Brittany here, writing to you on this fine Small Business Saturday to share the five online tools I literally could not run my business without. A huge chunk of my time isn’t spent at my jewelry bench creating new pieces. It’s spent being the sales director, photographer, shipper, social media manager, accountant, customer-service rep, and occasional model behind DearBritt Jewelry Designs. As a part-time solopreneur (and full-time mama who squeezes work in during nap time), I don’t have bandwidth for complicated systems. I need tools that just… work. The tools in this list save me time and keep everything from custom orders to taxes from falling out of my already full hands.
1. Todoist – My Second Brain
I used to have notes all over my studio, design ideas scribbled inside bead boxes, and a paper planner that was never where I needed it. Todoist changed everything. Every repair request, custom-order detail, and “post new earrings on Instagram” reminder now lives in one place.
What I love most:
- Recurring tasks (e.g., “Pay sales tax on the 20th” or “Email subscribers every Thursday”)
- Projects and labels so I can instantly see what’s Marketing, Jewelry Design, or Personal
- A calendar view that lets me schedule work around playdates and birthday parties
Without it, I’d forget half my life. With it, I can actually see how much I accomplish in a day, even when it doesn’t feel like enough.
2. Canva – Me + Canva = A Whole Design Team
I am only a wanna-be graphic designer, but my social posts, emails, gift certificates, and market booth signage need to look polished and on-brand. Canva makes that happen in minutes.
Current obsessions:
- Brand Kit (every single graphic automatically uses my exact colors and fonts)
- Magic Studio background remover (it has saved me from so many bad-lighting days)
- Tons of templates for everything from Instagram Stories to brochures
- Works perfectly on my phone when I only have five minutes
3. Shopify – My 24/7 Salesperson
I've used Shopify for Dearbritt.com since I opened in 2017, and I will never look back. It powers my website, syncs inventory with in-person sales, sends abandoned-cart emails, and even generates barcodes for every product. I could go on forever.
Favorite features:
- Built-in SEO tools (no coding required)
- Shopify POS—so my phone becomes a register at pop-ups
- Shopify Email—makes sending sales and updates to my Dearests (VIP list) a breeze
4. Wave Accounting – Bookkeeping That Doesn’t Make Me Cry
I learned QuickBooks first, and monthly reconciling made me want to toss my laptop out the window. Wave is simple, free for core features, and actually user-friendly.
It handles:
- Income & expenses
- Profit-and-loss reports I can understand
- Automatic transaction imports from my accounts
5. Bitwarden – The Password Hero I Didn’t Know I Needed
I have logins for Shopify, Canva, Wave, Etsy, Faire, bead suppliers, wholesalers, bank accounts… You name it. Before Bitwarden, I was reusing the same password with a “1” or “!” and crossed my fingers I’d remember which version was which. Now every password is unique, auto-filled, and stored securely. Bonus: The family plan makes sharing logins with my husband (or future employees) super easy.
Being a solo business owner means wearing multiple hats, but these five tools help keep them on my head. They’re affordable (most have free tiers I still use), intuitive, and they can grow with me. If you’re a fellow solopreneur or part of a small team, I highly recommend them!
What are your go-to online small business tools? I'd love to know in the comments — I’m always looking for the next thing that’ll give me 10 more minutes with my sweet family (or at my bench).
Links:
Happy Small Business Saturday!
Brittany
DearBritt Jewelry Designs
Handmade Everyday Heirlooms in Oklahoma