Working on skh.design

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you might know that I recently embarked on the exciting journey of starting my design studio.

As someone who has always been drawn to the creative arts, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to start my studio. However, I quickly learned that running a business requires much more than just artistic talent. To succeed, I had to learn how to juggle various responsibilities crucial to running a profitable and sustainable business.

One of the challenges I faced early on was managing a remote team. As a design studio, we often work with freelancers and contractors who are located all over the world. This can make it challenging to coordinate schedules and ensure everyone is on the same page.

To address this challenge, I had to find ways to build a cohesive and productive team, despite the geographical distance. This meant finding tools and strategies to help us communicate effectively, share files and information, and collaborate on projects in real-time.

One tool that has been particularly helpful in this regard is Taskade.

Tool #1: For Everyday Operations

As a small team, renting a studio would not be a practical or cost-effective solution. That’s why I’ve been searching for a tool that can help us stay connected and productive no matter where we are.

Not long ago, I stumbled upon this little-known tool called Taskade that changed how I work. It has been an invaluable resource in helping me keep track of projects, prioritize my workloads, delegate tasks effectively, and collaborate with others seamlessly.

It is an intuitive platform designed specifically for remote teams who need help managing their projects, tasks, and communication in one place. It streamlines collaboration with features such as visual timelines, project templates & checklists, note organization tools, Gantt charts, and more.

It offers a range of features to help teams like mine stay organized.

One feature I particularly love about Taskade is the ability to invite and add team members to workspaces. I can now create nested outlines, which allows me to break down complex projects into smaller, more manageable tasks for everyone working on the project.

Overall, Taskade has proved to be a predominant tool for me in running my studio. It has several features that make it a valuable asset to my workflow, and I highly recommend it to other creative professionals looking to boost their team productivity.

A Brand Identity Project on Taskade

The next challenge I faced was bookkeeping.

As a small business owner, I had to learn to keep track of my expenses, manage cash flow, and budget for the future. It was a lot to take on at first, but then I found Hello Bonsai.

Tool #2: For Managing Accounts and Taxes

I use Hello Bonsaito manage my business essentials, including documentation and expenses.

It took much of my time when I first had to keep track of these. Gradually, I got better at it, but this is something you can only do a little to optimize other than completely outsourcing it.

Outsourcing makes sense as you grow your revenue, but in the initial days, you must wear many hats to make your business sustainable.

One of the things I love about Hello Bonsai is that it’s specifically designed for freelancers. It’s the perfect accounting and expense management solution for people like me who are running their businesses. It allows me to easily track my income and expenses, create invoices and estimates, and manage my projects and clients. It has templates of project proposals, contracts (of all kinds), invoices, and more.

Plus, it integrates with popular payment processors, which makes it easy for me to get paid faster.

And at under $25 per month, it is an affordable tool that offers many services for the price.

HelloBonsai Dashboard

Saved this for last.

Lastly, I wanted a tool to help me organize my creative projects in a way that made sense. That’s where Milanote comes in handy. Itorganizes your ideas and projects into visual boards.

Tool #3: For Organization & Data Storage

Milanote is a fantastic tool for visual thinkers because it allows you to create all sorts of layouts, including storyboards, flowcharts, weekly schedules, and inspiration boards.

You can drag and drop different elements, such as notes, to-do lists, images, and links, into beautiful visual boards that help you see all the pieces of your project at a glance.

One of the things I love about Milanote is how easy it is to use. The interface is intuitive and user-friendly so that you can start immediately. It’s also great for collaborating with team members because it allows you to share your boards and work together in real-time.

I use it to organize my design files, gather inspiration and resources for a new project, leave comments and suggestions for my team, and track the progress of different tasks within a project.

Milanote’s file management system is top-notch, and the fact that it offers unlimited storage on its premium plans is a huge bonus for me. I never have to worry about running out of space or deleting old files to make room for new ones, which is a huge relief.

As a designer, I often work with very large files that can be challenging to manage. Milanote’s file management system makes it easy for me to upload and store these files, which saves me a lot of time and hassle.

It is a versatile tool that can be used for various purposes. It allows me to use it for everything from organizing inspiration and resources for a new project to mapping out the content for a campaign. Milanote has been a valuable addition to my toolkit as it helps me streamline my process and collaborate with my team.

Milanote Moodboard for a Branding Project

In the months since the inception of my studio, I have found myself relying on these tools to help keep my business running smoothly and efficiently. These tools have become integral to my daily routine, and I wanted to share them with you in the hope that they might also help you.

Whether you’re a designer, artist, or entrepreneur, I believe these tools will be just as valuable for you as they have been for me.

Thanks for reading, see you in the next one.