Hannah Allen Studio is 1! I hit the publish button on my website and officially launched my services on March 1st of last year. I was super excited, but also a little nervous. Since then, I’ve learned so much. I’ve seen things that work and (lots) of things that don’t. Here are the top three investments I’ve made in my business this year, and while I’ve made some changes to many of the things I invest in for business, these three things are sticking with me. 

This blog post contains affiliate links—which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I know and love, though!

Outsourcing with Love

Outsourcing with Love connects creatives with vetted support and is by FAR the best investment I’ve made in my business. They launched for the first time right as I was officially launching my own business, and I have had a steady stream of inquiries since. I’ve had to turn more inquiries down than I wanted to—and OWL is the only paid marketing or advertising I’ve done. Ever. If you’re looking for clients in the creative industry, I highly recommend becoming an Outsourcing with Love member! You can check out my profile here! (Note: Although I am an OWL member, I don’t get paid to promote them—just firmly believe that OWL is the number one best investment I’ve made on my business!)

Honeybook

You can do it all with spreadsheets and checklists, but eventually, automating your Client Relationship Management system is necessary. I’ve used both Honeybook and Dubsado, but prefer the interface and ease of use Honeybook provides. I love that I can see all my clients (and where they are in the process) at once, and I can easily send invoices, questionnaires, and other information. Honeybook saves me from having to type the same email over and over again—I can just add a few personal details and hit send! 

Social Squares

While I don’t use Social Squares every day, most of my website and blog images and Pinterest graphics come from Social Squares. They just recently started adding vertical images, too—which makes creating Pinterest graphics even easier! I don’t use a lot of SS images on my Instagram feed (most of those are photos I’ve taken), but anywhere else I need photos, SS is my go-to. It’s also super affordable and you get access to hundreds of images from several different photographers! (Note: this is an affiliate link now, but I wrote this post before I became an affiliate!)

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While there are other programs and memberships I’ve used over the past year, these three are by far the best investments I’ve made.

Tell me: what makes the list for your top 3 business investments? 

Don’t forget to pin this for later!