TIPS FOR CREATIVES | 5 Unexpected Tools of the Trade
Running a Creative Business is Time Consuming
Maybe not the most positive way to start a post, but as fellow self employed creatives know, it really is! When I became an independent creative 4.5 years ago, I imagined most of my hours would be spent on drawing and designing. In reality, up to half of my working week is what I call admin hours.
Such as:
- answering enquiries
- preparing quotes (which requires quite a bit of time if the brief is not straight forward)
- preparing briefs and project agreements
- mapping out bigger projects + project timelines
- meetings
- accounting
- social media
- seo
and so on and so forth
So Let’s Use Creative Problem Solving
I’m a bit of a left brain nerd and don’t mind most of these jobs, but the problem is that if I spend too much time on them, I have limited time to create. And we only get paid when we create right? Also clearing the plate as much as you can to focus on creativity and technical tasks is the only way to get it done well. So the aim has to be to reduce admin hours as much as possible (while still being available for your clients of course!).
Getting it running as smoothly as I’d like is still a work in progress, but I’ve come a long way. So I thought I’d share some of my favourite tools that help keep my business running efficiently.
What do you use? Do you have any recommendations for me?
Tools of the Trade for Creative Businesses
The following software helps me keep on top of everything effectively and efficiently! They do cost but personally, they save me so much time it’s worth it. I’m sure it’s obvious but none of this is sponsored content, just want to help out my fellow self employed / sole trader / freelance / small business / aspiring creatives!
1) Accounting | Book Keeping - Quickbooks
Quickbooks is great for creating basic quotes (the ones that don’t need mapping out in detail) and invoices really fast. You can even click on the quote and turn it into an invoice with one click when the time is right! I also use it to record income and expenses regularly which makes tax time a lot more bearable.
There’s so much more I love about it, such as the ability to quickly view outstanding invoices and send automated reminders.
Quickbooks / MYOB / Xero Price Comparison
Quickbooks has everything I need as a sole trader but is more affordable ($20AUD a month for unlimited invoices & quotes) than MYOB ($48AUD) and XERO ($52AUD), which are geared more towards bigger businesses with employees.
2) Project Agreements | Contracts - DocHub
I use DocHub for documents that need signing such as project agreements, it costs $60USD a year. To be honest I could probably just use Adobe Acrobat but there are some key features that I really like. For example, you can set up automated emails that follow up on pending contracts. And much like Quickbooks, it’s easy to see when your emails and documents have been viewed so you can be certain that they haven’t ended up in the spam folder.
3) Project Management | Project Planning - Toggl Plan
I tried out a few of these before I found one that works for me. Before using digital planners I always used a large calendar on a cork board and different coloured post it notes. This system worked perfectly for me, except for the fact that it wan’t very portable. That became an issue when I started co-working (I have an open desk membership rather than my own desk).
Toggl works just like my old calendar + post it note system but it’s on my computer - I love it! Each project gets a different colour and you can drag and drop to move them around. Being able to see the workload for each week or month at a glance is crucial! It’s a fine balance to not overcommit, but also have enough projects on the go that you aren’t sitting around wasting time while waiting for client feedback.
You can also create kanban boards of tasks for each project, for example if it’s a logo design project, you could list mood board, first draft etc as separate tasks.
The basic plan is free but you don’t get all the pretty colours. Toggl plan with an array of colours for each project is $8USD per user a month.
4) Time Tracker - Toggl Track
Whether I invoice per hour or per project depends on the job really. Either way I track my hours. It’s as easy as setting up each new project and pressing start on the timer every time you work on it.
I recommend recording your hours if you’d like to know what’s working in your service based business, and what’s not. What does your hourly rate end up being at the end of the project? Are you charging enough? If you offer multiple services, which services are worth your time?
Toggl Track is FREE!
5) Muji Checklist - To Do List for The Day
Saved the best for last! My day does not begin without a list written on a Muji checklist notepad. Why this notepad in particular you ask? Well, it has just the right amount of columns for a day full of tasks, it’s just not the same with any other notebook. I write the day and date at the top, and add my to do list every morning. I think these notepads are around $1.50~$2.00AUD each.
Every time I tick something off the list I feel a rush of energy, it’s a truly positive ritual for me. I make sure I’ve ticked off at least most of the tasks by the end of the day, and anything left over gets added to a new page - the list for the next day.
As most self employed creatives know too well, “logging off for the day” can be a bit of a myth in this job! I’m trying to get to the point where I can have set hours and not work at night, but for now, putting the completed list in the recycling bin at the end of the day is my version of logging off. That sense of accomplishment is a lovely reward!
About Natalie Ex Design Studio
Hello, my name is Nat. I’m a qualified and experienced Illustrator and Graphic Designer in Melbourne. I have a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design and over 18 years of industry experience in illustration, graphic design and digital marketing.
The trademark Natalie Ex aesthetic is a playful and polished clean line style, inspired by my half Japanese upbringing.