Investing in your business can be scary.
There’s nothing worse than spending your hard-earned cash on something that promises to change your life but ends up being another unused template or half-finished course in your Google Drive graveyard.
But when the investment does pay off, it usually pays off real good.
Here’s a look at the 5 worthy investments I made in my business in 2022 and their price range.
1. Showit
If you’re someone that has (or wants to have) an online business, Showit is my #1 recommendation to get started. Here’s why:
Showit is a website builder. And it’s a drag-and-drop platform, which means no coding is necessary. It also means you don’t have to wait on your developer for every little change you want to make.
Typo? Fix it in seconds.
Pricing changes? Update ’em yourself.
New brand photography? Upload & upgrade your look in a matter of minutes.
In other words, everyone is a web developer on Showit.
And there are SO. MANY. top-notch Showit template designers out there (more on my favorites next) for a fraction of the price you’d pay for a custom option elsewhere.
If that’s not enough to convince you, Showit’s support team is extremely responsive and helpful. Plus, they have an entire library of helpful articles and how-tos, so more often than not, you’ll be able to find the answer yourself. I usually find mine in seconds.
The best part? Showit offers 14 days free for new users so you can buy a template and get it ready to launch during your free trial.
Price Range: If you plan to have a blog (& you should), Showit starts at $24/mo or $288/yr. Get a month free when you use my link.
2. My Northfolk Showit Website Template
Nothing says “I’m a serious business owner with my shit together” like a beautiful website (& killer website copy to convert those curious browsers into buyers). So I got me a Northfolk Showit website template.
Plus, telling potential clients that I’m a website copywriter without having a website of my own for nearly two years was… embarrassing. And while it worked for a while, I knew I couldn’t truly scale until I got a website.
WHY I CHOSE A NORTHFOLK SHOWIT TEMPLATE:
I’ve been a long-time admirer of the ladies at Northfolk. So when they launched my dream Showit website template in the fall of 2022, I jumped at the chance to have a website as stunning as this one.
And I scooped up the Chronicle template.
She’s cool. She’s beautiful. And she has newspaper vibes (also read: is chic AF).
Look around this page you’re on right now. This is her. *swoooon* It’s hands-down the #1 best business investment I made this year.
But beyond that, Northfolk’s templates are built to convert. You can basically fill in the blanks, put some photos of your face on the pages, and launch in a day.
(And you can hire me to write your website copy for you if you’re struggling to untangle your thoughts and put words on the page.)
Price Range: Northfolk’s full website templates cost $1,297, a fraction of the cost of custom sites with all the same quality, style, and function. Northfolk is offering 15% off of everything to my readers. Click here to shop and save 15% with code: UPSTAIRSSTUDIO.
3. SM Collective’s Course: The SEO Blueprint
SEO has always… scared me a bit.
What is it? I think I understand it… but now I’m nervous I’m oversimplifying it. I *must* be missing something. Can I include this in my website copywriting services?
I quickly realized that it’s 100% essential for me to understand SEO to best serve my clients. AND to make sure my own website shows up EARLY in Google search results.
So when I serendipitously happened upon Stepfanie’s post on Instagram about the course closing soon, I clicked, read the sales page, and whipped out my biz debit card… too fast?? Maybe. But as I dove in, my nervousness quickly turned to gratitude and relief.
While it helped me realize I do in fact know a little bit about SEO, Stepfanie’s teaching style is seriously in-depth while remaining easy to digest and approachable. (Also her voice is quite calming which definitely is an underrated bonus.)
I have a few more modules to work through, but what I’ve gotten out of the course so far has helped me write my own web copy 10x more effectively.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive, non-overwhelming education in SEO, this is the course for you. (I’m not being paid to say this. It truly was my favorite educational investment of 2022.)
Price Range: Stepfanie offers payment plans for The SEO Blueprint course, so you can get started for just $170 or pay in full for $997.
4. Tonic Site Shop Social Media Templates
I’m a superfan of Tonic Site Shop. I have two of their website templates which I’m safekeeping for future personal projects.
(Yes, I overindulged in website templates in 2022. We’re moving on.)
And while killer Showit website templates are Tonic’s bread & butter, they’re also marketing GENIUSES. Which means they don’t stop at stylish and cool. They also do everything in their power to help you launch a better brand with better marketing.
Online business owners wasting time creating social posts: Meet Tonic Site Shop’s social media templates bundle.
They have seriously changed the social media game for me. I used to find posting daunting. And while I still don’t post as much as I should, it’s waaay easier now that I have these templates on hand.
(You can see some of them in action on my Instagram.)
Price Range: The bundle is $375, but comes out to $318 with my code UPSTAIRSSTUDIO. You get over 150 done-for-you Canva templates completely customizable to your brand. The bundle includes content, marketing, and sales packs so all your bases are covered from one purchase. Get 15% off everything with code UPSTAIRSSTUDIO and save time and money, honey.
5. Hustle Sanely’s Peacefully Productive Schedule Course
Jess Massey is my favorite find and follow of 2022. Her company, Hustle Sanely, has quite literally changed my life.
When Karsen Murray (fellow copywriter & Jess’s BFF) posted about the Hustle Sanely journal in her IG stories, I clicked because I’m a curious gal.
I watched Jess’s stories, listened to her podcast, read her website in its entirety, and joined her email list. And I purchased her Peacefully Productive Course within an hour of discovering her.
(I’m starting to realize I’m an impulse buyer. But Jess is also a ball of sunshine, so look at her Instagram and you’ll get it.)
Now to back up a bit, when I discovered Jess, I was 9 months into my copywriting business full-time and feeling very… lost.
I started comparing my business to others like it, and I became completely overwhelmed by the thought that maybe I shouldn’t have left my corporate job when I did.
And I freaking love this job, my clients, my projects, and my flexible schedule, but I was also crippled by self-doubt, comparison, and overwhelm.
So much so that I became a master procrastinator—overwhelmed by all the things I wanted to do and worried I wouldn’t do them well enough—and got further and further behind.
In keeping my house together.
In living a healthy lifestyle.
And in growing my business.
And while this is another story for another time, the point is that Jess’s course found me when I needed it most.
So if you’re in the throes of overwhelm, take this as your sign to invest in yourself… not just your business. I promise that both will be better because of it.
Highly recommend her journal and planners as well. They sell out fast so get on her waitlist for 2024 paper supplies.
Price Range: Jess offers digital and print versions of her planners so products range from $12 to about $50. The Peacefully Productive Schedule course gives you instant access for $247 or 3 payments of $99. Way worth the peace of mind and order in your life & business.
That’s it for my best business investments in 2022. I hope you found this list helpful in determining if any of these could help you out, too.
Now it’s your turn: tell me about some of the investments that have paid off in your business or life!
