JUSTINE LAMER

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5 APPS YOU NEED TO RUN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

5 APPS YOU NEED TO RUN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

You stopped here because you want to learn more about the 5 apps you need to run your small business.

So, running a business as an entrepreneur can be stressful. You get overwhelmed easily with all the things you need to do.

The best way to run a business is to stay organized.

But as a new entrepreneur, you would love to use apps where you don’t have to spend the extra money you don’t have (YET)

Alright, let’s get right into the 5 apps you need to run your small business.

5 APPS YOU NEED TO RUN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

1- TRELLO

Ok, let’s talk organization RIGHT AWAY!

When running a business, you need to have some kind of calendar, lists, goals, and more at the same PLACE.

Switching from an app to another can be tiring, and this is why you often forget to do something.

So, what is Trello?

Trello is an online organization tool that helps you manage projects, lists, and your overall business using a “workflow”.

Basically, Trello will let you create boards, for example, a digital marketing board for your business.

On this board, you can create lists like Social media.

And, in those lists, you can add cards like Instagram.

Each card can be edited with attachments, due date, checklist, and more.

The best thing about Trello is the power-up you can add like google calendar and some butler options.

Oh also, Trello is free!!

5 APPS YOU NEED TO RUN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

2- CANVA

Now, let’s talk graphic design.

You cannot run your business without branding and graphic design.

The visual part of your business is very important for your brand awareness.

So, what is Canva?

Canva is a graphic design tool so simple that everyone can use it.

This tool makes graphic design accessible for anyone who wants to create any kind of content.

So, Canva can be used to create social media posts, banners, invoices, business cards, online presentations like webinars AND SO MUCH MORE.

Also, YES you can use Canva for free!!

5 APPS YOU NEED TO RUN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

SHOP MY DIGITAL STICKERS

Digital Sticker Shop

3- PAYPAL

Is this third point obvious? I have been using PayPal for my business for as long as I remember.

I have a couple of clients that still love to pay me by check, otherwise, I use PayPal to send money requests to my clients.

PayPal is a great tool to send invoices, money requests, keep track of your pending payment and taxes!

I totally recommend opening a Business PayPal account.

5 APPS YOU NEED TO RUN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

4- HOURS TRACKER

So, if you are working hourly as a freelancer, you need to download this app to run your business.

This app called HoursTracker is pretty complete and will help you make sure you get paid for how long you worked on a project.

So, the app lets you enter the name of the client you are working for, then you can add your rate per hour and around time!

Whenever you start working, clock in! When you take a break “start break” or “end break”.

And then, when you are done with your day, simply clock out.

The app will calculate exactly how much you made that day and will even tell you your estimated tax rate.

5- One drive or iCloud

So, whatever one you decide to go with. YOU NEED STORAGE.

But you need storage ONLINE.

Why? Because as an entrepreneur you will need to have access to your files EVERYWHERE YOU GO.

I personally use both of them.

My iCloud can storage 200GB and my One Drive about 1T

That is plenty of space for my small business.

Thank you so much for reading about the 5 apps you need to run your small business.

Before you leave, you might be interested in reading about how to brainstorm your personal brand or how to bring your online business idea to life.

 

See you again soon,

Justine Lamer

BEST IPAD ACCESSORIES FROM AMAZON

best iPad accessories from amazon

You stopped here because you want to know what are the best iPad accessories from Amazon.

Well, You came to the right place, so thank you for reading this blog post! (No, seriously, Thanks)

So, if you want the BEST ACCESSORIES for your iPad and if you love to shop from Amazon, this article is FOR YOU!

Let’s dive IN.

1- IPAD CASES

The Simple Cheap Case:

So, the first thing you want to do, (especially when brand new) is to protect your iPad.

To do so, you will need an iPad case! And guys, I don’t know about you, but I love cheap and simple!

So, here is the iPad Case, I am currently using on my Ipad Pro 2020

Price: $11.99 – SHOP THIS IPAD CASE NOW!

The Case With Magnetic Keyboard:

So, you are probably wondering: “why would I need that?”

Well, the answer is quite simple, you need it when:

  • You own an iPad Pro.
  • You want to replace your computer.
  • You are traveling.
  • You are a Copywriter or a content creator.
  • You decided to go work at a Coffee Shop.

Therefore, this iPad case is extremely practical. 

I always use this case when I have to bring my iPad outside of the house.

It has a keyboard, so I don’t have to bring my computer! 

But, It is also very thick and protects my iPad.

So, it won it’s place in my list of best iPad accessories from Amazon.

2- APPLE PENCIL CASE

The Silicone Cute Cat Ears:

I mean, do I really need to talk about this? (Yes, this is one the best iPad accessories from Amazon).

So, basically, it’s cute and protects my Apple Pencil. (Because that thing is expensive), and we know how often we drop pencils!!

The Simple But Efficace:

If you don’t like the “CAT’ vibe, you can always get a really simple one.

I am in the process of buying this one for myself, only because I’d like to switch sometimes.

Best iPad Accessories from Amazon

SHOP MY DIGITAL STICKERS

Digital Sticker Shop

3- BEST BLUETOOTH IPAD ACCESSORIES

Did you know you could connect a mouse, a keyboard, and a trackpad to your iPad?

That is life-changing!

So, if you are like me and use your iPad every day, having those accessories will help you work 3 times faster.

I am OBSESSED with the Jelly Comb Keyboard. 

First, the Mint color is absolutely beautiful.

Second, I have been using it for both my computer and my iPad. YES, you can connect multiple devices to this keyboard!!

And third, the keyboard is so comfortable (typing).

Price Mouse: $13.68 – SHOP THE BLUETOOTH MOUSE

Price Keyboard: $41.99 – SHOP THE JELLY COMB BLUETOOTH KEYBOARD

4- EXTRA BUT NECESSARY IPAD ACCESSORIES FROM AMAZON

iPad Stand:

Nothing better than having your iPad right in front of your face! 

Especially when having a Zoom Meeting or watching an important video.

So, This iPad stand is super cheap, comfortable, holds my iPad really well, and is adjustable.

Best iPad Accessories from Amazon

Price: $14.68 – SHOP MY IPAD STAND

Travel Bag:

So, if you are going to leave your house often and want to bring your electronics with you, please, buy yourself a travel bag!

In this one, I can fit:

  • IPAD PRO
  • MacBook
  • AIRPODS
  • NOTEBOOK
  • USB ADAPTER
  • HARD DRIVE
Best iPad Accessories from Amazon

Price: $16.99 – SHOP THE TRAVEL BAG

USB Adapter:

So, let’s talk about the adapter.

Did you know that the new iPad Pro lets you add an adapter like your laptop to read USB, card SD, and more?

You will need to get that!!!

Price: $23.99 – SHOP THE BEST ADAPTER

Glove For Drawing:

If you bought an iPad to be able to use Procreate, (yes this is exactly why I bought my new iPad), you will need this glove to draw!!!

So, thanks to this glove, you can draw on your canvas without damaging your artwork.

Because, if you are anything like me, you will have no idea how to draw or write without touching the screen.

Therefore, This is THE best iPad accessories from Amazon, (and cheap)

Price: $8.99 – SHOP THE GLOVE FOR DRAWING

5- BONUS: BEST IPAD ACCESSORY NOT FROM AMAZON

Screen Protector:

And now, the last but not least, screen protector.

That’s a BONUS accessory, only because you won’t be able to find this one on Amazon.

Paperlike is a screen protector that makes your iPad screen feels like paper (when you draw and write with your Apple Pencil)

I leave you the pleasure to discover this amazing screen protector by going directly to their website.

So, know that this screen protector sounds “pricey” but it comes with 2 screens, and those are high quality!

Best iPad Accessories from Amazon

WHY I PRIORITIZE PINTEREST OVER INSTAGRAM?

Why I prioritize Pinterest over Instagram

If you stopped here, it’s because you want to know why I prioritize Pinterest over Instagram?

Of course, it doesn’t mean I totally gave up Instagram (still obsessed, still posting). It simply means I prioritize my time and energy on creating content for Pinterest.

So today, I am sharing 5 reasons why I prioritize Pinterest over Instagram.

1- MORE IMPRESSIONS AND WEBSITE TRAFFIC

With less work!

Because let’s be honest, getting impressions/views AKA “reach” on Instagram is hard!

You’ve to produce so much more work to know what’s working and what is not.

Of course, you have to work a little for both platforms with the caption, images, and hashtags.

But, I have seen a big difference between Pinterest and Instagram.

If I make my Pinterest Pin right (meaning good SEO, hashtag, title, and description), I am 80% sure that my pin will blow up, get traffic to my website, and get me, new followers.

However, I can spend 2 hours creating the coolest pic for Instagram, researching for new hashtags, and write an engaging caption.

And still, I am not sure that the post will get impressions (reach).

It is a lot of time wasted for a “maybe”.

So, if I have really important information to share about a blog post or a YouTube video. I would always spend more time doing it on Pinterest.

2- FASTEST GROWTH (Link Clicks + Followers)

So, when I really started to care about my content on Instagram, I started to grow.

However, I had to spend SO MUCH TIME on the platform to be able to get to 3600 followers. 

And, that’s not a lot! Because I started to invest myself on Pinterest!

I’ve seen huge growth on Pinterest, really fast!

So, after 5 months of really taking care of my Pinterest Profile and Pin Design, I have seen a growth from 60k monthly viewers to 2.1 MILLION!

The same happened with followers. I started with 5 followers to 3100, now!

It took me more than a year to get 3600 on Instagram! I know you can grow faster on this platform but that’s a lot of work!

 

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3- PEOPLE ARE MORE INTERESTED

What I mean by this is that people care about the content you publish on Pinterest.

Look at yourself, you probably end up reading my blog post because you cared about the information I was about to provide!

However, how many people on Instagram read the caption under your photos? One out of 35? 

Browsing on Pinterest is easy and you can get information on the topic you are looking for.

4- EASIER TO CREATE AND SHARE CONTENT

So, I don’t know about you but for me, creating Instagram posts takes me hours. 

As said earlier, you have to research hashtags, write an engaging caption, and edit your picture. You need to create something people are going to like “visually”. You want them to stop on your post and ENGAGE!

So, you need to spend time!

Pin creation is a bit different, you can design an amazing and attractive pin once, and then use this template for your future pins! 

Obviously, you will need to change texts and images but let’s be real, it doesn’t have to be EXCEPTIONAL but informational!

The process of sharing your pins is simple and easy.

And, if you have Tailwind, you are the KING.

5- SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM BUT SEARCH ENGINE

So, the last reason why I prioritize Pinterest over Instagram is the fact that Pinterest is a social media platform that acts as a search engine.

So, if you are good a SEO (Search Engine Optimization), you have a good chance to be found for what you are ranking for in your niche!

Like YouTube or Google.

HOW TO CREATE A PINTEREST VIDEO PIN IN CANVA FOR FREE

How to create a pinterest video pin in canva for free

I am so excited to share how to create a Pinterest video Pin In Canva for FREE!

What is CANVA

Canva is a tool that makes it possible to design anything and publish anywhere. With its user-friendly drag and drop tool and thousands of customizable templates. 

What can you do with Canva?

With Canva, you can easily create beautiful documents & designs for any occasion and purpose. From social media posts to presentations, you can browse more than 65,000 editable templates or you can start from scratch if you’re feeling adventurous.

So, Canva also makes it easy for you to access millions of stock images, illustrations, icons, and fonts inside the app.

You can also:

  • Store, organize, and edit your images in a breeze
  • Customize your templates and share them with your team to edit
  • Publish your designs anywhere to reach your audience

So now, let’s dive right into how to create a Pinterest video Pin in Canva for Free!

How to create a pinterest video pin in canva for free

SET UP A CANVA ACCOUNT

First thing first, you need to go to www.canva.com and sign up for your free account.

You will be able to sign up with your Facebook account or Gmail account, but also with any other email address.

 

how to create a pinterest video pin in canva for free

So, create your account, with your name, email, and password.

Next, Canva will ask you, what will you using Canva for? You can answer, personal or small business.

You can skip the next questions. They will ask you if you want to try Canva Pro for free! It’s a 30 day free trial. 

Otherwise, select “Maybe Later”

HOW TO CREATE A PINTEREST VIDEO PIN

Now, let’s get into this tutorial, shall we?

Once your account is set up, Canva will ask you to create your first design!

So, into the search bar, tap Pinterest and select Pinterest Video Pin.

how to create a pinterest video pin in canva for free

Choose a template

The cool thing about Canva is their templates!

You will have a lot of templates to choose from.

So, from here, select one of their templates.

how to create a pinterest video pin in canva for free

Change the background Video

Now that you have selected your template, it’s time to customizing it!

To do so, you will start by changing the background video.

So, select the background (you will know it’s selected when you will see a blue line around it).

From there, upload your own video or select a new one from their library.

 

Customize the template

It’s time for you to customize this template.

After changing the background video, you can change the text and also change the font!

You will also be able to add some more texts or graphics, like an arrow, for example.

 

EXPORT YOUR PINTEREST VIDEO PIN

Once your design is done, save your work!

So, note that Canva is saving the work you are doing while you are doing it, so unless you delete your design, you can always find it on your Canva account.

To save your Pinterest Video Pin, click on the three dots in the right corner.

Then, click on Download and your work will be save on your computer.

 

YOU DID IT!

Now, you only have to create a pin on Pinterest and add your video.

Thank you so much for reading about how to create a Pinterest video pin in Canva for free.

Before you leave, you might be interested in reading about why you should switch to a Pinterest Business account? or SEO Pinterest Board Optimization!

Until next time,

Justine Lamer

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3 FREE WAYS TO REMOVE A BACKGROUND FROM A PICTURE

3 free way to remove a background from a picture feature image

Are you looking for 3 free ways to remove a background from a picture? If so, keep reading.
Nowadays, removing a background from a picture is popular.
You can add a different background to a picture of yourself. Or extract one part of your image to make a sticker.
Either way, there are 3 free tools you can use to remove a background. And they are free!
So, in today’s blog post, you will know what are the free apps you need to download to remove a background from a picture using your phone.

3 free way to remove a background from a picture feature image

THE OVER APP

The Over app is my “go-to” background remover.

It is simple and easy to do on your phone, and this is why I like it so much.

It can take you a little bit of time, but once you understand how “mask” works, you will be good to go.

So, how to remove a background from an image with the Over app?

1- Open the app and select a transparent background.
2- Choose the size of your image. (The size of the picture you want the background cut out).
3- Import your photo to the transparent background and resize it to fully hide the transparency.
4- Select “Mask” between Nudge and Blend

Once you’ve selected “Mask”. You can start erasing your background.
If you start erasing something you weren’t supposed to, you can always restore it using the transparent circle.
To make sure you erased everything, zoom into your picture to get the angles.

PICSART

This app is probably the fastest way to remove a background from a picture.
Picsart let you cut out a background using different ways.

1- Open Picsart and select your image
2- Select “cutout”.

From here you will be able to select whatever you want out of your picture. The person, Face, Hair, and Background. Picsart will do the job for you.
3- You can also use the option outline to have full control.

So, once your subject is selected, you can start to erase or restore some parts of the picture you want to keep.
Save your work and add your subject to a brand-new background!

MAGIC ERASER

The name of the app says it all!

The magic eraser app allows you to remove things you don’t want in a picture, like a background.

So, same as Over and Picsart, the Magic Eraser app is FREE! But this app is driving me crazy because ads are everywhere.

Now that you are aware, you might crawl under ads using the app, let’s get started.

 

  • Open MagicEraser and select your image.
  • Use the eraser and start erasing the background. (Like in the Over app)
  • Restore part of the subject you want to keep with the brush beside the eraser
  • Zoom into your picture to get little spots.

Once you are satisfied with the result, export your work into your library.

 

Grammarly Writing Support

If you want to get more tips to create amazing and unique content.

You can read my blog posts about how to create a graphic quote with the Over app and the best-animated photo apps of 2020.

You can also watch some of my Picsart tutorials on my YouTube Channel.

3 free ways to remove a background from a picture

Thank you so much for reading about 3 free ways to remove a background from a picture.

See you soon,

Justine Lamer

How to stay entertained at home: Amazon finds under $20

We can all agree that life has been pretty crazy and scary lately. COVID-19 is NO joke, you must stay home to protect yourself and others.

This is a hard time for everyone, people lost their jobs, run out of money and lose their sanity. I hope things get back to normal soon!

In the meantime, I am going to share with you some Amazon finds under $20 to stay entertained at home.

If you want to keep your mind busy during the confinement, keep reading.


BOARDGAMES

If you are home alone, you are probably telling yourself: “How does she want me to play board games by myself?!” Well, you are right, you can’t! But you could call some friends or family, use Facetime and “if they have the game at home as well”, I believe it’s possible to make it happen!

MEME THE GAME “DISNEY EDITION “- $20

WHAT DO YOU MEME is one of my favorite board games ever! This is ridiculously fun, and you will laugh A LOT.

You need to be at least 3 players. One would be the judge and the two others will have to make the most hilarious meme with the cards they’ll get, to make the judge laugh.

I won’t bother trying to explain the rules, this is pretty easy, and it will take you 5 seconds to understand.

THE DISNEY EDITION is kid-friendly and perfect for a family game night!

CODENAMES – 15$

The spymaster says, “Hot: 2“. Can you find the 2 words related to HOT that win the game?

This is exactly what the sentence on the game’s box says, and there is no better explanation to understand what’s the game about!

The two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their CODENAMES.

The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Their teammates try to guess words of the right color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin.

Want to stay entertained while being at home? You need this game!!

COLORING BOOKS AND GEL PENS

When I get tired of watching TV or get frustrated, I take my coloring book and gel pens and I color for hours!

I do believe that coloring is helping your mind to relax and make your stress go away.

I found my coloring book at MICHAELS, but I realized it was also for sale on AMAZON for only $13!!

My coloring book’s called MAGICAL JUNGLE by Johanna Basford. I love her coloring books because it’s easy to color and the graphics are seriously gorgeous.

My next purchase from her coloring book’s collection will be LOST OCEAN!

I own a set of 240 GEL PENS (call me crazy) only because I love to have tons of color options! Got this set for about $32 but you can start with 100 GEL PENS for $16.99

PUZZLES

I used to think that making puzzles was extremely boring!

Then I’ve got my first Disney Puzzle for Christmas 2 years ago and got OBSESSED!

I love that it takes me so long to put together a 750 pieces.

I do love taking my time, but you don’t want to lose any pieces! Get yourself a rolling mat if you are too scared that it might happen.

I have 2 Disney puzzles that I need to redo and glue together. It would be awesome to frame them!

PAINT BY DIAMOND

Don’t have any of those but DANG! That sounds like fun! I helped a friend making one once, and know I want to order and make every single one of them.

This is super entertaining and very cute. I am about to purchase two!

When they will be complete, I’ll frame them and hang them in my office.


Hopefully, I gave you some ideas on how to stay entertained at home, with those super cheap and fun Amazon finds.

Don’t hesitate to share those ideas with your friends, make them buy the board games to play online and let me know what you bought to stay entertained at home.

Stay safe, stay home and have fun.

Xoxo

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