contact us!

As I think back four years to my young, entrepreneurial self there are lots of things I remember. Like trying to keep track of all my paper contracts while desperately trying to recall which ones I had scanned to my computer and which ones I hadn’t (#timewarp). Or at the end of the year going back through every single session and MapQuesting the distance for my milage report (#dumb). Or trying to keep track of all my expenses with a Word document (#notfun). As my business has built and grown THANK GOODNESS my systems have developed with them!!! So I thought I’d share three apps that have literally saved me HOURS of time!!!

1) MileIQ
MileIQ is incredible!!!! After creating a login on your desktop you can also download a free app to your phone! Every time you drive to meet a client, a photo session, or go on a business related trip MileIQ will log the miles driven. With a simple swipe of the finger you can categorize what the errand was…then the program does the rest! It calculates the cost per mile, the map for proof of where you were, the distance, date and time! At the end of every month I save a PDF version of the report totals! Then when I meet with my CPA my reports are categorized per month so adding up the cost is easy!!!

2) Expensify
In full disclosure I had been using an app called OneReceipt until late this year and recently switched over to Expensify! I love them both and they do virtually the same thing! Any time I make a purchase from my business account I open the app and take a picture of my receipt. From there I categorize what the purchase was for (merchant, total, comment, date, reason for purchase). The program saves all this information as well as a copy of the receipt then at the end of each month I save a PDF version of all my purchases. Not only is this incredible when tax time rolls around, but it’s peace of mind for me in case I am ever audited showing that I can prove all of my business purchases! 

3) 17Hats
This has been by far my favorite program I’ve incorporated into my business!!!! Hold onto your britches, here’s what all it offers! Everything from electronic contracts, to customized questionnaires for clients, to bookkeeping linked to your bank account! It stores all my client information and projects as well as offers invoicing that goes through PayPal making client payments easy! There’s workflows you can personalize and get this—it’s a desktop site as well as an app you can keep on your phone! 

If you are a small business owner….take my advice! Look into these apps! I wish I could go back and use these from the start of my business! They have saved me SO much time and so many headaches giving me more time to do the things I love! There might be a small learning curve but I’ll tell you with every ounce of fiber in my being–it’s worth it!!!! And friends, there’s no better time like the present to begin……