5 Apps All Work-From-Home Moms Need
There is a simple reason why I named this The Gutsy Mama Project and that is because it takes fortitude to be a mompreprenuer. Functionally, you are the CEO of multiple organizations. You are the caretaker and organizer for your family, but you are also the person solely responsible for your business. The tricky part of this is that CEO is not the only role you have in your business. On top of that, you are also the bookkeeper, the sales team, and every other role all the way down to custodial services. Your job description includes anything and everything your business needs to survive, grow, and thrive. While fortitude is key to juggling all these responsibilities, so is organization. Keeping you and your business organized and efficient is the only way you succeed in all of your roles. Here are five programs that help me do just that …
Smart Moms Work Smarter
Work-from-home moms have always had tremendous responsibilities that they need to toggle between. However, over the past two years we have seen these responsibilities and burdens multiply while we have had to help our families and businesses navigate a global pandemic. The pandemic has been stressful for everyone, but countless data points paint a picture that the pandemic has exacted a unique toll on mothers. The pandemic has thrown school, childcare, and work in flux, and in many cases, it’s up to mothers to make schedules work and ends meet. Meeting these demands is far from easy, but that is what The Gutsy Mama Project is all about. It is about finding that inner strength to meet the moment and do what is necessary to overcome all challenges. We do this for our families. We do this for our businesses.
The truth is that fortitude only gets you so far. Every single one of us needs to help. The biggest help for me in balancing my multiple CEO roles has been embracing technology. There are a lot of incredible programs/apps on the market that can help work-from-home moms be more efficient and effective. The sheer number of apps available poses a problem all on its own. Which apps/programs should you use? Which ones are best for your business? To help clear up the confusion I want to share with you the five programs I use that are essential to keeping my life and my business on track.
Dubsado
I recommend Dubsado to anyone who is running their own small business, but especially work-from-home moms. Dubsado is a versatile program that allows you to manage invoicing, proposals, collecting electronic signatures, and much more. One of my favorite sayings is that if it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense. Dubsado helps you make dollars. I use it for all of my client proposals. And with a few clicks, a client can choose the service package they want, sign the contract and pay the deposit. You can also use Dubsado to communicate with your clients or potential clients through email or SMS.
Honestly, Dubsado is essential to what I do, which is why I include special lessons on maximizing this program for all members of The Gutsy Mama Project. When you become a member, you not only get the lowdown on Dubsado, but you also get access to my perfect proposal template and my attorney vetted contract templates.
ClickUp
As a work-from-home mom with multiple businesses, I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a central hub that helps you organize all of your projects. For me, that is why I use ClickUp. ClickUp is the perfect project management tool that allows me to keep track of tasks, due dates, documents, and anything else I need to make sure the job gets done. This program does a great job of keeping me on task, but it also keeps my clients and vendors on task. I am able to share projects with them so that I can stay on top of any deliverables that I need from them to do the job I promised to do.
AND…It can help keep you organized in your personal life too. Use it to organize recipes or and all sorts or keep track of your homeschool curriculum.
Amalie Shaffer, our very own Systems Expert at The Gutsy Mama Project, is a big believer in ClickUp. That is why all our members get access to weekly coaching from Amalie on how to integrate ClickUp into your business, along with other great programs. Oftentimes, projects are only as successful as the systems in place to help keep them moving. Thankfully, ClickUp is one of the best programs available for doing just that.
Grammarly
Communication is key to any relationship, whether that is between spouses, between you and your vendors, or between you and your clients. Unfortunately, a lot of us have communication hesitancy when it comes to having to type anything, such as emails, newsletters, or even text messages. For most of us, we fear putting anything into writing because we are not confident in our own grammar or spelling. We know that clear communication is important and we don’t want it tainted by typos or errant commas. Grammarly is the solution. It is an easy to install plugin that helps you correct your grammar, spelling, and word efficiency. It works with the full google suite of products, Microsoft office, most major socials, and many other key apps, such as Slack, Discord, or even Salesforce. Grammarly allows you to communicate to everyone and not worry about embarrassing grammar or spelling mistakes.
LastPass
If we are being honest, a home-based business means an internet-based business. This means that it is important to protect your online information while having easy access to your payments, passwords, and IDs. For all of this, LastPass has literally been a lifesaver. It keeps your data secure while making it easy for you to do whatever you need across a wide variety of apps, programs, and websites. LastPass is a next-generation password manager that creates unique and nearly unbreakable passwords for every site but gives you one password for them all. It also securely saves all of your billing and payment info to make online checkouts a breeze. On top of that, LastPass provides dark web monitoring so that you know right away if you have been the victim of a data breach. It is great for efficiency, but also security.
Another awesome feature is that you can grant access to your accounts without giving them your actual passwords. This is a lifesaver when you’re like me and have virtual assistants and bookkeepers who need to see your stuff, but don’t need to have access to your entire life.
Loom
Not all clients or vendors will be as tech-savvy as the Gutsy Mamas we have in our group. This means we have to sometimes take the reins and walk others through various processes online. Loom is a powerful tool that allows you to record your screen and webcam in order to make simple videos for clients and vendors. Loom can record instructional videos, presentations, or other educational videos that will give your clients the ability to see everything you’re doing on your computer. Don’t just tell your clients they need to select an option from a dropdown menu, show them using Loom.
Even better, Loom lets you know when someone watches a video you have made for them. This makes sure that nobody can get away with paying you lip service and not following through with the task you need from them. Loom lets you span distances to teach someone how to do something online without ever leaving your home. Even better, Loom allows you to do it asynchronously so that you don’t have to coordinate schedules for a Zoom.
Final Thoughts
Nobody needs to remind us Gutsy Mamas out there that there is a lot riding on our shoulders. We know the burdens we bear more than anyone. While it is easy to remember our responsibilities, it is just as easy to forget that we are not alone, and that help is available. Help comes in lots of forms; sometimes it is the calm guidance from a mentor, but sometimes it is also an efficiency boost from a new program or app. Take it from this mom boss, the five programs I recommended to you today are worth every penny. If you want to learn more about how to get the most out of these apps and other ways to boost your business, become a Gutsy Mama today.
