What’s up Boujee Bosses, we are back with another episode of The Boujee Boss Up Podcast! Today I am sharing my favorite business tools, and I do want to let you all know that some of the provided links to these tools are affiliates, which means I’ll make a commission if you purchase using my link. No worries, though, there’s no extra cost to you and I’ve been using all of these tools way before signing on as an affiliate, so you can trust my judgement. With that being said, let’s jump right in!
The first tool is Canva. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of Canva before, but just in case you haven’t, let me put you on real quick. Canva is the top graphic design software in the game! You can make flyers, presentations, social media posts (with specified dimensions), book covers, CD covers, you name it, they’ve got a design for it. You can access most of the features for free, but there is a pro plan with background remover, more illustrations and more for $13/month or $120 for the year.
The second tool is Loomly. I’ve been using Loomly for a little while now and I am in love! It’s a social media scheduler. This is especially convenient for my Bosses with full-time jobs who don’t have time to manually upload every post (especially if you’re an aggressive poster like me) and it’s very user-friendly. You do have to link it to a Zapier account for Instagram, but they walk you through the entire process. Monthly plans start at $34/month or $300 for the year!
ConvertKit is the next tool I’ll be talking about. Y’all. ConverKit is by far my favorite email service provider ever! The functionality and cool features like easily customizable landing pages, email sequences and automations are a shoo-in for new content creators looking to dive into email marketing. And the best part? They have a free plan for you to test the waters! I personally use the $29 plan, which is good for a list of 1000 or less, and also a great deal in my opinion.
Libsyn is up next! If you have a podcast, or are considering starting one, then you may want to pay extra close attention to this one! Libsyn is one of the top-ranked podcasts hosts, and my personal favorite. The functionality is great (there are TONS of tutorials just in case you’re really technologically challenged) and you can get 50MB (aka less than 1 hour) of audio storage with other features for $5/month at their lowest plan. I suggest starting with their $15/month plan where you can get 250MB of storage space. Also, make sure to use the code: TBW when you sign up to get access for the rest of the current month and all of the following month for free!!
Speaking of podcasts… we’ve got Headliner as one of my top favorites! It’s a software that creates those cool podcast teaser videos you see, videos and more. You can get 5 videos, 10 minutes of transcription and more for free (this is the plan I use), so if you only post once a week on your podcast, you’ve just hit the jackpot. Their pro plan is only $10/month, though, so it wouldn’t break the bank if you needed to upgrade.
Now hang tight because we’ve got some honorable mentions!
Staying on the podcast wavelength, I want to talk about a physical tool that I use for podcasting, and that’s my microphone! I don’t know if you could tell, but the sound quality is much better than it has been in the previous episodes and that’s because I have a new mic. It’s the Samson Q2U, which is highly recommended by a lot of podcast and general tech experts for high quality. It runs for about $70, and comes with an XLR cable, USB cable, mic clip, desk tripod, and foam cover. That’s a pretty awesome steal if you ask me!
Initially, I’d been using the xm8500, which did the job, but was a lot more muffled and required more editing than usual. I should also note that the experts compared this mic as a great dupe for the ATR2100 (it’s been discontinued), which is the top podcast microphone.
So, if you’re wanting to start a podcast, or have a podcast and need better audio, or even if you’re just looking for good mics for a lower cost in general, I highly recommend the Samson Q2U.
The second honorable mention is URL Genius, which is something I heard about through Vanessa Lau. You know how when you click on certain links from apps like YouTube or Facebook, it takes you to the log in screen on the internet? Well, URL Genius allows you to take those links and run them through their system, edit the URL and when people click the link, they’ll be directed to the actual app and not a log in page. We all know 9/10, you’re not going to take the time to log in to watch a video or view a post, so this helps keep those conversion rates high.
The next honorable mentions are kind of two in one and those are my web hosts. As you may know, I have two different websites, https://khalasimmons.com and http://themelaninperspective.com for my personal brand and my self-development brand. I use WordPress for both, but a different web host for each one.
For https://khalasimmons.com I use Bluehost. The pricing is great and the best part is that I attained my domain name for $FREE.99 during the first year and they give you an SSL Certificate for free (that just means extra website security)!! I suggest trying it out (plans start at only $3.95/month). For http://themelaninperspective.com I use HostGator. They also have good prices and offer a free domain for the first year with WordPress, but I like the functionality of Bluehost a little better. However, if stuff like that doesn’t matter to you then I say give it a go (plans here start at $2.75/month)!
The last honorable mention is G suite, which I use for my email domains. I have the basic $6/month plan and can use multiple domains on one account, which is super cool. So far, I’ve just got hello@khalasimmons.com and hello@themelaninperspective.com for my two websites/brands. As my team grows, I’m sure I’ll expand my users and plan of course, and I’ll keep you guys updated as those events occur.
So, there you have it, those are my favorite business tools! I’ve linked all of these in the show notes and on my websites, but I always recommend going to https://khalasimmons.com/biztools where you can see descriptions and links for all five tools (and some of the honorable mentions as well).
I want to make it clear that you don’t have to use these exact tools to streamline your business. However, all of them are extremely cost effective, so I think it’s a great place to start, especially if you’re in the digital space like me.
Let me know what tools you’ll be using and name some tools you may use that I didn’t mention in this episode. Who knows, you may put me on game!
I can’t wait to see how you streamline your business, Boujee Boss! It’s time to elevate your game.
Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Stitcher
Make sure to check our spotlight of the week, Arie from Spoildt Gifts!
Spoildt is a curated gift box company designed for Women. They are launching on October 1, 2020 and are doing a giveaway. See details below:
They’re the new Black female owned gift box business on the block and they want YOU to have one of their curated self-care boxes. Their boxes include beauty and bath products, snacks, cocktail mixes, inspirational books and MORE. This is a $70+ value that you can access for FREE (and that includes shipping). To enter:
- Head over to @spoildtgifts on Instagram and follow them
- Like their giveaway post
- Tag two friends in the comments so they can enter too!
There will be two winners. The 1st place winner will receive a free premium Spoildt gift box and the 2nd place winner will receive a free mini “The Quickie” Spoildt gift box.
The giveaway will run until September 30, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST and the 1st place winner will be announced on October 1, 2020 at 12:00 pm EST. The 2nd place winner will be chosen on October 2, 2020 at 12:00 pm EST.
Make sure to check out their website www.spoildtgifts.com while you’re at it!
If you want a chance to be featured on The Boujee Boss Up Podcast like Arie,
- Subscribe to The Boujee Boss Up Podcast
- Leave a rating (5 stars would be ah-mazing) and review
- Take a screenshot and post it tagging @khalasimmons if you’re on Instagram and @KhalaSimmonsOfficial if you’re on Facebook.
If you’re listening on another platform besides Apple Podcasts, just take a screenshot of your subscription and type your short review on your stories (or your feed if you’re bold enough).
I look forward to hearing from you, Boujee Boss!
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