3 Small Spends for My Small Biz
Money is Complicated
Knowing where your money goes, and making intentional choices about it, is personal. As much as we might want to put every dollar toward small businesses, ethical brands, and indie creators (we should be trying to achieve this when and where we can!), the reality is that some billionaire or tech bro is probably lurking in the transaction chain somewhere, ready to profit off our hard-earned doll-hairs. It’s a deeply frustrating truth.
Despite it being really freaking hard to own and operate one, I still believe that small businesses are the backbone of America.
I do try to be mindful of where my small business dollars go, yet I can’t always avoid the digital oligarchy. So while I’m here sharing three small spends that have made my solopreneur life smoother and more efficient, I think I’m also here with the reminder that multiple things can be true at once.
I can be a thoughtful and intentional consumer/business owner while at the same time, some of my expenses/investments for how I run my small biz go directly to large companies that are the epitome of capitalism at its finest.
As Len Necefer so rightfully points out, we “grapple with the intricate dependencies that bind small businesses to the very corporate giants they seek to resist.”
Small Spend Tools
Inspired by my friend Jamie Cox over at Brand Burnout who’s been sharing some excellent tool stack recommendations on her newly minted beehiiv, I’ve got my three small spends that, despite the voting with my dollars mentality, are things that have made my day-to-day operations and communication less chaotic.
Google Drive Storage for Files ($19.99/year) – Despite my color-coded, folders inside folders process of organizing files, the Google Drive has a tendency to become an abyss. It’s like my digital junk drawer and most of the time the search function is useless. But for a few bucks a month, I get peace of mind knowing that everything is there somewhere.
Loom Video Recording ($96.00/year) – I use this constantly. Screenshares, process walkthroughs, quick client updates, or just sending a friendly “Hey, here’s what I was thinking” without the hassle of scheduling a call. Camera-only messages are an underrated gem for making communication feel more personal, especially in a world of endless Slack threads and email chains.
iCloud Storage for Photos ($9.99/month) – If you’re a content creator, you already know the “storage full” notification struggle. I’m sure there are more sophisticated photo storage solutions at this point but for my purposes, both professionally and personally, iCloud does the trick.
The Nuances of Spending (and Not)
While I do believe that small shifts in where and how we spend money can add up and I don’t overanalyze every purchase, it’s worth remembering that individual actions alone won’t dismantle broken systems.
I took part in the economic blackout on February 28th. I think things like this have the potential to hold power. It’s gotten me (white, cis, hetero, college-educated, upper-middle class) to be mindful of frivolous spending, consider all the facets that make our economy turn, and acknowledge the position I hold in all of it. AND I don’t think it’s the end all be all for true resistance.
Again, Dr. Len articulates a critique so much better than me and the whole article is worth reading:
“Like many similar efforts in the past, it lacks the clarity, strategy, and widespread appeal necessary to create real economic or political consequences that will have a meaningful impact on these targeted corporations.”
While we can’t opt out of capitalism completely (this is the world we live in! also we like nice things!), we can try to be more intentional. Whether that’s shifting a small percentage of business spending or educating ourselves on what spending/withholding strategies actually make sense for today’s political climate, every small action has the potential to stack up. I’m trying to do more of that to see the results and measure my impact while Google and Apple automatically charge my credit card every month.
Questions for you
Are you thinking about where your money goes and if/how that makes an impact? What small business expenses are actually worth it for you? What tools or subscriptions have enhanced your workflow or life? Let’s swap notes!
Keep being awesome and keep being you, because you’re so on brand. <3
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