October 23, 2023 • 26 mins
There's something super obvious about starting an online service business.
You need tech, you need irresistible service offerings. You need clients, and you need to get paid.
So, what does that look like in terms of your tech stack?
When you're first starting your business, no matter what type of online service you provide, whether it's social media management, online courses, coaching, real estate, or anything in between, the amount of tech tools available to small online business owners is absolutely overwhelming. It's so easy to waste time and money on tools that don't work well, don't suit your business or are just way too expensive.
Today, I'm hoping to cut through the noise and save you some time and money on tech by sharing some of the tools I use all the time, which I think are the essentials when starting your own online service business.
😍 MY FAVE TOOLS:
Dubsado: https://www.dubsado.com/?c=samanthabell
ConvertKit: https://convertkit.com/?lmref=tHXVFQ
MailerLite: https://www.mailerlite.com/a/7urv0w74kncl
Trello: https://trello.com/
Asana: https://asana.com/
ClickUp: https://clickup.com/
Quickbooks: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/au/
Stripe: https://stripe.com/au
Google Workspace: https://workspace.google.com/intl/en_au/
Squarespace: https://www.16thavecreative.com/
I'd love to know what you enjoyed about today's episode! Leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram @16thavecreative
Don't forget to subscribe, and tap the bell so you’ll be notified every time a new episode drops. Plus, it would be amazing if you could rate the show and leave a positive review.
Here's a few ways we can help you:
- JOIN THE WAITING LIST FOR START-UP SUCCESS! Build Your Business in 60 Days!
- Ditch Your 9-5! Get Your 9-5 Exit Plan Here!
- Get the Brilliant Business Beautiful Life Playbook Straight to Your Inbox!
- Ultimate Website Content Checklist
- The Framework: Your Brand Voice
- Check out our Services : Squarespace website design, copywriting, & branding
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Samantha Bell (00:04):
Welcome to the Brilliant Business, beautiful
Life podcast, where we sharesimple, actionable strategies
plus the mindset and wellnesspractices you need to build the
business and life you love.
Head to 16th Ave Creativecomforward slash playbook and
download your free guide todesign the business and life you
deserve.
Today I'm your host, samanthaBell, and this is the Brilliant
(00:27):
Business, beautiful Life podcast.
Are you ready for the businessand life of your dreams?
Let's get started.
Hello and welcome back to theBrilliant Business, beautiful
Life podcast.
There's something super obviousabout starting an online service
business you need tech, youneed irresistible service
(00:47):
offerings, you need clients andyou need to get paid.
So what does that look like interms of your tech stack when
you're first starting yourbusiness?
No matter what type of onlineservice you provide, whether
it's social media management,online courses, coaching, real
estate, anything in between theamount of tech tools available
(01:09):
to small online business ownersis absolutely overwhelming.
It's so easy to waste time andmoney on tools that don't work
well, don't suit your businessor are just way too expensive.
Today, I'm hoping to cutthrough the noise and save you
some time and money on tech bysharing some of the tools I use
(01:30):
all the time, which I think arethe essentials when starting
your own online service business.
For most of my tech, I haveannual subscriptions, and that's
for two reasons because I lovethem and because paying annually
is always the best option tosave a few dollars.
(01:50):
Now, a thought of tech causesmost women who are starting
their online service businessesto go into a bit of an agitated
frenzy.
They're consumed with thoughtsof oh my God, what do I need?
Where do I get it?
What does it do?
So I'm just going to cutstraight to the point.
You do not need to be a techwizard to succeed in your
(02:13):
business.
Keeping things simple andstreamlined is the key to
winning in your business.
Now, before we go down the techpath, I want you to focus only
on five things Keep your techsimple, have somewhere to send
potential clients, have a way tocollect their email addresses,
(02:36):
have a way for people to book acall with you and have an easy
way to get paid.
That's it, simple, right.
When you're first starting out,you will hear so many ideas
about all the differentplatforms funnels, automations,
tripwires, order bumps, upsells,downsells, carts, ai, plug-ins
(02:59):
all the tech you can imagine,which, if you're quite new to
the online world, it can be verydaunting.
I know the majority of womenwho are in the startup stage
that come to me for theirwebsite design, copywriting,
brand design, email marketingall the things.
They are usually tearing theirhair out trying to navigate what
(03:23):
it is they actually need to runtheir business and I always
simplify it down to those fivethings being simple, having your
online home base, collectingemails, making bookings and
getting paid, because complexityleads to confusion and
frustration.
So begin with straightforwardtools that meet your immediate
(03:49):
needs.
Establish your online presencewith a professional, easy to
navigate website where prospectscan learn about you and your
services.
Start building your email listfrom day one, which is one of
the most important activitiesyou can do in your business to
help ensure its long termsuccess.
Starting an email list issomething I didn't do early
(04:13):
enough in my business journeyand I kick myself for it every
day.
I had so much to do.
I knew I needed to do it andthat it was important.
I didn't understand just howimportant it was, so I focused
on all the things.
I put it on my to do one daylist and didn't start focusing
(04:36):
on building my email list untilI felt more settled and
confident in my business and Ilost so much opportunity by
doing that, and I don't want youto do the same.
So early implementation of anemail collection system to
connect with potential clientsand build your business over
(04:57):
time is essential from day one,and it's going to be or it
should be a major focusthroughout your business journey
not just at startup, butcontinuously throughout the
entire entrepreneurial journey.
So build your email list fromday one.
Also, simplify your bookingprocess by giving people a very
(05:23):
easy way to book calls with youor to book your services.
Find your payment methods toensure you receive your money
quickly and easily.
And when you think of tech inthose terms, hopefully all the
anxiety and confusion wash away.
To allow you to focus on onething at a time to build the
(05:45):
right tech stack for you.
You don't need to do it all ina day.
You've got some time and it'sbetter to focus on what you
actually need than what youthink you need.
There's also a tech myth, andthat is that you need to be a
pro at tech to be successful inbusiness, and that is a
(06:06):
generalized misconception that Ihate because it hinders
aspiring business women.
It stops them in their tracks.
You do not need to be techsavvy to succeed in your
business.
This myth leaves so many womenwho are dreaming of starting
their online service businessfeeling really overwhelmed, and
(06:28):
it's also the cause one of themost common reasons why women
choose to not follow theirdreams.
They put them on the shelf andthey don't look at them again,
and they stay stuck in theirnine to five jobs, living a life
that they just put up with.
And that just breaks my heart.
So don't be overwhelmedthinking that you need to know
(06:51):
all the tech.
It's not only a myth, it's alsoa dream crusher.
It's not true.
Another thing to think about atthe beginning of your
entrepreneurial journey is youdon't need super robust systems
that offer all the bells andwhistles, particularly the bells
and whistles you're most likelynever going to use.
(07:14):
Not only will they overwhelmyou you won't know what to do
with them or when but they willcost you far more money than
strategically choosing techthat's fit for purpose to your
business model and has theability to grow with you as your
business grows.
Again, just think about whereyou are in your journey, what
(07:35):
you need for your business to beable to perform, how to keep
things simple for your clientsand your budget and how to get
paid.
By focusing on these things,you can approach tech with ease,
like an entrepreneur, and builda tech stack of time saving,
helpful, user friendly toolsthat will streamline your
(07:58):
business operations.
That's what your tech should do.
Keep it simple and streamlinethings.
Make your life easier.
Keep thinking about tech inthose terms, because simplicity
is the key to your growth and itleaves you free to focus on
what matters your zone of genius.
That's the magical place whereyour skills and your passion and
(08:23):
expertise all come together.
Now, whether you excel atguiding people on their fitness
journey, offering nutritionaladvice, real estate, anything
whatever your zone of genius is.
That's where you shine andthat's where you need to stay.
When you're knee-deep in thetechnical nitty-gritty of your
(08:43):
business, you're taking time andenergy away from what you excel
at.
So the path to entrepreneurialsuccess isn't about becoming a
tech expert.
It's about understanding yourstrengths and using them to
create impact.
And when you keep your techsimple, you allow yourself to
(09:05):
focus on your zone of genius.
You can amplify your influence.
You can just be exceptional.
It's where you can createlasting impact that changes the
lives of your clients throughthe unique way you deliver your
services.
So by embracing simplicity oftech, you can do that.
(09:27):
You can amplify your influence.
You can connect with morepeople, have more sales
conversations, book more clients, increase your profit margins
and get paid.
The right tech stack keeps youin your zone of genius.
Now, there's always going to benew tools and tech products
emerging, and trying to keep upwith them will put you on the
(09:49):
hamster wheel of shiny objectsyndrome and you will just go
into the world of overwhelm.
So, instead of looking at allthat, mastering the basics of
the tools that work for you andhave the functionality to grow
as your business does, and don'tworry about all the rest.
(10:09):
Time and money are two of yourmost valuable resources as an
entrepreneur, and overcomplicating the tech will drain
both.
So streamlining your processesand tools will save hours of
time and so much money.
Talking about money, eventhough you're most likely at the
(10:32):
start-up stage and you don'thave much money coming into your
business yet, investing in theright resources early from day
one, where possible, can reallysimplify and speed up your
success.
While you don't need to know allthe tech to succeed in your
business, you do need toleverage the right tools.
(10:54):
The key is to find the toolsthat are easy to use, meet your
needs and fit your budget, andhere's what you've been waiting
for.
Here is the tech stack that Iuse in my own business.
Every single piece is chosenwith care because it takes care
of one or more of those fivefocus areas I mentioned earlier
(11:18):
keeping it simple, collectingemails, having somewhere to send
people, a way to get booked anda way to get paid.
Now, these aren't the onlytools in my tech stack.
My tech stack has grown overtime as my business has grown,
and it has the capability tocontinue growing.
Today, I'm just sharing whattech you need to get started as
(11:44):
an online service business.
It is essential to have awebsite.
There are some people who sayyou don't need one and you can
get away with your LinkedIn oryour Instagram account, but in
my opinion, you cannot beconsidered as a serious business
in the online space if youdon't have your own online space
(12:07):
.
If you're serious aboutbuilding an online service
business, the most importantpiece of marketing collateral
you own is your website, notyour social media presence,
which you don't own.
By the way, there are a ton ofwebsite builders in the market.
A lot of them are really great,but a lot of them are really
(12:27):
complicated and maybe more thanwhat you need, or just not what
you need at all.
So if you're like most businessowners you don't have unlimited
time, you don't have unlimitedmoney and tech is not your forte
what you do need is a websitethat's beautiful, functional and
easy to use.
I am a Squarespace websitedesigner so naturally, my
(12:51):
website is built on Squarespaceand I love it.
So do my clients.
It's easy for them to navigate.
It's easy to use.
It's got a beautiful backendsystem.
It's also super simple tooptimize for SEO and to connect
to all my other business tools.
And Squarespace functionalityjust keeps getting better.
(13:14):
They've even now introducedcourses, so you can build and
host courses on your own website.
It has basic email marketingfunctionality built in.
You can buy your domainsthrough Squarespace.
Squarespace are actually in theprocess of buying Google
domains, so that shows how muchGoogle respects Squarespace.
(13:38):
It's something to think about.
So you can buy your domainsthrough Squarespace.
Set up your Google Workspaceaccount all through Squarespace.
It's amazing.
It's really a one-stop shop foryour website.
I just love it.
I really do.
Now, squarespace, as I said, hasits own email marketing
(14:00):
platform built in which is greatfor basic email marketing.
You can collect people'saddresses, send them their free
lead magnet when they sign upwith you all that sort of thing.
But because I need a littlemore email functionality than
what Squarespace currentlyprovides, I use a different
(14:24):
email marketing platform and itis called ConvertKit.
It's very robust.
It's got great options forsegmenting lists, creating
multiple automations andworkflows, so all my email
marketing happens on autopilotwithin ConvertKit.
It's a paid platform.
They do have a free option, butI have chosen to go with their
(14:49):
paid option because it gives methe functionality that I need In
startup mode.
Though there's another platformwhich gives you the
functionality you need is free,and I've used it myself and I
love it, and it is calledMailerLite and it is the best
free option you'll find.
(15:10):
Don't bother going withMailChimp because it is clunky,
it is hard to use, it's notuser-friendly, in my opinion
anyway and their free versiondoesn't give you very much.
It doesn't give you what youneed, whereas the free
MailerLite version you can docomplete workflows.
(15:30):
It has everything you need andit's what I recommend to all of
my clients who are in theirstartup phase or just want
something simple to use.
It does exactly what they needand it can grow with their
business.
And, best of all, like I said,it's free.
So MailerLite I recommend foryour email marketing system.
(15:52):
One of the most important piecesof my tech stack is my Google
Workspace, which I set upthrough my Squarespace website.
That's where I set upprofessional email addresses, I
create, store and share clientfiles, access my calendar,
google Meet all sorts of things.
I just can't live without thispiece of tech in my business.
(16:14):
It's great, just great.
So Google Workspace if you'rewondering how you share
documents with clients, shareyour freebies with people, it's
all done through GoogleWorkspace.
So it's a highly used tool inmy tech stack.
Now for my clients to makebookings with me, to land on my
(16:36):
calendar, to pay me, to get intomy ecosystem, I use a CRM, a
Customer Relationship ManagementTool, and it's called DubSato.
Dubsato is one of the veryfirst investments I made in my
business, and I bought DubSatoeven before I had my first
(16:58):
paying client and if I had to domy time over again, I would do
exactly the same thing.
Dubsato is amazing.
It connects with my GoogleCalendar, my payment processor.
It houses my forms, mybrochures, proposals, contracts,
subcontracts, invoices, all theworkflows around bringing my
(17:21):
clients into my business.
It gives them all theinformation they need to know
about me.
It collects all the informationI need to know about them.
It's amazing.
It's a beast.
Now, admittedly, there is a veryhigh learning curve for Dubsado
Probably the highest learningcurve out of all the tech I've
(17:45):
mentioned, but it is completelyworth the time and effort.
Clients can book discoverycalls with me and then they're
automatically welcomed into myecosystem while I sleep.
A lot of my clients are basedin the United States, so I'm
asleep while they're awake, butusing Dubsado seamlessly allows
(18:08):
them to book calls with me, getall the information they need
and, like I said, everything Ineed to know about them all
while I'm sleeping on autopilot.
It's just amazing.
You can probably tell I loveDubsado when I do.
It's just a game changer and itis perfect for online service
business owners who really wantto run their business like a pro
(18:30):
.
And I do recommend doing itearly, before you're ready,
because your clients will havethe best client experience with
you from day one.
From their first interactionwith you, you will have a more
seamless experience running yourbusiness.
(18:51):
It's priceless and it's not alot of money.
I pay the annual fee, which isabout $500 a year.
That's not a lot of money forall the functionality that it
gives.
Like I said, contracts,invoices, proposals, workflows,
(19:11):
everything are all run out ofDubsado.
Jump on Dubsado.
I guarantee you will love it.
Now, for me, getting paid is acombination of three things my
payment processor, which isStripe Dubsado, where I create
my invoices, which areautomatically connected to all
(19:33):
of my proposals and contracts,and QuickBooks, which is my
bookkeeping or accounting system.
Now, like Dubsado, you don'tnecessarily need a bookkeeping
system when you first start youronline business, but it's
something I highly recommendsetting up before you need it.
(19:53):
Your business might grow quitequickly, and having a system in
place as early as possible makeskeeping track of your expenses,
knowing when you've hit profit,keeping track of all your taxes
all that it makes everything soeasy.
You can even give youraccountant access to it so that
they can do your tax return foryou Simple.
(20:15):
And if you don't likeQuickBooks, another really
popular and powerful tool isZero.
So have a look at both.
See which is best for you andyour business.
I think Zero is a little moreexpensive than QuickBooks, but I
use QuickBooks.
I like it.
Plenty other people use Zero,so have a look at them both.
They're both great tools and,just like with Dubsado, doing it
(20:38):
early, before you're ready, iskey to growing your business
quickly and keeping things aseasy as possible.
You want things to be easy, sojump on board.
So, while there are three thingsinvolved for me to get paid,
it's actually only one actionfor my clients Because, remember
(21:00):
, we want super simple paymentmethods.
All my clients have to do isopen their email, which has the
invoice inside, click on thebutton and pay, and that's it.
It connects up to Stripe, whichis the payment processor, so it
tapes their credit card detailsor the bank account details,
(21:21):
whatever it is.
I never know what someone'sbank account or credit card is,
because I don't need to knowthat.
Stripe processes that allsecurely, all seamlessly,
securely.
They process the payment andthen put it in my bank account
and Stripe talks to Dubsado andtalks to my accounting system,
(21:45):
which is QuickBooks.
So it all just happens, allautomatically, without me
needing to do a thing.
It's fabulous.
The most important thing isit's easy for my clients.
All they need to do is pressone button, enter their credit
card details or debit carddetails or bank account details
and they've paid Simple.
(22:08):
I am also obsessed with projectmanagement tools, and some of my
favorites are Trello, which isthe easiest and free version of
a project management system thatyou'll find.
Asana, which is slightly morerobust, also has a free version,
and then ClickUp, which I love.
(22:30):
It is the beast of projectmanagement.
Again, there's a free version,but the paid version of ClickUp
is where all the magic happens.
Now, if you're wanting tomanage your client projects,
your own projects, yourmarketing, your launches,
everything you really need touse project management tools.
They will change your life andI highly recommend you jumping
(22:54):
onto one of these Trello, asanaor ClickUp.
They're all amazing.
Trello is by far the simplestand easiest to use.
I actually used Trello for anumber of years in my business
before I switched over to Asanaand then moved on to ClickUp.
So that was the trajectory Iuse of project management Trello
(23:18):
, asana, clickup but you mightstart with Trello and stay on it
forever.
I also manage my clients withinthese tools, depending on how
good they are with their techdepends on which one I select
for them.
Most of them, I pop into Trellobecause it's so easy, but to
(23:40):
make it even more easier for meand my clients.
I pop them into Asana becauseit just works really well.
I tend not to put them intoClickUp because it is a more
advanced system and I use it formanaging my business, not
theirs.
So use a project managementsystem.
Try one of those.
(24:01):
See which one you like.
Now I've spoken about a few techtools.
These are not the only toolswithin my tech stack, but they
are the ones that are prettymuch what you'll need when
you're starting your business,and I highly recommend you get
onto one or all of them if youcan.
(24:23):
Again, you don't need to dothem all in a day.
You can add them progressivelyas time allows.
Can you see now that thinkingyou need to know all the tech is
a dream killer?
It's not true.
Instead of trying to mastereverything, focus on your
customers, focus on yourstrengths and focus on keeping
(24:44):
things simple and streamlined,because the goal, unless you're
offering tech services, yourgoal is not to become a tech
wizard, it's to build asuccessful business, and these
tools will help you do that.
It all boils down to the KISSprinciple Keep it simple, stupid
(25:05):
.
So when you're thinking aboutyour tech, simplicity is key.
That's the superpower.
I wonder if you would like toknow what else is in my tech
stack.
You might be further along inyour journey.
You might be past the startupstage and needing to build out
your tech stack but aren't surewhat to use.
(25:25):
So if you want to know whatother tech I use because I use a
heap more than what I've toldyou about send me a message on
Instagram, a DM, send me anemail, just connect however you
like and let me know.
I'd be happy to do anotherepisode on what other tech I use
.
That might be helpful to youtoo.
(25:47):
And if you are interested in anyof the tech that I mentioned
today, all the links up below inthe show notes so you can check
them out for yourselves and seewhat works for you.
So that's it for today.
Thank you for being here.
I will see you next week anddon't forget to subscribe
wherever you listen to podcastsso you never miss an episode
(26:08):
MUSIC.
Thanks so much for listening.
I'd love to know your biggesttakeaway from today's episode,
so leave me a comment below orsend a DM on Instagram.
If you enjoyed this episode,hit the subscribe button
wherever you listen to theBrilliant Business, beautiful
Life podcast and feel free toshare it with someone else
(26:29):
who'll love it too.
I look forward to seeing youfor the next episode and
remember the time is now foryour Brilliant Business and the
beautiful life you adore.
Welcome to the Brilliant Business, beautiful
Life podcast, where we sharesimple, actionable strategies
plus the mindset and wellnesspractices you need to build the
business and life you love.
Head to 16th Ave Creativecomforward slash playbook and
download your free guide todesign the business and life you
deserve.
Today I'm your host, samanthaBell, and this is the Brilliant
(00:27):
Business, beautiful Life podcast.
Are you ready for the businessand life of your dreams?
Let's get started.
Hello and welcome back to theBrilliant Business, beautiful
Life podcast.
There's something super obviousabout starting an online service
business you need tech, youneed irresistible service
(00:47):
offerings, you need clients andyou need to get paid.
So what does that look like interms of your tech stack when
you're first starting yourbusiness?
No matter what type of onlineservice you provide, whether
it's social media management,online courses, coaching, real
estate, anything in between theamount of tech tools available
(01:09):
to small online business ownersis absolutely overwhelming.
It's so easy to waste time andmoney on tools that don't work
well, don't suit your businessor are just way too expensive.
Today, I'm hoping to cutthrough the noise and save you
some time and money on tech bysharing some of the tools I use
(01:30):
all the time, which I think arethe essentials when starting
your own online service business.
For most of my tech, I haveannual subscriptions, and that's
for two reasons because I lovethem and because paying annually
is always the best option tosave a few dollars.
(01:50):
Now, a thought of tech causesmost women who are starting
their online service businessesto go into a bit of an agitated
frenzy.
They're consumed with thoughtsof oh my God, what do I need?
Where do I get it?
What does it do?
So I'm just going to cutstraight to the point.
You do not need to be a techwizard to succeed in your
(02:13):
business.
Keeping things simple andstreamlined is the key to
winning in your business.
Now, before we go down the techpath, I want you to focus only
on five things Keep your techsimple, have somewhere to send
potential clients, have a way tocollect their email addresses,
(02:36):
have a way for people to book acall with you and have an easy
way to get paid.
That's it, simple, right.
When you're first starting out,you will hear so many ideas
about all the differentplatforms funnels, automations,
tripwires, order bumps, upsells,downsells, carts, ai, plug-ins
(02:59):
all the tech you can imagine,which, if you're quite new to
the online world, it can be verydaunting.
I know the majority of womenwho are in the startup stage
that come to me for theirwebsite design, copywriting,
brand design, email marketingall the things.
They are usually tearing theirhair out trying to navigate what
(03:23):
it is they actually need to runtheir business and I always
simplify it down to those fivethings being simple, having your
online home base, collectingemails, making bookings and
getting paid, because complexityleads to confusion and
frustration.
So begin with straightforwardtools that meet your immediate
(03:49):
needs.
Establish your online presencewith a professional, easy to
navigate website where prospectscan learn about you and your
services.
Start building your email listfrom day one, which is one of
the most important activitiesyou can do in your business to
help ensure its long termsuccess.
Starting an email list issomething I didn't do early
(04:13):
enough in my business journeyand I kick myself for it every
day.
I had so much to do.
I knew I needed to do it andthat it was important.
I didn't understand just howimportant it was, so I focused
on all the things.
I put it on my to do one daylist and didn't start focusing
(04:36):
on building my email list untilI felt more settled and
confident in my business and Ilost so much opportunity by
doing that, and I don't want youto do the same.
So early implementation of anemail collection system to
connect with potential clientsand build your business over
(04:57):
time is essential from day one,and it's going to be or it
should be a major focusthroughout your business journey
not just at startup, butcontinuously throughout the
entire entrepreneurial journey.
So build your email list fromday one.
Also, simplify your bookingprocess by giving people a very
(05:23):
easy way to book calls with youor to book your services.
Find your payment methods toensure you receive your money
quickly and easily.
And when you think of tech inthose terms, hopefully all the
anxiety and confusion wash away.
To allow you to focus on onething at a time to build the
(05:45):
right tech stack for you.
You don't need to do it all ina day.
You've got some time and it'sbetter to focus on what you
actually need than what youthink you need.
There's also a tech myth, andthat is that you need to be a
pro at tech to be successful inbusiness, and that is a
(06:06):
generalized misconception that Ihate because it hinders
aspiring business women.
It stops them in their tracks.
You do not need to be techsavvy to succeed in your
business.
This myth leaves so many womenwho are dreaming of starting
their online service businessfeeling really overwhelmed, and
(06:28):
it's also the cause one of themost common reasons why women
choose to not follow theirdreams.
They put them on the shelf andthey don't look at them again,
and they stay stuck in theirnine to five jobs, living a life
that they just put up with.
And that just breaks my heart.
So don't be overwhelmedthinking that you need to know
(06:51):
all the tech.
It's not only a myth, it's alsoa dream crusher.
It's not true.
Another thing to think about atthe beginning of your
entrepreneurial journey is youdon't need super robust systems
that offer all the bells andwhistles, particularly the bells
and whistles you're most likelynever going to use.
(07:14):
Not only will they overwhelmyou you won't know what to do
with them or when but they willcost you far more money than
strategically choosing techthat's fit for purpose to your
business model and has theability to grow with you as your
business grows.
Again, just think about whereyou are in your journey, what
(07:35):
you need for your business to beable to perform, how to keep
things simple for your clientsand your budget and how to get
paid.
By focusing on these things,you can approach tech with ease,
like an entrepreneur, and builda tech stack of time saving,
helpful, user friendly toolsthat will streamline your
(07:58):
business operations.
That's what your tech should do.
Keep it simple and streamlinethings.
Make your life easier.
Keep thinking about tech inthose terms, because simplicity
is the key to your growth and itleaves you free to focus on
what matters your zone of genius.
That's the magical place whereyour skills and your passion and
(08:23):
expertise all come together.
Now, whether you excel atguiding people on their fitness
journey, offering nutritionaladvice, real estate, anything
whatever your zone of genius is.
That's where you shine andthat's where you need to stay.
When you're knee-deep in thetechnical nitty-gritty of your
(08:43):
business, you're taking time andenergy away from what you excel
at.
So the path to entrepreneurialsuccess isn't about becoming a
tech expert.
It's about understanding yourstrengths and using them to
create impact.
And when you keep your techsimple, you allow yourself to
(09:05):
focus on your zone of genius.
You can amplify your influence.
You can just be exceptional.
It's where you can createlasting impact that changes the
lives of your clients throughthe unique way you deliver your
services.
So by embracing simplicity oftech, you can do that.
(09:27):
You can amplify your influence.
You can connect with morepeople, have more sales
conversations, book more clients, increase your profit margins
and get paid.
The right tech stack keeps youin your zone of genius.
Now, there's always going to benew tools and tech products
emerging, and trying to keep upwith them will put you on the
(09:49):
hamster wheel of shiny objectsyndrome and you will just go
into the world of overwhelm.
So, instead of looking at allthat, mastering the basics of
the tools that work for you andhave the functionality to grow
as your business does, and don'tworry about all the rest.
(10:09):
Time and money are two of yourmost valuable resources as an
entrepreneur, and overcomplicating the tech will drain
both.
So streamlining your processesand tools will save hours of
time and so much money.
Talking about money, eventhough you're most likely at the
(10:32):
start-up stage and you don'thave much money coming into your
business yet, investing in theright resources early from day
one, where possible, can reallysimplify and speed up your
success.
While you don't need to know allthe tech to succeed in your
business, you do need toleverage the right tools.
(10:54):
The key is to find the toolsthat are easy to use, meet your
needs and fit your budget, andhere's what you've been waiting
for.
Here is the tech stack that Iuse in my own business.
Every single piece is chosenwith care because it takes care
of one or more of those fivefocus areas I mentioned earlier
(11:18):
keeping it simple, collectingemails, having somewhere to send
people, a way to get booked anda way to get paid.
Now, these aren't the onlytools in my tech stack.
My tech stack has grown overtime as my business has grown,
and it has the capability tocontinue growing.
Today, I'm just sharing whattech you need to get started as
(11:44):
an online service business.
It is essential to have awebsite.
There are some people who sayyou don't need one and you can
get away with your LinkedIn oryour Instagram account, but in
my opinion, you cannot beconsidered as a serious business
in the online space if youdon't have your own online space
(12:07):
.
If you're serious aboutbuilding an online service
business, the most importantpiece of marketing collateral
you own is your website, notyour social media presence,
which you don't own.
By the way, there are a ton ofwebsite builders in the market.
A lot of them are really great,but a lot of them are really
(12:27):
complicated and maybe more thanwhat you need, or just not what
you need at all.
So if you're like most businessowners you don't have unlimited
time, you don't have unlimitedmoney and tech is not your forte
what you do need is a websitethat's beautiful, functional and
easy to use.
I am a Squarespace websitedesigner so naturally, my
(12:51):
website is built on Squarespaceand I love it.
So do my clients.
It's easy for them to navigate.
It's easy to use.
It's got a beautiful backendsystem.
It's also super simple tooptimize for SEO and to connect
to all my other business tools.
And Squarespace functionalityjust keeps getting better.
(13:14):
They've even now introducedcourses, so you can build and
host courses on your own website.
It has basic email marketingfunctionality built in.
You can buy your domainsthrough Squarespace.
Squarespace are actually in theprocess of buying Google
domains, so that shows how muchGoogle respects Squarespace.
(13:38):
It's something to think about.
So you can buy your domainsthrough Squarespace.
Set up your Google Workspaceaccount all through Squarespace.
It's amazing.
It's really a one-stop shop foryour website.
I just love it.
I really do.
Now, squarespace, as I said, hasits own email marketing
(14:00):
platform built in which is greatfor basic email marketing.
You can collect people'saddresses, send them their free
lead magnet when they sign upwith you all that sort of thing.
But because I need a littlemore email functionality than
what Squarespace currentlyprovides, I use a different
(14:24):
email marketing platform and itis called ConvertKit.
It's very robust.
It's got great options forsegmenting lists, creating
multiple automations andworkflows, so all my email
marketing happens on autopilotwithin ConvertKit.
It's a paid platform.
They do have a free option, butI have chosen to go with their
(14:49):
paid option because it gives methe functionality that I need In
startup mode.
Though there's another platformwhich gives you the
functionality you need is free,and I've used it myself and I
love it, and it is calledMailerLite and it is the best
free option you'll find.
(15:10):
Don't bother going withMailChimp because it is clunky,
it is hard to use, it's notuser-friendly, in my opinion
anyway and their free versiondoesn't give you very much.
It doesn't give you what youneed, whereas the free
MailerLite version you can docomplete workflows.
(15:30):
It has everything you need andit's what I recommend to all of
my clients who are in theirstartup phase or just want
something simple to use.
It does exactly what they needand it can grow with their
business.
And, best of all, like I said,it's free.
So MailerLite I recommend foryour email marketing system.
(15:52):
One of the most important piecesof my tech stack is my Google
Workspace, which I set upthrough my Squarespace website.
That's where I set upprofessional email addresses, I
create, store and share clientfiles, access my calendar,
google Meet all sorts of things.
I just can't live without thispiece of tech in my business.
(16:14):
It's great, just great.
So Google Workspace if you'rewondering how you share
documents with clients, shareyour freebies with people, it's
all done through GoogleWorkspace.
So it's a highly used tool inmy tech stack.
Now for my clients to makebookings with me, to land on my
(16:36):
calendar, to pay me, to get intomy ecosystem, I use a CRM, a
Customer Relationship ManagementTool, and it's called DubSato.
Dubsato is one of the veryfirst investments I made in my
business, and I bought DubSatoeven before I had my first
(16:58):
paying client and if I had to domy time over again, I would do
exactly the same thing.
Dubsato is amazing.
It connects with my GoogleCalendar, my payment processor.
It houses my forms, mybrochures, proposals, contracts,
subcontracts, invoices, all theworkflows around bringing my
(17:21):
clients into my business.
It gives them all theinformation they need to know
about me.
It collects all the informationI need to know about them.
It's amazing.
It's a beast.
Now, admittedly, there is a veryhigh learning curve for Dubsado
Probably the highest learningcurve out of all the tech I've
(17:45):
mentioned, but it is completelyworth the time and effort.
Clients can book discoverycalls with me and then they're
automatically welcomed into myecosystem while I sleep.
A lot of my clients are basedin the United States, so I'm
asleep while they're awake, butusing Dubsado seamlessly allows
(18:08):
them to book calls with me, getall the information they need
and, like I said, everything Ineed to know about them all
while I'm sleeping on autopilot.
It's just amazing.
You can probably tell I loveDubsado when I do.
It's just a game changer and itis perfect for online service
business owners who really wantto run their business like a pro
(18:30):
.
And I do recommend doing itearly, before you're ready,
because your clients will havethe best client experience with
you from day one.
From their first interactionwith you, you will have a more
seamless experience running yourbusiness.
(18:51):
It's priceless and it's not alot of money.
I pay the annual fee, which isabout $500 a year.
That's not a lot of money forall the functionality that it
gives.
Like I said, contracts,invoices, proposals, workflows,
(19:11):
everything are all run out ofDubsado.
Jump on Dubsado.
I guarantee you will love it.
Now, for me, getting paid is acombination of three things my
payment processor, which isStripe Dubsado, where I create
my invoices, which areautomatically connected to all
(19:33):
of my proposals and contracts,and QuickBooks, which is my
bookkeeping or accounting system.
Now, like Dubsado, you don'tnecessarily need a bookkeeping
system when you first start youronline business, but it's
something I highly recommendsetting up before you need it.
(19:53):
Your business might grow quitequickly, and having a system in
place as early as possible makeskeeping track of your expenses,
knowing when you've hit profit,keeping track of all your taxes
all that it makes everything soeasy.
You can even give youraccountant access to it so that
they can do your tax return foryou Simple.
(20:15):
And if you don't likeQuickBooks, another really
popular and powerful tool isZero.
So have a look at both.
See which is best for you andyour business.
I think Zero is a little moreexpensive than QuickBooks, but I
use QuickBooks.
I like it.
Plenty other people use Zero,so have a look at them both.
They're both great tools and,just like with Dubsado, doing it
(20:38):
early, before you're ready, iskey to growing your business
quickly and keeping things aseasy as possible.
You want things to be easy, sojump on board.
So, while there are three thingsinvolved for me to get paid,
it's actually only one actionfor my clients Because, remember
(21:00):
, we want super simple paymentmethods.
All my clients have to do isopen their email, which has the
invoice inside, click on thebutton and pay, and that's it.
It connects up to Stripe, whichis the payment processor, so it
tapes their credit card detailsor the bank account details,
(21:21):
whatever it is.
I never know what someone'sbank account or credit card is,
because I don't need to knowthat.
Stripe processes that allsecurely, all seamlessly,
securely.
They process the payment andthen put it in my bank account
and Stripe talks to Dubsado andtalks to my accounting system,
(21:45):
which is QuickBooks.
So it all just happens, allautomatically, without me
needing to do a thing.
It's fabulous.
The most important thing isit's easy for my clients.
All they need to do is pressone button, enter their credit
card details or debit carddetails or bank account details
and they've paid Simple.
(22:08):
I am also obsessed with projectmanagement tools, and some of my
favorites are Trello, which isthe easiest and free version of
a project management system thatyou'll find.
Asana, which is slightly morerobust, also has a free version,
and then ClickUp, which I love.
(22:30):
It is the beast of projectmanagement.
Again, there's a free version,but the paid version of ClickUp
is where all the magic happens.
Now, if you're wanting tomanage your client projects,
your own projects, yourmarketing, your launches,
everything you really need touse project management tools.
They will change your life andI highly recommend you jumping
(22:54):
onto one of these Trello, asanaor ClickUp.
They're all amazing.
Trello is by far the simplestand easiest to use.
I actually used Trello for anumber of years in my business
before I switched over to Asanaand then moved on to ClickUp.
So that was the trajectory Iuse of project management Trello
(23:18):
, asana, clickup but you mightstart with Trello and stay on it
forever.
I also manage my clients withinthese tools, depending on how
good they are with their techdepends on which one I select
for them.
Most of them, I pop into Trellobecause it's so easy, but to
(23:40):
make it even more easier for meand my clients.
I pop them into Asana becauseit just works really well.
I tend not to put them intoClickUp because it is a more
advanced system and I use it formanaging my business, not
theirs.
So use a project managementsystem.
Try one of those.
(24:01):
See which one you like.
Now I've spoken about a few techtools.
These are not the only toolswithin my tech stack, but they
are the ones that are prettymuch what you'll need when
you're starting your business,and I highly recommend you get
onto one or all of them if youcan.
(24:23):
Again, you don't need to dothem all in a day.
You can add them progressivelyas time allows.
Can you see now that thinkingyou need to know all the tech is
a dream killer?
It's not true.
Instead of trying to mastereverything, focus on your
customers, focus on yourstrengths and focus on keeping
(24:44):
things simple and streamlined,because the goal, unless you're
offering tech services, yourgoal is not to become a tech
wizard, it's to build asuccessful business, and these
tools will help you do that.
It all boils down to the KISSprinciple Keep it simple, stupid
(25:05):
.
So when you're thinking aboutyour tech, simplicity is key.
That's the superpower.
I wonder if you would like toknow what else is in my tech
stack.
You might be further along inyour journey.
You might be past the startupstage and needing to build out
your tech stack but aren't surewhat to use.
(25:25):
So if you want to know whatother tech I use because I use a
heap more than what I've toldyou about send me a message on
Instagram, a DM, send me anemail, just connect however you
like and let me know.
I'd be happy to do anotherepisode on what other tech I use
.
That might be helpful to youtoo.
(25:47):
And if you are interested in anyof the tech that I mentioned
today, all the links up below inthe show notes so you can check
them out for yourselves and seewhat works for you.
So that's it for today.
Thank you for being here.
I will see you next week anddon't forget to subscribe
wherever you listen to podcastsso you never miss an episode
(26:08):
MUSIC.
Thanks so much for listening.
I'd love to know your biggesttakeaway from today's episode,
so leave me a comment below orsend a DM on Instagram.
If you enjoyed this episode,hit the subscribe button
wherever you listen to theBrilliant Business, beautiful
Life podcast and feel free toshare it with someone else
(26:29):
who'll love it too.
I look forward to seeing youfor the next episode and
remember the time is now foryour Brilliant Business and the
beautiful life you adore.
Popular Podcasts
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!