Six Business Tools for Creators Who Are Tired of Doing it All Themselves
Why am I clocking more hours running my own business than I did at my 9-5?
Why do I feel like I have no time for anything I actually want to focus on?
Why am I so fucking tired all of the fucking time?
Does any of this sound familiar?
Of course it does. Because you’re a business owner, a creator, or a personal brand who started your business because you had a vision for the life you wanted. But yikes, spending hours answering emails, making content, and managing the back end of your business is not what you had in mind.
Been there, done that.
Hi, I’m Ariel, and I’m an Instagram coach and strategist for female founders. I am also wildly ADHD and have learned the hard way that I need tools and strategies to keep my business running or I will burn it all to the ground.
Here are my six ride-or-die business tools that I simply could not run my business without. I hope you find something in here that makes business (and life!) feel just a little more manageable.
(Psst! If you’re just here for help on Instagram, I have another blog post dedicated to Instagram Marketing Tools I use on the daily! Check it out here.)
My Favorite Business Tools as an ADHD Founder
Google Workspace
Google Workspace is the most used tool in my entire techstack. I use it for an official looking email address for me and Mr. Husband, the life-saving calendar features, file sharing and storage, and client and networking calls. But perhaps most importantly, I use Google Sheets to create and deliver content calendars for my clients!
I love the simplicity and organization of Google Workspace, and I appreciate that everything I need is wrapped into a single monthly subscription.
Canva
Canva is also mentioned high on my list of Instagram Tools, but she needs another shoutout here. I spend so much time on Canva, and I feel like she deserves a little forehead kiss for carrying the weight of my self-taught graphic design skills.
I use Canva for my social media content and to build PDFs and strategy decks for my clients. I even used it to build The Personal Brand Foundation Guide and Workbook! Canva does it all, and I use her every single day.
Metricool
Listen, I am a social media coach and strategist. Social media is kindaaa my whole deal. And I schedule all of my content.
And you should, too.
I wrote a whole other blog about batching and scheduling content, so I won’t go into it now. All I’ll say is that scheduling your content makes it so much easier to stay consistent. And Metricool is the best business tool I’ve found for scheduling. It not only allows you to schedule your posts, but it tells you when your audience is most active and sends you monthly analytics that help you make informed decisions about your strategy.
Toggl Track
Have you ever looked up after eight hours of staring at your screen and wondered what the hell you actually accomplished? Yeah, me too. That used to be my normal, until I started using Toggl.
As someone with ADHD, I really struggle with time management, executive dysfunction, and task hopping. I’d work long hours and accomplish next to nothing because my focus was so scattered. My goal for this year was to work less, so I needed to be more efficient with my time.
Enter: Toggl.
Toggl is a free desktop timer that helps me track everything—from client work to coaching calls to housework like laundry. And I’m happy to report that tracking my time has really helped me lock in and get a better understanding of how I work, what time I actually need to be spending in front of the computer, and what tasks might be worth delegating.
Dubsado
I use Dubsado for all the “business” parts of running a business, like sending proposals, contracts, invoices, monthly questionnaires, and feedback forms. I also use it for automated workflows, onboarding and offboarding sequences, and so much more.
If you don’t have a CRM (aka, client experience management system) I highlyyyyy recommend you get one. Dubsado saves me so much time and energy since I only have to set it up once, and it works for every client who comes after! Use the code ariel20 to get 20% off your first year.
Flodesk
Last, but not least, is Flodesk, the platform I use to send my weekly newsletter: The Wednesday Work in Progress.
The newsletter is like this blog on steroids.
It’s me, unleashed, sharing everything I know about business, life, and entrepreneurship. I talk about the one time I got really constipated and had to go to the doctor, about why it feels so damn hard just to get up and wash my hair some days, and my current crochet projects.
But more than that, I talk about the realities of entrepreneurship, social media marketing, and having ADHD while running a business.
My goal for the Wednesday Work in Progress (affectionately called WIP) is to do more than share helpful marketing advice. It’s to show you that you’re not alone—even on day three of wearing the same pair of sweatpants and refusing to wash your hair. It’s to create a community based on honest, shared experiences. It’s to remind everyone that entrepreneurship looks different for everyone, and you’re not behind just because your journey looks different.
So if that’s something you’d be into, I’d love to have you along for the ride. It gets a little messy. I share some really embarrassing stories from high school. But I like to think that in the midst of it all, I share a little bit of hope, too. I can’t wait to see you there.
