PapaLoDown's Favorite Tools For Running A PR Agency
Using the right tools in your PR Agency is essential for business growth. Saving time is like giving yourself a raise. The more organized and efficient you are in running your business, the more time you can focus on what you’re good at while living a balanced work/life flow! Here are our favorite “Tools for the Hustle”.
Freshbooks - Proposals & Invoices & Bookkeeping
Need help with sending out proposals, invoicing, and accounting? Basically, all the admin tasks that usually aren’t fun to do. Freshbooks makes it easy to manage all administrative tasks within a user-friendly interface. Both the mobile app and the desktop version have been beneficial and easy to use. What’s most important, is that you can see all your business financials in one place. It indicates to you how much money you’re bringing in, how much expenses you have, and how much you’re paying yourself.
Under the Freshbooks subscription plan, I’ve also set up a ‘proposal template’, making it faster for me to follow up with a proposal after a meeting with a client. Sending invoices and receiving online payments has been easy to set up, update and maintain as needed. I feel financially in control of my business using the Freshbooks platform, and I see the results as my business steadily grows every year.
Freshbooks has recently partnered with Integra for bookkeeping, and I’ve found the services to be efficient and easy to communicate with them.
Whatever tools you decide to go with, having an accounting system set up and synched with your bank accounts, and monitoring expenses is a must if you want to grow and be more profitable.
Gusto - Payroll Services
When you’re ready to grow your business with employees (even if you’re the only one,) payroll services can be a pain to go through on your own. With Gusto, it’s super easy and makes me feel like I’m in control of my business. This all-in-one HR platform provides the tools you need to hire, pay and manage your team. They have great customer service, and useful articles to troubleshoot any questions you have about being tax compliant, setting up benefits, and so much more.
Acuity - Scheduling & Payments
This tool helps you master your calendar and block out time for all the things in life, both business and personal. The tool we use to make it easy to manage our calendar, and make it convenient for our clients, or prospective clients, to find a time to meet with us is Acuity.
It syncs to your calendar and also allows you to take payments for services (syncs with PayPal), and allows you to create forms for clients to submit answers when they book an appointment with you. You can also offer class passes, gift certificates, and several other admin tasks that make working with people as a service provider much more organized, streamlined, and professional.
Coveragebook - Campaign Reports
Coveragebook has saved me payroll dollars and time with a super easy to use and customized reporting tool. Although there are a few things I wish I could change, overall this tool is a non-negotiable expense for a PR agency like PapaLoDown.
Asana - Project Management
When you’re juggling multiple projects, deadlines, and delegating to a team, there will come a point where a simple spreadsheet isn’t enough. Asana is a project management tool that sets you up for success, as long as you actually use it.
You should also research other options out there, as these “Tools for the Hustle” are suggestions that are based on our own experience, and may not work for everyone.
Whatever tools you decide to use in your PR Agency, consistency is one of the key ingredients to making it all work.
What else can you do to streamline your business? Need feedback on your website? Want to map out your marketing calendar? Need feedback on a project from a publicity and marketing expert?