Design & Streamline Solutions

Design & Streamline Solutions Helping small businesses to streamline their systems, organize their operations, and attract more customers.

09/01/2026

If you love homemade sauce, but you hate the with it takes to always make homemade sauce, you’re gonna love this hack.

Next time you’re making a sauce you love from scratch, make a double or triple batch, use what you need, then freeze the rest in a silicone ice tray.

Once your sauce is frozen solid, pop out the cubes and vacuum seal them with a Foodsaver, or put them in a bag/container, and place them back in the freezer.

Don’t forget to label the bag!!

The cubes will barely take up any room in your freezer, and the next time you want homemade sauce, you just have to thaw it.

I’ve done this with pasta sauce, enchilada sauce, and even oil based dressings. How about you? What kinds of sauces or dressings do you freeze?

08/27/2026

Don’t sleep on tracking your miles! 🚗

Even if you’re like me and work mostly from your laptop, you might be surprised how many business-related trips you actually make.

Meetings, conferences, driving to the airport for a business trip, it all adds up.

And if you’re like my friend Erin who teaches line dancing and is always driving to her different gigs, those miles add up even faster.

So the app I use to track my miles is called MileIQ.

It’s both a mobile app and a website, and I’ve been using it for over 10 year now, and have literally never paid for it. 😉

You can let it monitor your drives automatically or just log them afterward, which is what I usually do since I don’t drive a ton for business.

Want to try it? Comment “IQ” and I’ll DM you the info for MileIQ!

08/19/2026

You really don’t need a complicated tech stack to start growing an email list.

At the most basic level, you just need a way to collect email addresses and consent to contact them.

But obviously, most people aren’t going to hand over their email address just because we ask nicely. 😂

That’s where freebies, landing pages and follow-up emails come in. And even adding these things doesn’t have to be complicated.

In this episode, I’m showing you how I could use Jotform to handle the landing page and automated email sequence while keeping MailerLite for my actual email list.

It’s a surprisingly simple workaround, although I’m not sure how long it’ll work for me since I’m already getting close to MailerLite’s new 250 subscriber limit. 😂

So the research continues!

Follow along as I share what I learn along the way. And if you’re trying to figure out your own email marketing setup, hopefully this gives you a few ideas along the way.

Need a privacy policy? Comment PRIVACY and I’ll DM you the info for the one I use.

Want to check out Jotform? Comment JOTFORM and I’ll send you that link.

08/12/2026

Clearly I have some feelings about this! 😂

And just to be clear, I DO use AI and think there are some really great and genuinely helpful ways to use it in my business.

But I want to CHOOSE when I use it.

I don’t necessarily want AI built into every single tool I use, especially when it means the platform is taking away features I actually use or changing my pricing because they’ve added something I never asked for.

There are also legitimate questions around privacy, like what information we’re giving these tools, where that information goes. and even the environmental impact of using these AI features. 🤖

So I’m not saying to get rid of AI, I’m saying to give me the choice.

If I want the AI features, I’ll pay for them. If I don’t, let me keep the tools and features I actually signed up for it.

Am I the only one that feels this way?

08/10/2026

I only have 216 email subscribers, yet I still can’t use MailerLite’s free plan anymore. 🤨

And no, it’s not my subscriber count that’s the problem.

It’s everything else I’ve built inside MailerLite to help grow my list and my business.

Which is kind of ironic because I’ve basically just been following the “best practices” we’re all told to follow.

Create free downloads.
Design landing pages to collect email addresses.
Set up automated emails to follow-up.
Try to recommend a related product or service.

These are just the standard things we’re all told we *should* be doing to grow an email list.

And now those very things are what have pushed me over MailerLite’s new free-plan limits. 😂

I break down all the details, along with some other options I might be considering, so be sure to tune in.

And yes, I’m still figuring this out in real time.

These are the business hills I’ll happily die on!
08/05/2026

These are the business hills I’ll happily die on!

08/04/2026

This wasn’t on my bingo card. 😣

I’ve been using MailerLite’s free plan for years, and they just announced some pretty BIG changes which mean I might not be able to use it anymore...

So now I’m sitting here trying to decide what I want to do.

👉 Do I pay for MailerLite?
👉 Do I move to another platform?
👉 Do I try to adjust to the new free plan limits?
👉 Do I use a workaround?

Honestly, it’s overwhelming and I don’t know what I’m going to do yet.

I almost didn’t even make this video because part of me felt like as the tech person, I should already know all the answers.

But the reality is, this is just part of owning a business. Technology changes all the time, and it really sucks when prices go up or features we love disappear.

So right now, I’m researching, comparing my options, and deciding makes the most sense for me.

And I’d love to you to come along for the ride!

Follow me (Lauren Evans | Business Tech & Automation Consultant) as I share what I learn, review the pros and cons or each option, and ultimately, decide what to do about this unfortunate turn of events.

07/30/2026

There’s no one-size-fits-all blueprint for building a successful business.

That’s why I’m always a little cautious when someone promises that their framework, their software, or their process is the key to success.

Take the ideas.
Learn the principles.
Borrow what makes sense.

Then build a business that actually fits YOU!

Because what worked beautifully for someone else might be the very thing that’s making your business feel harder than it needs to be.

Have you had a great experience with coaching? A frustrating one? Both? I’d genuinely love to hear your story.

07/28/2026

There are very few tools that I recommend to almost every small business owner...

Jotform is one of them.

I’ve used it for years, and even now, after working with countless business owners and testing more software than I can count, it’s still one of the first tools I reach for.

The reason is simple - it solves so many problems without forcing you into another expensive monthly subscription.

Need a client inquiry form? ✅

Need contracts with e-signatures? ✅

Need to collect payments? ✅

Need to deliver a digital product? ✅

Need a way to streamline an application or onboarding process? ✅

Need a simple app for your business? ✅

Yes, Jotform really does ALL these things!

And what I love most is that you don’t have to spend anything to get started. You can start using all of Jotform’s features on their free plan, and use it for as long as you like until your business outgrows it and needs to upgrade!

I love recommending a tool that let you build your business BEFROE asking you to spend a fortune on it. 😉

If you’ve been looking for an affordable way to simplify your backend systems, I genuinely think Jotform is worth checking out.

Check the comments for my affiliate link so you can get started for free.

And if you decide to give it a try and have questions along the way, send me a message. I’m always happy to help. 💙

06/08/2026

Respectfully…

If your process involves printing, signing, scanning, and emailing a PDF back, we need to have a conversation. 😅

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