Streamline, Simplify, and Grow: The Best Online Tools for Business Owners
As business owners, the tools we rely on to run our day-to-day operations matter—a lot. The right systems can streamline your workflow, support growth, and make your life so much easier.
I wanted to share a few of my favorite online business tools that play a crucial role in keeping my own business running smoothly. My hope is that whether you’re a shop owner, business coach, artist, Etsy seller, chiropractor, a fellow photographer, or any other type of solo entrepreneur, you’ll discover something here that helps you grow, simplify, or expand what you’re capable of.
So without further ado . . . Here are my top 5 favorite online tools that I use on the daily in my photography business.
My favorites
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My favorites . . .
Lightroom Classic
The most utilized asset in my business!
As a photographer, Lightroom Classic is my most used tool. From my Lightroom I can edit all the great images that I take from my client sessions and make photo ✨magic ✨! As a creative it’s important to have a solid way to store, edit, and adjust the art you create to be what you need it to be! As you can see, my Lightroom isn’t exactly the most organized (I like to think that it is organized chaos), but it still does exactly what I need it to.
Squarespace
This blog you are reading right now was built and is being hosted by square space!
Square space is the site that holds all the important information for my business that my clients and potential clients can check out! It is the first impression that people see of my business. It’s my biggest marketing asset. It is also the thing that I spend a lot of time adjusting and fixing so that it is as optimized as possible for my ideal client. I care about my client experience as much as I care about the final product (the photos) that I deliver. And updating my website on a regular basis helps my client experience run as smooth as possible. It’s often times the starting point for my clients to discover and contact me!
Google Business Profile
Having a profile helps build credibility & trust!
I’ve heard many business owners say that, Google business profiles aren’t necessary. When in reality, in today’s world, a Google Business Profile helps more than you think. With all the scams out there it helps to have a Google business profile that looks legit. When your Google business profile is setup correctly, it helps your ideal client find you easier in Google search engines. You can have your past customers/clients leave you reviews, which in turn helps build your credibility within your local community and creates a level of trust within your ideal client before they even reach out to you! When people have confirmation that you actually do what you say you will do, they then feel more inclined to spend their money at your business. Check out the reviews I have on my Google Business Profile here!
Meta Business Suite
Suite has been an absolute game changer for me when it comes to staying on track with my social media marketing goals.
I don’t know about you but I get easily distracted. I found, before I started using Meta Business, that I would hop on Instagram or Facebook and instead of going to immediately post or even just schedule a post, I would get distracted and start scrolling as soon as my main feed would load (which is usually pretty much instantly after you open the app). With Meta Business Suite, I can jump on my computer and open the Planner section and schedule my content or post right then and there without the distraction of what my aunts, 2nd cousins, niece's, son posted 2 hours ago. Less distractions when trying to put my social media marketing plans together, means more time to also focus on other marketing avenues! And this has changed the game for me as a solo entrepreneur.
Google Calendar
The scheduler app that I live by!
I will never stop telling people how amazing Google calendar is! I literally live by my Google calendar. My part time job schedule, my business schedule and my personal schedule are all fully integrated with each other and I can see what I have going on from a day to day, week to week, and month to month basis all with the click of a few buttons. Google calendar also has an incredibly versatile mobile app that allows users to basically do all the things you can do in the desktop version, on the go. Which is why Google calendar is my favorite way to track my schedule. You can create an event and invite up to 200 (🤯) people to that event with just an email. Then Google shares that event with those people, and it includes all the information you put, including, time, date, place and any notes you add to the event. People who are invited can then respond to the invite and add that event to their calendar. One of my other favorite features of sharing events with people is that you can have Google send out reminders for the event automatically. It’s truly one of the best calendar tools out there in my opinion.
In summary . . .
This guide highlights essential online business tools that help entrepreneurs streamline workflows, improve productivity, and enhance their client experience. From Lightroom Classic and Squarespace to Google Business Profiles, Meta Business Suite, and Google Calendar, these platforms support smoother operations for creatives and small business owners. If you're looking to grow your brand, stay organized, and boost your visibility online, these tools are must-haves for the solo entrepreneur who wants to build their business with confidence.
