businesses looking for a way to manage their online presence without needing a million different logins!

I hope this post has helped you find a tool for your business that will save you time and headaches!