January thread: what are your favourite business tools?

Tell me about your favourite notebooks, pens, website, software, everything!

As I unwrapped a fresh, new, empty business notebook the other day, I wondered, what are your favourite business tools?

I’m interested in anything you use in your business: notebooks, pens, software, websites, even playlists with sounds or music, candles to get you to sit down and work—you name it.

Here’s a list of mine:

• I fell in love with Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks a few years ago and now use them both for my business (B5-size, lined, soft cover) and as a journal (smaller size, also soft cover). I love their smell, I love the feel of the paper, and I love how they’re beautiful but not too pretty to write and doodle in.

• For years and years my favourite pens were uni-ball eye fine (in either black or blue). Then I discovered Muji’s gel pens and settled with those for a while. But now I’m largely back to uni-ball again, especially in my journal and business notebook. I always have a few pens of either kind in my bag, and really prefer not to write with anything else. 😅

• My study. Before moving into our current house, I worked either from an office, or from my dining room table. As I still lived alone, that was perfectly do-able. But as my partner and I were looking for a house, a friend of mine said, “Of course you need your own study!”. I hadn’t even thought of it yet—I think I’d figured that we wouldn’t be able to afford a house with three bedrooms.

  I’m so glad that we found a home that has that extra room for me. My study is probably my favourite room in the house: I have my desk, my comfy chair, my books, my plants and plenty of room to roll out my yoga mat. I tend to tidy away any work materials once I’m done, so it never feels like I’m “at work” when I’m in the room doing something else.

  A 10-second look at my study:

• Software + websites:

  • Unsplash+: I’ve used Unsplash images for a long time, and thought the recent introduction of Unsplash+ was pretty annoying. Until I realised that Unsplash+ allows photographers to make money with the photographs they put on the website. I made use of their introductory offer and am happy to pay €72 a year for it.

  • Canva: for graphics, workbook layouts, pins and pin scheduling—their app is notoriously clunky, but the website works a charm for me (affiliate link).

  • Notion: I used Evernote for years, but got frustrated by some of its limitations and sync-issues. Over the summer I got into Notion (I have a free version) and although it definitely has a bit of a learning curve, its emphasis of databases fits the way my brain works perfectly.

So, what about you? What are your favourite business tools, in the very broadest sense? Notebooks, pens, desk chairs, a room of your own, music, software, websites—tell me everything! I love to geek out about this kind of stuff. 🤓

Just as I’d scheduled this thread, Liz Mosley published a blog post on all the tech she currently uses in her business—if you are as curious about these kinds of behind-the-scenes takes as I am, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

And if you missed November’s thread, on the business advice you’re happiest you didn’t take, do check it out here.