PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Juliana Wall Photography

Honorable Mentions

BOOKS
The Energy of Money by Maria Nemth
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown , pg 188
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear 
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz


CRM'S/TASK ORGANIZING/SCHEDULING
CRM - Honeybook, Dubsado, 17Hats
Scheduling - Acuity, Calendly
Project Management - Asana, Trello 
Virtual filing cabinet - Evernote 
Team Communication - Slack
Reflection/Plan - The Year Compass
For Wedding Planners - Aisle Planner  


FINANCING AND BOOKKEEPING
Quickbooks, Wave
Receipt Book app - can take photos of receipts to keep them and keep track

SOCIAL MEDIA ORGANIZATION & SCHEDULING
Tailwind, Hootsuite, Sprouts Social
Canva - graphics

The following were resources were mentioned in the group by fellow members:

SETTING BOUNDARIES

- Make sure to be clear about your boundaries in your business early on. Make them clear on your website as office hours, in your contracts for when and how clients can contact you (via email, phone, text) and then again in any kind of welcome packet or guide that explains your process and how things work.

- Make sure to be up front and communicate those boundaries throughout the process as well. If you have boundaries in contracts, then it’s an easy solution to always refer clients back to that contract (so they also can’t say you never were clear).

- There may be times when you break boundaries such as emergencies (Your client’s website crashes and you’re the designer) or in a specific time-frame ( 1 week before wedding, you give your personal number to your client). But again, write these policies out in contracts, in guides, and on your website if applicable to set clear expectations.

- Know when to say no to potential clients or projects, especially if you know from initial interactions that you will not be a good fit.

- Know when to negotiate as well; you can say yes but only on certain terms. Have a list with you to check off to makes sure an opportunity is worth your time & energy. 

- Try not to spread yourself too thin; quality over quantity. Going above and beyond for your current clients and making it an amazing experience for them so they give you raving reviews will go so much farther than getting a ton of mediocre projects.

- Even if you are just starting out or still growing your business, loving on your current clients and making them feel like they are getting a VIP experience will also go a long way to getting referrals.

- Make sure to take days off every once in a while or even once a week, if you can, to simply unplug and recharge. You’ll thank yourself later.

- Family. With so many of us working from home, set boundaries with your own family and friends of your business hours. Just like you would with clients, be firm in when you are available and when you are not. Also be firm in pricing; it’s very easy to be taken advantage of by family & friends.