Welcome back to the podcast. I’m really excited for today’s episode because we’ll be talking about the tools you need to start your podcast management business.
I’m not going to state the obvious like a computer or a business plan, but other tools that you may not really realize you will need if you haven’t run an online business before.
CRM Tool – I know you’ve heard me talk about Dubsado a lot but honestly, it is such a lifesaver for my business. I am sending contracts and other onboarding documents on a weekly basis and I know I save at least 10 hours a month (probably more) because I’m not sending anything manually and can just send everything to my new clients at the click of a button without worrying.
Project Management Tool – I live and die by my ClickUp tasks. I know that sounds a little extreme, but really. I even house any personal tasks in here so it’s really all encompassing for everything I need to do both personally and in business. Once you get a couple of clients under your belt, pen and paper just aren’t going to cut it anymore so I recommend setting yourself up on a project management tool before you even feel like you need to so that you can get organized from the get-go. Both ClickUp and Asana have free versions that work great when you’re a solopreneur so there’s no reason not to utilize them even in the beginning.
Communication hub with your clients and/or team members – I don’t know about you but I absolutely despise email so all of my communication with both my team and clients happens in Slack.
File Storage – You’ll need some place to host your files for your clients, your own business documents, etc. I recommend either Google Drive or Dropbox. I prefer Drive because it is free but Dropbox is great as well.
Business bank account – I am not an accountant by any means, but I think it’s really helpful to separate your business and personal expenses and transactions so it’s easier to keep track of everything. I recommend checking out Novo as it’s free online business banking and super easy to use.
Editing software – As a podcast manager you will probably need editing software unless you plan to outsource editing to someone else. I recommend either Descript or Audacity as they’re pretty simple to use and either free or not expensive.
Transcription software – At SPA, we provide transcriptions for all our clients so having a transcription software is essential. We have used both Otter and Descript and love both of them so I recommend checking out either one of these.
Bookkeeping software – Honestly, I know some people use Dubsado for this but I don’t think it’s robust enough for the long term so I recommend getting this in check sooner rather than later. I have used Freshbooks since 2016 and have really loved it but I know that Quickbooks is the industry standard so I think that’s a great choice as well.
PayPal or Stripe account – You’ll also need a PayPal business account and/or a Stripe account. These are free to set up but you’ll definitely need them so that you can accept payments from your customers.
Website or a landing page – Now I don’t think you need a full out website if you’re just getting started because that can be pretty costly but I do think a landing page with at least your offerings and a little about yourself is necessary. If you just send people straight to a Calendly or Acuity link, they are likely to be turned off by this.
Packages – I think it’s important to have at least 2-3 packages that potential clients can review before hopping on a call with you. Doing custom packages every time you sign a new client gets exhausting so I definitely recommend doing some sort of packages with your offerings to make it less of an admin nightmare on your end.
Okay, so those are all of the tools I think you need to start your podcast management business. I know there are others that fall under the ‘nice to have’ category but these are pretty much the bare minimum tools needed.
I want to know, what’s your favorite tool that you use in your business? Let me know over on Instagram @jenny.suneson or in the Profitable Podcast Manager Society FB group.
