I have been growing my side hustles for over a year and I have learned so much about being a small business owner. I formalized my side hustles into one entity in “Settle Up” in February and through trial and error I have discovered effective ways of working my business.

One of the reasons I created this community was to support women through the most transformative moments of their lives. Starting your own business or growing your side hustle is as empowering as it is challenging. Here are some of the tools that have transformed the way I work in the hopes it may help elevate your business and the way you work!

Fun fact: All of these business tools were founded by women. #HellYes

• Flodesk | A critical element to any business is an email list. Instagram could disappear tomorrow. How would you reach your audience? An email list allows you to communicate with your community directly and share what makes you and your business unlike any other. Flodesk has modern, stunning, and customizable design templates that will make your brand look professional and credible. Try it free for 30 days and if you love it, use this link to get 50% off the monthly subscription for life. Sign up for my email list to see what it’s all about!

• Canva | How many of you have extra cash to hire a graphic designer for all of your marketing materials and social media? Ya, me neither! Canva is a website with thousands of design templates for Instagram stories, presentations, guides, flyers, invites, and so much more. After you create a few designs, Canva will begin to recommend templates that are similar so you can create a consistent brand theme throughout all your designs. Many of the designs are free and for additional features and templates you can upgrade to a premium account.

• Jenna Kutcher | Oh my goodness what a powerhouse this gal is! Jenna Kutcher is a marketing guru who runs a seven-figure online business helping entrepreneurs build their dream careers. I listen to her Goal Digger podcast religiously and I’m currently a student in a two of her online marketing courses. She’s a wife, mama, bread-winner, and total inspiration. Her courses and business practices are highly effective and motivating. The podcast and courses are like having a business coach without the expensive price tag.

• Passion Planner | Are you still relying on your phone to work your business? I found it challenging to keep my full-time job and personal calendars straight, let alone add a Settle Up calendar. I needed a space to plan content for my newsletter, blogs, social media, yoga classes, and website maintenance. Passion Planner was recommended to me by a family member and now I don’t know how I would run my business without it. Its thoughtful layout allows for scheduling, prioritizing, and journaling. Check out their free downloads to see if it might be a fit for you!

• Presets | I have a brilliant and talented family member who has taken many of my photos for the website and social media but I am not yet in a position to take professional content photoshoots on a regular basis. Hello, presets! Presets allow my photos to have a professional look and consistent color palette throughout my content. You can create your own for free on the Lightroom app or purchase from professionals. Some of my favorites include Jenna Kutcher and Lauren Scotti.

If you’re an entrepreneur or thinking of starting your own business I hope these tools will bring you the confidence to know that there are resources to help you and they won’t break the bank. Settle Up is about women supporting women and there’s room for everyone to succeed. Have a tool that’s making all the difference in your business? Comment below and share the deets!