These are tools I actually use in my own design business! From planning to invoicing. I only share what I truly love, because if it doesn’t make my workday smoother, it’s not worth sharing 😉.
I’ve tested so many tools over 20 years of freelancing; these are the ones that stuck. Every tool here saves me time (or sanity) and I hope it helps you, too!

Take this quick quiz to see where you stand. Score yourself, learn why each area matters,
& discover how to level up your brand.

Project Broadcast allows you to automate your business text messaging. If you're already doing email marketing, Text Marketing just makes sense!!
Need to remind someone of an appointment? Schedule it! Want to start a text campaign to increase sales? Schedule it!
Need a landing page? Make it in Project Broadcast! (Don't worry, I can help you with that!) I offer PB setup & management.

PLANN is a must have for Social Media Management! Rearrange, manage, and automatically schedule TikTok, Instagram & Facebook content from your phone or computer. By far the best bang for your buck for a Social Media planner!
Don't want to manage your own Social? Don't worry! I can help create content for you! I offer monthly management or template creation.

HoneyBook is an amazing tool that I use every day! I use it to create contracts, send invoices, collect payments, track projects, manage all my clients, create automations and stay in control of my business - all in one place. It's the all-in-one platform for those of us who do it all.
I have tried so many CRM apps, and this has been my fav for the last few years. It really does almost everything!

Toggl Track is what I use to track all my billable time. It's super simple and easy to use. It can integrate with your calendar so you can turn events like meetings into billable time! Anything that saves me time, is helping me make money! They have a free plan so there's no risk in trying it out.

Motion App is a total game changer for organizing my day and managing client work. It automatically builds your daily schedule by prioritizing tasks and calendar events — which means less decision fatigue and more done-without-burning-out energy.
If you’re juggling a million things and never know what to do next, Motion can seriously help. Want to try it? Send me a message and I’ll email you a custom link for an extended 2-week free trial (no credit card needed).

Prairie Moon & co. started because I was noticing that a lot of my design clients wanted their logos on merch but didn't want to have to buy 100s at once. So, I started offering small orders of tumblers, keychains & etc., so they could proudly show off their branding without having to spend hundreds with big suppliers.
If you want to show off your branding & not sure where to start, then click the button below.
sign up for the elm small business newsletter to get notified when we have more to share!
Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I genuinely use & love.
Copyright © 2025 elm design solutions - All Rights Reserved.
20+ years of supporting Canadian Small Businesses