

I get asked all the time what programs I use in my small business. So, here is my top 5 for essential software I use to keep my business running smoothly.
1 – Canva
Who doesn’t love Canva!! It’s like having your own personal designing whiz on call 24/7. I make everything up in here, from magazines to birthday cards. And I’ve even used Canva for printing, they are fast and there’s no stuffing around with bleeds etc. This one gets number one spot because I love simplicity, and Canva ticks all the boxes. And it’s so worth paying for pro too.
2 – Studio Ninja
This is one you may not have heard of if you’re not a photographer. Studio Ninja is a CRM made for photographers, by photographers. It does everything for my client, and is super easy to use. This is definitely an all in one CRM. Once all the workflows are set up, you don’t have to do much as it sends auto emails, invoices, contracts and more. Easy! It can tell me in a second my MTD, YTD or just 7 days of sales. The dashboard tells me what I have coming up. It also integrates with my google calendar to ensure I never double book.
If you’re a photographer and keen to try it out, use this promo code: ATDU03FF986H63 and get 20% off your subscription.
3 – Pixieset
Again, this is another photographers only program. It’s primarily designed to help with sales sessions. Pixieset is a dedicated online photo gallery for each of your clients. They can download all purchased images right from their very own gallery. There is so much to it, it’s definitely a winner and so very well used here. One of my favourite things – you can create an app of your clients images, so they can keep them handy and on their phone.
4 – Square
Square allows me to have an eftpos system without being connected to the banks. I like this ease, and also not having a big clunky machine. I have a sleek tap device that sits neatly under my coffee table in my sales room. Every day, I am emailed a summary of the days sales which I love. I can easily keep a track of everything in my square dashboard.
5 – Quickbooks
Quickbooks does everything my accountant loves having me do! Very handy that it also integrates with Studio Ninja. It helps me organise my business expenses and my income. It is a great place to budget, as you can see all of your accounts and info in one place. Winning!
That’s my top 5 essential software programs I use to keep everything in the studio running smoothly.