At What’s On 4 Kid’s we utilise a wide range of tools (both free and paid) to ensure our business and systems not only run smoothly but to enhance productivity and deliver the best customer experience we can. You might also find them useful so we are sharing them with you in this blog. Some contain affiliate links and we will receive a small kickback if you choose to purchase through our link. It does not impact on the price you pay and in some cases, it will offer you a discount. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to add them in the comments below.
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
What We Use:
Trello is a great visual tool to help keep you organised and other team members across everything that is happening in the business. You choose which ones others have access to, so you can have a combination of personal ones for you and then others for VA’s, admin, coaches/teachers/entertainers etc. My favourite part of the click and drag function, where you can set up a system or bookings in your business, break it into tasks and then click and drag into the finished section when completed. So everyone can see where a system is up to ie party/class enquiry, confirmed, payment made attended/completed, follow up ask for review etc.
Active Collab is intuitive to use and better for our more complex and larger management tasks in the business. This is where we manage our key accounts who have a long term marketing plan with us. It is useful to collaborate with your team and other businesses you might work with such as a graphic designer or social media manager. I really like the ability to set email reminders which keeps us on track through the year when campaigns are coming up.
EMAIL MARKETING
What We Use:
Constant Contact has been our trusted email platform for 10 years! It is based in the US so the price fluctuates with the Australian dollar but I have found it to be the best value for our email list and we have a big one of nearly 50,000 subscribers. I love that it is super easy to use and once you have your templates set up or customise the ones they give you, sending newsletters is a breeze. Sign up via this link and get 40% off any Constant Contact plan for 6 months! Sign up for a trial first and use promo code HOLIDAY40 at checkout to get the extra discount! The offer expires on Dec. 4, 2020.
Other Good Alternatives:
mailchimp is another popular option. It’s not one that I have used but know others have and been happy with it.
Active Campaign is another popular alternative. It offers more automation and complex functions than Mailchimp. Again, it’s not one I have used personally.
FILE STORAGE & SHARING
What We Use:
Good Alternative:
I would be lost without Google Drive. It is home to many folders and I can divide up different parts of the business such as manuals, images, the awards content, blog posts etc. It includes word documents, excel spreadsheets, pdfs and forms. When used in conjunction with Gmail, it allows simple and easy to use integration saving time and increasing productivity. Just a tip, folders are your friend so ensure you have them set up from the start, otherwise it can get overwhelming with all the documents.
Dropbox is another easy to use storage system for images and files.
COMMUNICATIONS
What We Use:
Zoom is a well-known and trusted live video sharing platform. It’s free if it’s just you and one other person using it and then there is a small fee for a monthly subscription to have more people present. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been popular for live streaming classes and parties.
MANAGING FINANCES
What We Use:
Xero is one of the easiest online accounting systems on offer. I suggest having your accountant or a Xero specialist help set up your account and give you some training on how to utilise it best for your business and then away you go!
ONLINE PAYMENTS
What We Use:
Paypal is a monthly subscription that keeps all your financial information securely encrypted and protected. We use to accept payments on the website, sell tickets, and pay reoccurring payments to other subscriptions.
INTEGRATION
What We Use:
Zapier works like magic and provides automation between your website and apps, saving you so much time and increasing your productivity. We use it to connect many of these digital tools here mentioned.
WEBSITES
What We Use:
WordPress helps you create a professionally designed website and allows you to integrate with other apps and plugins to bring your business to life. We chose to have a professional web developer build our website but many people create their own. You just need the skill, time and patience.
STOCK IMAGES
What We Use:
Deposit Photos is my ‘go-to’ place for royalty-free stock photos, vector images and images. They offer a great range and if you sign up to their emails they often post great deals that are well worth taking advantage of.
DESIGN
What We Use:
Canva enables you to create content quickly and easily, even if you have little to no graphic design skills. Canva’s free version is adequate for most businesses but their paid version gives you access to a huge library of photos and extra features.
Elise is the founder & consultant for award winning brands What’s On 4 Kids AU & What’s On 4 Travel and a mum of three busy kids who love sport, art & music. She’s also a paediatric Occupational Therapist, coffee lover and an eternal & unapologetic optimist.
