5 Apps for a Small Business Moms

5 Apps for a Small Business Mom by Ashton Brackett

Picture this-

It’s 2000, you are working from home and on the landline with a client, two toddlers running around screaming, and you are trying to wrap up your finances for the fiscal year. 

This. Sounds. Hectic - Impossible - A complete disaster. 

Luckily for us 2020 moms, technology has made life SO much easier. It is just a matter of knowing when and what kind of tech to use. 

To help you choose from the thousands of applications and software out there, I have compiled a list of my top five favorite apps (and let me tell you narrowing it down was hard). 

You may be asking what makes my opinion credible? Let me tell you a little about myself!

I work from home as the Director of Marketing and Sales for Milrich Virtual Professionals, LLC. My husband and I are also co- owners of TJ Elite Contracting, LLC. And there are two tiny boys running around while I attempt to manage both. I also have a business project in the works for all of you other stay at home moms (stay tuned- it’ll be fun!). Let’s not forget about the sports teams we coach, play for, or the organizations we are a part of. Needless to say, in order to stay somewhat sane, I have found a few ways to take advantage of technology and make life a little easier. 

So let’s take a look at those apps: 

Trello

A fellow Small Business Mom has given some awesome insight on Trello in the All About Trello blog post. I highly recommend reading through if you have any Trello questions! 

It is no secret that Trello can be a game changer in the business world. I have the app on my phone, laptop, desktop, and tablet (because you can never be too prepared, right?). From CRM to lifestyle management, I use the app on a daily-weekly-monthly basis. You are able to go in and create a board for every aspect of your life, then breakdown a bit more on a card, and add checklists if needed. I am a huge advocate for checklists, because it adds a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day to see a list full of checked off tasks. 

Constant Contact

Now let’s talk about one of my favorite marketing go-tos. Constant Contact is the ever evolving marketing hotspot. I use the app and desktop version nearly every day. From conducting surveys, email campaigns, newsletters, to scheduling social content… constant contact literally has it all. Not to mention there is a stellar community, and routine extended learning opportunities. 

Acuity

When you live a hectic life like I do, scheduling is one of, if not the most important aspects of a successful day. Whether I am making a sales call, a relationship management call, or a consultation, Acuity is going to be my way of scheduling. 

If you are not currently using a scheduling system, I highly advise giving Acuity a shot, c'mon it’s FREE! All you have to do is create a schedule for each type of appointment you would like to conduct, create an intake form if necessary, and send your client/prospect the customized scheduling link. Say hasta la vista to the back and forth, trying to figure out what works best for everyone’s schedule. Because when you carry as many titles as most working moms do, who has time for that?

Slack

Working from home has become a norm thanks to COVD-19, but I have heard of several companies struggling to keep the team environment. One of the best parts of Milrich is the inclusion and the atmosphere. This could be thanks to awesome management, but I also have to give Slack credit where it's due. 

The instant message structure allows everyone to feel more personal, versus a traditional email. You can create personalized rooms and channels by department, or projects. And one on one conversations are available when needed. Plus, there is even a feature to do video or voice calls- how cool! 

Canva

Last but not least, my FAVORITE content creation app. I originally came to Canva because it was the best free tool I could find for creating social posts back in 2016. This was after I had already studied graphic design and worked with Adobe products in college. So I was a little sceptical about a free program. But what can I say, Canva has grown to be my preferred design tool. 

I could probably spend all day talking about the above apps (and the 100 other ones I use). But for the sake of saving time I'll leave you with these short summaries. I hope you get as much use out of these tools as I do! 

BONUS (I told you five was hard):

Fun 4 Kids STL

I know there are several moms located in the St. Louis area, so I wanted to give a shout out to a Facebook page that has helped me on several rainy days! The owners over at Fun 4 Kids STL list out events and playtime ideas in the St. Louis and surrounding areas on a daily basis. 

CENTR

Chris Hemsworth designed the ultimate fitness app. I have tried a couple different at home fitness programs, but this one has to be my favorite. As an ex-athlete, I wanted something challenging, and with a line up of top notch trainers CENTR went above my expectations. 

By: Ashton Brackett