2022 seems to be the year of new business ideas. I have received a lot of messages and emails recently from people wanting to start new businesses or people who are just dissatisfied with their current job and looking to start a little passion project. Whether you want your new business to become your full-time job or not, there are some tools that EVERYONE needs in their life. 

I realized after talking with so many people, that I was really just sharing the same resources over and over again, and that a blog post may be the best place to keep all of this information. I do want to preface this post by saying that I am not by any means an expert in accounting, contracts, or even in streamlining how businesses are run. This is just what I have learned in the past four years. I highly recommend hiring and talking to professionals when it comes to your business (especially on the accounting side). 

The Stuff You Absolutely Need 

• File for an LLC or other business license depending on your business. 
• Read Profit First (this will save you years of doing your finances wrong).
• Start the appropriate bank accounts. If you follow the Profit First rules, this will take you a minute to set up but it will save you so much time in the long run. 
• Get bookkeeping software (I use QuickBooks).
• Talk to an accountant. They will help guide you and make sure you set everything up correctly. 

The Stuff That Happens Next

After you have done everything that you need to legally and financially, you get to have a little bit more “fun”. This is a lot of figuring out which platforms you need to run your business. 

• If you are planning on working one on one with clients, you will want a software that allows you to invoice, send contracts and keep track of everything. I use HoneyBooks and absolutely love it! I did use Freshbooks for my first two years and it worked and was much cheaper, but ultimately I didn’t love it. You can also manage all invoices and contracts on your own without any software but I found that cumbersome and I was forgetting to invoice people and losing out on money. 
• Set up a business PayPal account. 
• Set up a Stripe account. 

Starting a Website

Chances are you are interested in running an online business or a business with some online presence. I thought I would share three platforms that I use or have used for different businesses. 

• WordPress: if you are going to be blogging, I highly recommend using WordPress. I have a WordPress site and a ShowIt Template. Basically what that means is all of the posts I write happen in the backend of WordPress, but all of the features that make my site look and feel the way it does is easily created through ShowIt.
• Squarespace: if you are looking for a site that will involve very little technical knowledge, this is the platform for you. There are lots of limitations with SquareSpace but if you are just starting out then you should be able to achieve everything you need to. 
• Shopify: if you are going to be selling a product, I cannot recommend Shopify enough. Their back end is super simple to use, analytics are already built-in, and it works well with all social platforms. 

If You Are Planning to Blog

One of the ways you can make money is through affiliate programs. Affiliate programs allow you to share a unique link to your community and earn a commission on sales. Below are two of my favorites, but lots of brands have them and I recommend searching individual sites to see. 

• Set up an Amazon Affiliate account.
• Apply for a LiketoKnowIt Affiliate account. 

Other Apps and Software I Recommend 

• FloDesk: this is the platform I use to send my weekly newsletter and create new opt-ins and I love it. They make it simple to create and send beautiful emails. 
• Try Interact: if you are looking to build your email newsletter in unique ways I highly recommend checking out Interact. You can create simple quizzes through this software. It’s also great if you sell products to help new customers figure out what product is right for them. 
• Tailwind: this is the platform I use to schedule Pinterest pins. 
• Canva: you are going to need to create quick graphics and you might not be a designer, that’s where Canva comes in. This platform will help you create quick graphics for social media, ads, blog posts, really anything you need. You can import your logo and branding colors and fonts so that your graphics look like you.
• Planoly: If you have been around for a while then you know I LOVE to plan, I am obsessed with it. Your Instagram content should not be planned the day of (or at least not usually), instead invest in an app like Planoly to schedule or even automate your posts. Planoly has a free option as well, but the paid features allow you to plan out video content in advance which is a must these days. 
• Dropbox: while I may be an expert planner, storing all of my graphics, posts, client deliverables, etc. is not where I shine. I use Dropbox and create simple folders based on clients or projects to easily store and share whatever needs to be shared. 
• Whereby: this is my version of Zoom that I use for all of my client calls. This platform was a little prettier and a little cheaper than the Zoom option I was paying for and I love it. You can also use Google Meet as well. 
• Webinar Ninja: if you plan to host webinars, either paid or free ones, I highly recommend investing in a platform that you love. For me that’s Webinar Ninja, it’s easy to use, syncs with my payment platforms, and they have great customer service.

Now that you have made it this far and know all the ‘things’ you will need to get your business set up and running smoothly. The last piece of advice I can offer you is to be curious and educate yourself. Education is an ongoing expense in my business and one of the most valuable expenses I have. I read books, subscribe to blogs to learn about the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing, and invest in courses or workshops to help me learn new tools or strategies. 

If you are looking to jumpstart your business with a clear marketing strategy and the tools to get there, check out my new workshop that I will be hosting at the end of January. This workshop is going to be a Marketing Crash Course for New Business Owners and will focus on all of the marketing basics, my favorite hacks to use, and a roadmap to help get you started. 

p.s. If you are unable to attend live, you will receive a recording and are welcome to email ANY questions you have in advance or after the workshop. 

Click Here to Sign Up