5 of my Favorite Business Tools – Education for Photographers
Though I’ve been working in the photography industry since 2016, my background is in art education and teaching is something that comes really naturally to me! I truly believe in the power of community and camaraderie, and know that there’s more than enough room at the table for us all.
That was super hard for me to learn though! In my early 20’s, I was in an environment that was very much about scarcity and competition. I had to relearn who I was and what I valued, one of those values being connection. Now I know that there’s more than enough room for us all at the table. There’s abundance everywhere. I don’t have to fight for a seat at the table because it’s always expanding, and seeing someone else succeed is exciting, not threatening.
It’s an ongoing challenge to be a business owner, especially one who’s solo. Wearing all the hats and doing all the things can get overwhelming, so why wouldn’t I want to support other creative entrepreneurs going through the same thing? I’ve learned a lot since I started my business, and I’m always happy to share my experience, my knowledge, and my heart. I want us all to live our wildest dreams!
As you may already know, I’m now offering education and support for creative entrepreneurs! I get asked for advice and support all the time from other photographers and small business owners, and I’m more than happy to share what I can to help you as much as I can! If you’re ready for more 1-1 help, check out my education offers and fill out the contact form at the bottom of the page to get started! I can’t wait to hear from you!! Until then though, I want to share a few of my favorite tools that I use in my business. Some I’ve used since I started, some are newer additions – but all of them are incredible and I hope they can help you too!
Honeybook – 35% off your first year
I’ve been using Honeybook since I started my business in 2019. It was an investment, but has saved me so much time over the years. With Honeybook, it’s easy to send professional invoices and contracts and get paid! I’m always curating my client experience, and one thing that’s elevated it is Honeybook’s automation features. With my client load increasing, the automation I’ve set up helps me deliver the same high-quality experience to each client and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. One small thing I’ve automated is sending my boudoir prep guide two weeks before boudoir sessions. I used to do this manually and it took so much time and I always stressed about getting it out on time, but now I don’t even have to think about it. This is just one way that I make sure my clients are taken care of with Honeybook’s automation! You can use my code for 35% off your first year!
Flodesk – 50% off your first year
When I started my email list, I needed something to make it easy to design, write, and send emails. I started with MailChimp but it was hard for me to keep up with as a solo entrepreneur. It wasn’t something I could pass off to an employee or could afford to outsource to a professional, so something user friendly was at the top of my priority list.
Flodesk’s email creation is really intuitive and their templates are SO pretty!! It makes it really easy to send my bi-weekly newsletters and schedule marketing emails to go out right on time.
Flodesk also helped me set up my welcome series for new subscribers, so that I don’t have to do anything manually when someone joins the email list. Everything is taken care of automatically, and the templates are so nice to look at! I’m the biggest Flodesk fan! With my code, you can get 50% off your first year!
Squarespace
Squarespace has been my go-to for my website since the very beginning. When I started my business, I was looking for a service that looked professional and was easy to use as someone with zero web design experience and a zero dollar budget to hire a pro. Squarespace is super user friendly; I designed my whole site myself, and since that first design, have updated it myself when new features come out! Plus, it came with G-Suite and an email address which might be one of my favorite parts of the whole thing. From day one, my email has been hello@eleanorelainephoto.com which makes me look and feel professional. As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of anything that makes my life easier and better and Squarespace checks those boxes!
Pic-Time – one month free
Over the years, photographers have delivered photos in lots of ways. CD’s are out, and online galleries are in! I use Pic-Time to send galleries of images to clients safely and securely. For boudoir, I can lock down the galleries and make sure no one has access to them but me and my client. Plus, it’s easy to make them look pretty and professional, and comes with 10 gb of storage for free! It also has other features that I really love and use all the time! They also offer slideshows and blog creation, and a store where your clients can order products straight from their galleries. Using my code, you can get one month free when you upgrade to a paid plan, like the ‘professional’ plan I’m on.
Bonfire – earn an extra $1 per shirt
I launched a line of merch for my brand and quickly found Bonfire to be my go-to! I knew when I started this line that I didn’t want to have inventory and have to manage packaging and shipping. I just don’t have the time for that! Bonfire has made the process easy for me. You can upload your design to their website and choose what products to offer it on, and they take care of everything else from printing to shipping to customer service. With my code, you can earn an extra dollar for each shirt you sell!
BONUS: Found – get $20 when you spend $100
I switched to Found for my business banking in 2023 and I've been obsessed with it ever since. It keeps everything all in one place, tracks income and expenses, estimates quarterly taxes, and you can send invoices and get paid via Found as well! One thing I really love about it is being able to create savings “pockets” for myself so I can set aside a percentage of each incoming payment for things like studio rent or new camera gear. Use the code above to earn $20 when you spend $100 within your first 30 days of using Found! I’ll get $20 too!
