“Sarah, I think it’s time you got an assistant.” That’s what my friend said to me a couple months ago after I told her just how much was on my to-do list.

As a solopreneur, I am the definition of a juggler. (Can you relate?) From managing my social media accounts to sending out client invoices and creating proposals, I can pretty much guarantee there’s an admin task that needs doing, an email that needs sending, or a post that needs publishing.

“Outsource!”, they said. “It’ll change your life!”, they said.

I tried it once, and it didn’t work. Not because my assistant wasn’t amazing, talented, smart, organized, or anything else—she totally was! But because I actually didn’t have that many tasks to give her, as most of the stuff I have to do requires my specific knowledge and expertise.

Enter: templates. In this blog post, I’ll share with you how templates have transformed the way I run my business and how they can benefit yours too.

Let’s dive into the world of templates for business.

Newsletter Templates

Email marketing always sounds like a total headache for any busy business owner. I mean, who has the time to craft a newsletter every week, amiright?

Here’s the thing: when I started sending out weekly newsletters, my income doubled. So…. I’ll be the first one to say that email marketing it totally worth it.

To make it less daunting though, consider using a newsletter template. For my weekly newsletters, I use a simple format that includes an intro, a blog post, links to other resources, and an outro. I created an on-brand template for myself on Flodesk, and every week, I duplicate it each time I need to send out a new email. This allows me to focus on writing valuable content for my subscribers instead of stressing over design and formatting. (PS, subscribe here—it’s fun! I promise!)

If you’re looking to streamline your email marketing and save time, email templates for business are definitely worth considering. (And if you don’t want to do it yourself, I actually offer a Flodesk VIP day where I can design all your email templates for you. Big slay! Reach out to learn more.)

Email Templates

I’ve been in business for 3 years now. While all my client projects have taken on completely unique forms, the onboarding process has stayed fairly consistent. It goes a little something like this: Inquiry > consultation > proposal > accept the proposal > project portal > kickoff call.

So when I found myself constantly re-writing the same onboarding emails to each new client, I realized I was wasting my valuable time. Enter: email templates for regular ole’ Gmail. By creating a few different email templates that I could use as a base when corresponding with clients, I was able to streamline my process AND make sure I’m not leaving out any important information each time. Now, when a new client comes on board, I simply customize the email template to fit their specific needs and send it off. (Here’s a great article on how you can enable email templates in your Gmail account.)

Templates for business don’t just apply to marketing emails; they can also make a huge difference in everyday communication through your regular ole’ email app. Highly recommend giving them a try!

A Note on Email Templates

For the longest time, I was nervous to use templates like these because the last thing I wanted was for my business to lose its personal touch. (I am a personal brand, after all, and part of the reason people hire me is for me!) If you’re reading this right now and you’re like “that could never work for me”, I totally feel you. But just because you’re using a template doesn’t mean it can’t be personalized. It just means that the things you *always* have to communicate will get communicated, in addition to the more customized parts. Give it a try, it’s great!

Proposal Templates

One thing that used to take up a lot of my time (and that I used to absolutely DREAD) was sending out proposals to potential clients. But with the help of Dubsado, I’ve been able to create proposal templates that make the whole process a lot more efficient.

Not only does it let you connect the proposal, contract, and invoice all in one place, but clients can sign everything and pay online. It’s honestly a game changer.

Plus, using the Dubsado proposal templates from Search and Grow, I can create beautiful proposal templates for each type of package I offer, making customizing and sending off a proposal a breeze. Templates for business don’t just save time, they also make a professional impression on clients. (Seriously, everyone’s always like “holy sh*t, this is the most gorgeous proposal I’ve ever seen.)

I highly recommend giving Dubsado (and Search and Grow!) a try if you’re looking to streamline your proposal process. Also, here’s more about what I include in my proposal! And if you’re looking for someone to create your project proposal templates for you, I’ve got a VIP day for that. Reach out to learn more.

Instagram Templates

I used to struggle with coming up with fresh content ideas for Instagram, which led to me ghosting my feed more times than I care to admit. I mean, I’d literally sit there and create new graphics for every single post. Why was I doing that!? Why!?

No wonder I was feeling overwhelmed by it.

Until I discovered the power of an Instagram graphic template. I started off by listing out all the different kinds of content I’d want to share—client work, testimonials, tips & tricks, etc etc etc. Then, I created a batch of templates I could use for each of these scenarios so that I don’t have to start from scratch every singular time.

If you’re not a designer, have no fear! There are tons of places to purchase Instagram templates all over the internet. (Creative Market is my go-to, but Etsy also has some good ones as well.)

Client Portal Templates

If you’re a business owner that works on drawn-out projects with clients, you know how much back-and-forth can be involved. That’s why setting up a client portal can level up your process tenfold.

In my web design business, I need a TON of content from my clients, and I also need a way to share drafts and get feedback. That’s where a client portal comes in handy. I personally use Notion and I found a great template from M. Bird that I customized to fit my own process.

Now, when I onboard a client, I can simply duplicate the template and our project begins! Templates for business don’t just save time – they can also streamline your workflow and make working with clients much more efficient. (Plus, clients love it—they’re like wow, this is so fancy and organized! Which… it is.)

Client Presentation Templates

Let’s talk about client presentation templates! Depending on your biz, you might find it helpful to have a few.

Whether you’re a writer who works in a Google Doc or a designer who wants to show off their moodboard ideas in a fancy way, client presentation templates work wonders. It makes it easy to package up your ideas in a way that’s super profesh for your client.

For my own biz, I created my own on-brand templates, but there are lots of great options on sites like Creative Market and Etsy that you can customize to fit your brand (or your client’s, depending on what you do!)

Website Templates

Last but not least, let’s talk about website templates.

I haven’t personally used them for my own business because, well, I’m a web designer, but I’ve created and customized them for clients and let me tell you, they’re the best. (PS, check out the shop AND my template customization services!) There are some seriously stunning website templates out there, and you can have your site up and running in no time.

(Like seriously, less than a day.)

If you’re just starting out or don’t have a lot of cash to throw around on design, I highly recommend giving website templates a try. Check out some of the options on the market, you won’t regret it!

Templates for Business are a Literal Lifeboat. Use Them!

Using templates for your business can save you a tonnnnn of time and energy. As a busy solopreneur myself, I’ve found that having templates for everything from emails to social media graphics has allowed me to focus on what I do best – serving my clients and growing my business. So, if you haven’t tried using templates yet, give it a shot! You miiiiiight be surprised at how much easier it makes your life.

Happy customizing 😉