For brands that can’t afford to hire an in-house designer and don’t have the time to browse through thousands of freelance designers in job marketplaces, graphic design as a service offering unlimited graphic design is a practical and convenient choice.

But with a handful of service providers out there, which ones should you choose? Here’s a list of the best ones on the market right now, along with the features that make them stand out.

1. Penji

Often hailed as the best creative design company, Penji is a reliable visual communication partner for many brands. The best thing about Penji is that they only hire the top 2% of creatives worldwide. That means clients get access to top talent without the long-term commitment of hiring an in-house designer.

Features:

• Unlimited graphic design at a flat monthly cost
• Wide variety of design expertise, from branding design and pitch decks to UI/UX and custom illustrations
• Turnaround time of 24-48 hours
• Has a specialized app with a point-and-comment feature, making it easy to request revisions 

2. Design Shifu

Design Shifu, meanwhile, focuses on providing fast and reliable designs without having to hire an in-house designer.

Features:

• Dedicated designer who gets familiar with your brand
• Quick turnaround of 24-48 hours
• Multiple plan levels

3. Superside

Superside is another powerful unlimited graphic design provider in the field. However, it’s crucial to note that its price point is a lot higher than other players in the graphic design services arena.

Features:

• AI-powered workflows
• 24/7 wide timezone support
• Top-tier creative talent pool

4. ManyPixels

ManyPixels, meanwhile, offers a variety of unlimited graphic design types. However, it’s best to note that you might need to go for a higher tier if you have a tight campaign schedule and you need a shorter turnaround time.

Features:

• Flexible options for all types of users
• Web graphics and social media
• UX design, animations, and more

Feature Image Credit: Photo by Antoni Shkraba from Pexels

If you’re one of those people who “cherish” their phone number and vow to stay with it for the rest of their lives, you have another thing coming. When you share your phone number with friends, social media, or with an online store, you’re unknowingly exposing yourself to potential danger. Your number is a magnet for thieves looking to steal your information or even your identity. If you want to avoid this wreaking havoc on your privacy and messing up your digital life, it’s time to take action: get a secret phone number.

It may not be a 100% fool-proof solution, but it’s an excellent start. Below are a few things you need to know:

Your Privacy

Think about the last time you changed your phone number. Many people are actually proud of having a single number for as long as possible. What they don’t know is that this can be a threat to your privacy and your sanity.

There are such companies that are called “data brokers,” and they get people’s phone numbers through various means. You may not have heard of Spy Dialer Inc. or Applecart, but you can be sure they have heard of you. You may have given them your number through your doctor’s office or a frequent shopper card. Whatever route they used, you’re still at risk.

A secret phone number will prevent shady marketers from getting hold of your first phone number. You can use it as a “junk number,” as you have the option not to tie it to your real name. Think of it as a secondary email that you use to sign up for random discount codes or memberships.

Your Security

Be aware that in the unfortunate event that your phone number falls into the wrong hands, anything can happen. From gaining access to your voicemail or hacking your financial details, a second phone number can help you avoid these. 

Hackers may find it challenging to access your online accounts, but with the help of your phone number, it becomes easier. You can use a secret phone number that you will link to these accounts. This will help lessen the risk of your accounts being hacked.

Consider this second phone number as a throwaway number that you can ditch once it serves its purpose. You can then get a new one and start all over.

Get a Second Line

Now that you’re convinced that a second number can prevent you from falling victim to many online thefts and hacking, it’s time to get one. How do you go about it? Get a second phone line.

Although it will cost you, consider the safety and security a second number will provide. You can buy a new SIM card, preferably one that is prepaid. You can easily insert it into your phone and use it as you would your first number. Most smartphones nowadays come with two SIM slots, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

You can also use apps specifically for this purpose. A few good examples would be Burner, CoverMe, or Hushed. While these are seen as band-aid solutions, they are still significant measures in protecting your privacy, security, and identity. 

Do this while we wait for the system to find ways that won’t require us to tie our phone numbers to our accounts and identities. Many people will find these solutions to be burdensome and would not like the idea of having a secret phone number. However, prevention is still better than finding the cure.

And for other news, stories, and tips, read more here at Owner’s Mag!

Starting an eCommerce business is no easy feat. You have to think about sales, marketing, customer service, invoicing, and inventory all at once. Some platforms may offer those, but you need other eCommerce tools to make life easier and automate your processes. But which are the best ones? I’ve compiled a list of the best ones here.

1. Shopify

Type: eCommerce platform

Any eCommerce tools list would simply be incomplete without the mention of Shopify. After all, Shopify is one of the leading eCommerce platforms of all time. The eCommerce platform makes it easy for new eCommerce businesses to set up shop in no time. They have a bunch of tools to keep any eCommerce business around, such as branding, point of sales, email marketing, and payment tools. 

With Shopify, you don’t have to create a website immediately if you don’t need it yet. If you want to start small, Shopify has a Starter plan where you can reach customers via social media or messaging apps.

Pricing:

Starter (social and messaging apps only) – $5/mo

Basic – $29/mo

Shopify – $79/mo

Advanced – $299/mo

2. Veeqo

Type: Inventory and logistics

Even though Shopify has everything you need to get your business ready from launch to your first sale, you can integrate tools into the platform, such as Veeqo. Veeqo is a logistics company helping eCommerce businesses with inventory and shipping. 

You don’t have to worry about keeping track of all your products manually. With Veeqo, you can rest easy knowing they automate your stock every time there’s a sale. Plus, with shipping, you’ll have lowered rates on known logistics businesses, such as DHL and UPS. In addition, you can automate shipping processes.

Pricing: Veeqo Free, $250 per month for Veeqo Priority

3. SurveyMonkey

Type: Survey

One eCommerce tool that you should use is a survey. This helps you get a pulse of what’s going on with your customers, and one of the survey tools you should use for your eCommerce business is SurveyMonkey. 

With SurveyMonkey, you’ll also know what your customers think of your products, aside from the reviews they give. Surveys will provide you with more input, and you’ll learn how to improve your products and how you can interact with your customers better. But it’s not just a tool for your customers. You can also ask your employees how they can improve your eCommerce business.

Pricing:

Team Advantage – $25/user/month

Team Premier – $75/user/month

Enterprise – Contact sales

4. Wave

Type: Accounting and Invoicing

Most eCommerce platforms will have their own payment portal. But if you want an all-around easy-to-use small business financial service software, Wave is one of the best eCommerce tools to use. They have these nifty features:

• Invoicing
• Payments
• Accounting
• Banking
• Payroll
• Advisors

With Wave, you don’t need an accountant. Wave helps you with your taxes, bookkeeping, and billing. And if you still need financial help, advisors are ready to help you learn more about finance terms or concepts. Plus, Wave is free to use for their Invoicing, Accounting, and Bookkeeping features. Or, you can even hire a bookkeeper to do all the work for you. 

Here’s the pricing for their Payments, Payroll, and Advisors features:

Payments: 2.9% + $0.60/ transaction (AMEX: $3.4% + $0.60/transaction)

Bank payments: 1%/transaction

Payroll: Tax service states – $40/mo; Self service – $20/mo

Advisors: Bookkeeping support – $149/mo; Coaching – $379/mo

5. Rewind

Type: Data protection

Any business with a website should know that they need to back up their data. After all, you can put it right back up anytime if outages or something unexpected happens to your website. And if you don’t want to lose your data, Rewind is one of the best eCommerce tools out there. 

Rewind can help eCommerce businesses protect their business from any downtime with their daily backup. If you have integrated a 3rd party app into your website, but it’s not doing you any good, you can just rewind and get back to the last time you didn’t install it. Plus, they ensure your data is secure from any attacks.

Pricing: Starts at $45/mo

6. Zendesk

Type: Customer service

Zendesk is one of the best customer service tools of all time, with more than 100,000 brands and users helping customers with their concerns. The customer service tool will help eCommerce businesses connect with customers through email, phone, or live chat.

Pricing: Starts at $19 per agent per month, billed annually

7. Jungle Scout

Type: Marketing

If you need a marketing and keyword research tool made for online sellers, Jungle Scout is one of the best eCommerce tools to use. This tool is for Amazon sellers, but you can still use this for your online store anywhere. You can grow your traffic with their keyword research feature, optimize listings, and get more reviews for your site.

They also have an inventory management feature. Plus, Amazon sellers can get more out of the tool with their finances and ads features.

Pricing: Starts at $29/month

8. Copysmith

Type: SEO/Marketing

Are you having trouble creating product descriptions for all of your items? Don’t fret, Copysmith is an AI writing tool to help you create a copy in minutes. It can be difficult trying to come up with persuasive copy that will get people to click add to cart. 

With Copysmith, you’ll have an AI assistant giving suggestions from the keywords you provided. From there, you can choose from the best copy and add it to your website. Plus, they ensure that the copy is search engine optimized, so customers can visit your online store and get more traffic. In addition, you can also create bulk product descriptions for SKUs.

Pricing: Starts at $19 per month

9. MailChimp

Type: Marketing

MailChimp is best known for email marketing. But it has grown into an all-around marketing platform for any business. They have a comprehensive email marketing platform, allowing businesses to segment their audience, reach more, and analyze open and conversion rates.

Aside from email marketing, MailChimp allows businesses to create optimized landing pages and social media ads and send printed postcards.

Pricing: Free plan available, paid plans start at $13 per month

10. Google Analytics

Type: Analytics

Any entrepreneur or seller needs to keep track of their online business. And if you want to know how your online store ranks on one of the widely used search engines, you can use Google Analytics. 

Most eCommerce platforms will have analytics, but Google Analytics can help you with your marketing, and you’ll know how to reach more customers. Plus, you can run ads with their Google Ads and Search Ads 360 features and get access to the Google Search Console.

Pricing: Starts for free

These eCommerce tools have proven their worth and helped other eCommerce businesses thrive in their own niche. Plus, they have also provided immense value and eased the minds of new and existing eCommerce businesses.