The Technology I Love to Use

Today, in 4 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

1. About 10 pieces of technology I use to run my business
2. How you can save time and precious energy by using some of these tools in your own business
3. That some of this technology can also benefit your personal and family life.

Today, I want to share with you the tech tools I have found invaluable in the start-up phase of my business journey. I have found there are some essential programs and tools you will need to start a successful online business. I am excited to share this list with you to help you avoid some of the early mistakes I made and a lot of Google searching and going down rabbit holes to find the technology you need.

I have been operating my business for two years, giving mums all the support and advice they need to start and thrive in their business. I am also a busy mama juggling many things and must work efficiently with my available time. I am actively using all the technology I discuss below in my business and have found them so helpful.

Let's get started.

#1 Kajabi

Kajabi is the platform from which I create and sell my digital products and services. I can deliver everything through Kajabi: emails, blog posts, courses, newsletters, freebies, sales funnels and other offers, including coaching, podcasting and memberships. I have created my website on Kajabi using the templates provided. I have also integrated my platform with Stripe, allowing payments to be collected through my website.

Although Kajabi is more expensive than other platforms, it is reasonable for all it provides and the simplicity it creates, having everything in one place. I have found Kajabi so easy to use, and the support through their chat options and online university is fantastic for solving any issues I have. It also delivers an excellent user experience, which is essential to delight your customers. I am on a Kickstart Plan for USD 660 each year. Although this limits me to only one published product, it is sufficient while building my website, content, and course.

If you want to sell a digital product such as a course, I encourage you to investigate Kajabi as an excellent option.

#2 Trello

I love a good list, and Trello holds them all for me. Trello is a project management tool that can be used in many advanced ways. Its best use for me has been downloading all the tasks and ideas swirling around my head into these amazing to-do lists that are very visual, mobile and easy to use. Here is an example of a Trello board:

Can you see how great it is for setting up to-do lists? Creating action lists of everything I want to do in Trello enables me to achieve a lot. I stay on top of important things and can multitask a lot better (for example, batch together all the jobs I need to get done when out at the shops). I feel less overwhelmed and can work on everything more efficiently when I see what I need to do.

I love having Trello on my phone and computer (and any other device) to constantly update it as plans change or new ideas and tasks pop up. Each note can hold so much information – checklists, attachments, photos, web links, audio files, or typed notes. Best of all, it is free! I haven't paid a cent for it yet, and I use it so much in my personal life and business.

#3 Canva

Canva is such an excellent graphic design program, and I couldn't imagine running my business without it. From the first time I opened it, Canva turned me into an instant graphic designer without all the hassle of learning Photoshop, Illustrator and other Adobe products.

I have found many ways to use Canva in my business. I can create all the following: social media posts, stock image designs, videos, business documents, business cards, branding elements, a logo, and an email signature. I also used the Canva scheduler tool in my early days to post directly to my Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest accounts from social media.

There is a free version of Canva that you can get started on, but I have signed up for the Pro plan for AUD 164.99 per year to access a more significant number of features, templates, and images.

#4 Zoom

Zoom needs no introduction after it transformed all our lives during and after the pandemic. It is fantastic for all my web conferencing needs. I use it with my one-on-one clients but also in group coaching. Setting up meeting rooms and sharing links and details with my clients is easy. I am yet to use some of the more advanced features, including running webinars. I have signed up for the Pro plan for AUD 223.90 per year. This plan allows me to meet with clients beyond the 40-minute meeting limit set on the free plan.

#5 Stripe

I use Stripe for my payment processing, which works well for what I need. I have also set up PayPal but prefer Stripe at this stage. When I am invoicing one-on-one clients, Stripe sends an email to my clients with a link they can click on to make a credit card payment (for which they automatically receive a receipt). They can also download a copy of their invoice from the email.

It has an easy-to-use interface, and I found their support helpful when I needed clarification on some formatting on my invoices. I can also integrate Stripe with Kajabi so that payments are processed automatically for digital product sales, and a receipt is issued.

I do not pay any monthly or annual fees with Stripe; however, for each payment processed on the platform, I pay 1.75% + AUD 0.30 for domestic cards and 3.5% + AUD 0.30 for international cards.

#6 Grammarly

Grammarly is a fantastic piece of editing software. It polishes everything I write, which is essential when you are presenting your brand. It can be used across devices and is very easy to use. The suggestions it makes to my writing go far beyond what is offered in Microsoft Word or Apple Pages programs. Grammarly has a free plan that you can start on, but their premium plan with more features costs USD 12/month (when billed annually).

#7 Gmail and Google Workspace

I set up a Gmail account for my business email account. A separate business account is important as it communicates professionalism and helps you create boundaries between your work and personal life. I chose Gmail because an account includes the full suite of Google products, including Google Drive (for cloud storage, up to 15GB free), Calendar, Task List, Google Docs and Google Sheets. Once you have an email address, you can put it on your website as your main point of contact and also use it to sign up for all the accounts and programs you will need. I have phone apps for Google Drive, Calendar and Tasks, Google Docs, and Google Sheets, so I can add any new ideas or information I want anytime. Unlike accounts like Hotmail, there are minimal issues with junk mail and spam building up.

#8 One Drive

I invested in a One Drive account for more storage for recordings I am making, images I am using, etc. I also decided to open a One Drive account as Microsoft had an excellent family deal (so my husband could also have 1TB of storage). I could also download Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which my desktop didn't have. Our family account costs AUD 139/year, but there are free and cheaper options.

Cloud storage is fantastic as it lets you access all your files and notes on the go. I use One Drive for my working documents (blog, email newsletters, course outlines), so I can open them on the One Drive, Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps and add notes to them as I think of anything new.

#9 Audible and Apple Podcast App

I am a big podcast listener and have filled my head with many amazing ideas and inspiration for my personal and business life from audiobooks on Audible and podcasts on the Apple app. The impetus to start my business came from all the inspiring business owners I listened to on podcasts when my kids were babies.

I have always loved reading, but I took a break from reading novels when my kids were little. I was always busy and too tired to read at the end of the day. So, it has been great to get back into reading by listening to Audible. Audible costs AUD 16.45/month. Be sure to share any of your favourite audiobooks and podcasts with me!

#10 Tailwind

I have recently invested in Tailwind and plan to use it as my scheduling software for Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. I will be sure to provide more updates on how I am finding it, but it has been easy to set up so far. Tailwind will save me a lot of time, which I need as I don't want to get lost spending hours of my week posting on socials. Tailwind provides excellent help for creating pins, publishing one pin across all three platforms (reformatting them automatically), and saving things like hashtags for future posts. It also schedules and posts pins and posts based on the best time of day to do so for maximum reach (according to its algorithms). The Pro plan costs USD 179.88/year.

That's all for today. I encourage you to research these tools to see if they can help you. Let me know if you have any questions about using any of them, or be sure to share any new technology insights you have for me.