ShivarWeb

Better Websites. SEO. Marketing. Business.

Business, Marketing & Productivity Software Reviews

Evaluating different software options? Here's my reviews of various business, marketing and productivity software.

If you are exploring accounting software specifically, I created a quiz to generate the best accounting software for your business based on your goals & preferences. Take the accounting software quiz here.

MailChimp Email Marketing Review w/ Pros & Cons

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MailChimp has been one of the fastest growing email marketing providers* for years now. They’ve built an huge base of customers ranging from tiny personal accounts to some of the most prestigious enterprise brands in the world.

*in 2017, they added a ton of functionality, including postcards & remarketing. They’d argue that they are a marketing platform…but email is at their core IMO.

I’ve been using MailChimp exclusively for more than 9 years now. I’ve explored different providers and gotten exposure to alternatives via my clients, but have never found a reason to switch.

That said – they aren’t the best fit for everyone and have some disadvantages along with strong advantages. This MailChimp review will break down what I’ve found to be pros that I especially appreciate for myself and my clients along with the cons that MailChimp hasn’t improved on over the past 9 years.

Skip to the Conclusion & Next Steps

One side note – I live in Atlanta, GA. I work downtown and think of myself as an Atlantan. MailChimp is one of Atlanta’s best corporate citizens and one of our best technology companies. They’ve made our city “better, weirder, and more human.” I have a lot of hometown bias that I’ll try to set aside (but to fellow Atlantans – just go start using MailChimp – it’s pretty much your civic duty like buying Coca-Cola over Pepsi).

Let’s dive into this MailChimp review! [Read more…] about MailChimp Email Marketing Review w/ Pros & Cons

FreshBooks Review: 6 Pros & Cons of Using FreshBooks for Accounting

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I’ve been running a business for more than 9 years now. The last 8+ years, I’ve been using FreshBooks for invoicing and bookkeeping. It’s also one the companies on my Resources page that readers ask me most about. I thought I’d convert those emails into a full FreshBooks review for reference – because here’s the thing.

See FreshBooks’ Current Plans & Pricing

I’ve had 3 bosses at 3 different companies tell me variations of the same idiom. “If it feels tedious, you’re doing it wrong.” Or, “if you’re working hard, you are using the wrong tool.” Or, “if you’re working hard, you’re probably ignoring what’s important.”

Boring stuff like invoicing and bookkeeping aren’t technically part of marketing or improving your or your client’s website. But it does compete for your time and attention. It’s also an easy-time suck.

By 2012, I had been running a freelance marketing & web design business for several years. I was spending way too much time trying to keep costs down while also looking professional and legit. I was using PayPal’s free invoice feature and Google Sheets. It was quite a mess. So I started looking a resource for bookkeeping, invoicing, and a bit of accounting.

I started using FreshBooks. I’ve never used QuickBooks or compared QuickBooks vs. FreshBooks. It seemed feature overkill (and $$$) at the time. But I haven’t left FreshBooks even as business has grown and my career has changed.

BTW – I evaluated it by signing up for a free plan and clicking around. Check out FreshBooks’ free trial & plans here.

I don’t use FreshBooks for anything super-complicated. I use it to:

  • Create and send invoices to clients and advertising partners and track their accounts.
  • Track and manage expenses.
  • Basic accounting (aka looking at P&L sheets & Schedule C documentation).
  • Simplify communication with my accountant.

In fact, I still use FreshBooks Classic. The upgrade to the new version came at the wrong time for me (at tax time). So I rolled back and am still using the old version, despite seeing real advantages in the newest version of FreshBooks.

So here’s my FreshBooks review with pros & cons. It’s not for everyone, but it’s also not meant to be either. [Read more…] about FreshBooks Review: 6 Pros & Cons of Using FreshBooks for Accounting

99designs Review: Using 99designs For Blog Logo Design

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There are tons of free options for graphic design on the web. I love using everything from Hipster Logo Generator to Canva to Stencil to Pixlr. But when it comes to website or blog logo design – or really anything related to graphic design that makes your blog stand out – you’ll need expertise.

And professional graphic design expertise isn’t cheap. So how can you make your website or blog really stand out – give it that extra ‘pop’ that it needs – without turning hiring a professional graphic designer directly?

One option is crowd-sourced design. It’s a way to help make good graphic design accessible to all budgets, while giving freelance graphic designers a vibrant marketplace.

I’ve used 99designs for a couple of my website projects. I’ve had clients use their design contests feature as well.

See 99designs’ current plans, options & pricing.

Based on those experiences, here’s my 99designs review with how it works, along with pros and cons…

Disclosure – I receive referral fees from any companies mentioned. All data and opinion is based on my experience as a paying customer.

[Read more…] about 99designs Review: Using 99designs For Blog Logo Design

139 Business Quotes to Inspire and Execute On

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Entrepreneurship is a bit like running a marathon — you have to keep pushing forward to get to the finish line, even when you’re out of breath, cramping, and on the verge of walking off the path and saying, “Forget it, I quit.”

To help you keep running, I’ve compiled a list of 139 motivational business quotes you can use to inspire and execute on.

And if you want to take your motivation a step further and start getting your entrepreneurial tasks done, you can sign up for my newsletter, which curates and summarizes the best marketing articles every week so you can read less and learn more.

[Read more…] about 139 Business Quotes to Inspire and Execute On

How to Boost Your Productivity at Work

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Boosting productivity is a hot topic, especially for business owners and entrepreneurs who find themselves doing a ton of work.

The whole time is money adage is true, but here’s what your run-of-the-mill productivity article won’t tell you…

Productivity means nothing if you’re doing the wrong things.

This is where so many people go wrong. They focus on being efficient but don’t stop to think about being effective.

In order to boost your productivity, you’ve got to do both. But before we go into how let’s talk about what makes them different. [Read more…] about How to Boost Your Productivity at Work

RescueTime Review: Using RescueTime for Time Management

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RescueTime has been a part of my working life for more than 6 years, but I’ve never sat down to write a RescueTime review until just a few months ago.

A few months ago marked my first full year of self-employment. I took the time to re-evaluate all my tools and working processes to make sure I had a solid time balance among all my priorities.

After all – whether you are paid hourly or not, your time is your only non-renewable resource. If you are going to manage anything, it should be your time.

Since almost all my professional priorities are on a computer – time management software (ie, RescueTime) is a core part of that.

Check out RescueTime’s Plans here.

Here’s my RescueTime review with pros, cons, use cases and next steps based on my experience. [Read more…] about RescueTime Review: Using RescueTime for Time Management