I recently invested in two things that I’ve been wanting for a VERY long time - a camera that shoots good video, and a large format printer. These were some of the biggest purchases I’ve made in a while, but I couldn’t stop thinking of how much I could use these items - how much time and money I was wasting by not having them. These purchases got me thinking - what are the best investments I’ve made in my business over the years? What qualifies as a good investment?

After reflecting on all the purchases I’ve made over the years I’ve been freelancing, the best ones fall into one of five categories:

1. Software

2. Equipment & Supplies

3. Knowledge

4. Wellness

5. Time-Savers

Below I’ve listed out my best purchases in each category. These are the purchases that have more than made up for their investment.

Software

Since software isn’t tangible, this can be a tough category to justify spending money in. As someone who runs their business remotely, this category is probably the most instrumental to what I do.

Dropbox: My job wouldn’t be possible without Dropbox. I store all of my artwork and client files on there. It’s pretty much a backup of my computer, since I don’t keep anything on my desktop. That way, when I’m working on the road, I can access any file at any time. At $120/year for Dropbox Plus (2 TB), I feel this is well worth the investment.

Adobe Creative Suite: This is another piece of software I literally couldn’t do my job without. Investing in Creative Cloud ensures that I always have the most recent version installed for client projects. I use this software for every single thing I create, so $57/month seems well worth the price to me.

Squarespace: I am not a web developer, so I use this for all my websites. If you’re reading this blog right now, you’re looking at a Squarespace site. It’s extremely simple to use, and you can create beautiful sites. Squarespace allows you to add really awesome functions to your site that will help you grow your business - like a blog, subscribe box, products page, and social media feed. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Equipment& Supplies

These are always the investments I feel guilty about, but they have made such a big difference in my day-to-day. Most of these items have simply made my life easier, which is enough of a benefit for me.

Commerical-Grade Paper Cutter: This was a game changer for my business. If you sell or make any kind of artwork on paper, it’s a necessity. I don’t think I realized how badly I needed this until I purchased it. Now, I couldn’t work without it. The one I bought was around $190, and I use it every single day.

Camera Equipment: It’s important to have clear, crisp images of anything you are selling. Having great photos makes your brand look more professional, therefore bringing you more business. If you shoot any kind of video, good equipment will make the process more seamless. I’m a big believer in creating high quality content. You’re investing your time, so you should be outputting the best content you can. I updated my Etsy photography earlier this year using my SLR camera, and it has made all the difference in my sales.

Printer/Scanner: If you are selling art prints, this is also a great investment. I would start small with something that prints nice 8x10” size prints and work your way up as the demand for larger sizes increases. Even if you aren’t selling prints, a standard printer could still be a great investment. I can’t tell you how many things I print on a regular basis. It’s a great item to have, especially when working from home. Also, I use the scanner bed on my printer to digitize my artwork. While a printer is a nice-to-have, a scanner is must-have for artists. If you don’t want to get a printer, I would recommend investing in a scanner separately.

Postal Scale: This has been a necessity in growing my Etsy shop. It’s the easiest way to determine the pricing on multiple package sizes. The one I purchased was only $20, and I use it all the time.

Art Supplies: I’ve never felt guilty for buying art supplies. It’s a small price to pay for me to do what I love. Painting brings me such joy. I can’t imagine spending money on anything better.

Knowledge

There’s nothing you can spend your money on than educating yourself. There are so many things you can learn that will enrich your life, and might even bring you future income.

Classes: In this day and age, we have access to so much information, you can get a lot of knowledge for free. Because of that, it can be tough to justify classes. Classes can offer a more guided, in-depth study of a subject. They are often what’s needed to become an expert in an area. Whether the classes are in person, or online (my preference), this is a great way to learn something new that you could make money from in the future.

Books: Books are never a waste of money. While I rent most books from the library, I’ve purchased a lot of business and illustration reference books that I refer back to again and again.

Wellness

A big part of running a successful business is taking care of yourself so you can do your best work. This means getting sleep, eating right, drinking water, you get the idea. While you can make great investments in your health for free, sometimes you need to spend a little to get bigger results.

Massages: Whenever I’ve had crazy times in my business, regular massages have been my saving grace. I can get a lot of soreness in my neck and shoulders while sitting at my desk, and that prevents me from doing my best work. If you are in a place where your body is no longer capable of sitting all day, this might be the solution. It’s expensive, but I’d have to say it’s worth it.

Fitness Equipment: You can definitely go overboard in this area, but some of my best investments have been good yoga mats. I like these, because they are super grippy and durable. High quality yoga mats allow me to stretch daily, so I don’t get too sore working at my desk all day. For me, daily yoga is crucial to doing my best design work. I do yoga as regular maintenance, and I only get massages when the problem becomes a bigger issue.

Hot Water Machine: Tea is so good for you. It’s hydrating and can keep your stress in check. I invested in a hot water machine a few years ago, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever purchased. It allows my to have tea whenever I want throughout the day.

Vitamix: These are expensive, but I use mine almost every day. There’s nothing I make in it that’s not healthy. My favorites are avocado pudding, green smoothies, and matcha lattes. It’s a great item to have on the counter when you work from home. I have this white version.

Time-Savers

Since starting my own business, I will never look at my time the same again. I charge by the hour so when I do anything, I think about the time it took me and if it was worth my hourly rate . If services cost less than what I make per hour, it’s hard to justify not using them.

Cleaning Service: If you don’t enjoy cleaning and your hourly rate is higher than what you would pay a cleaning service, then I would really consider this one. It’s a HUGE time saver. Delegating as much as you can in your life is key, so you can focus more on your work.

Landscapers: I don’t enjoy landscaping, so hiring people to cut our lawn has been a great investment. I justified this in the same way I justified hiring a cleaning service. Their hourly rate is lower than mine, so it makes sense to hire out work I don’t enjoy.

Now that you have an idea of the best investments I’ve ever made in my business, are you seeing any patterns? One pattern I notice is that the best investments create tangible, positive future results. If the benefit of a purchase isn’t super clear, it probably isn’t worth it. Some of the worst investments I’ve made in my business fall under the unclear benefits category - like just buying something because it’s pretty, or because it will look cute on my desk. I’ve also regretted buying things that other people tell me I should have, without being completely clear on why I need it. If something is working well for you, don’t upgrade. Invest in something that will make your job significantly better or easier in the future.