My Favorite iPad Mini Apps For Running A Creative Business

Running a small business means wearing a lot of hats, and switching between them quickly. From client communication and editing, to content creation and admin tasks, my day can shift gears fast.

That’s where my iPad mini comes in. It’s my portable command center, and over time I’ve fine-tuned a lineup of apps that truly help me stay organized, inspired, and on top of it all.

Whether I’m editing photos, planning out my week, or catching up on DMs and emails in between shoots, my iPad mini is always close by.

It’s compact enough to take anywhere, but powerful enough to handle real work. Today I’m giving you a peek behind the scenes at the tools I use on it every single day, and why each one earns its place.

First up is Google Calendar. It’s the backbone of my schedule, syncing across all devices and color-coded so I can glance at a week and know what’s ahead, sessions, editing days, meetings, personal events, and even rest time. I love being able to drag and drop tasks, set reminders, and share calendars with clients or collaborators when needed.

When it comes to contracts, session guides, or reading through client documents, PDF Expert is my go-to.

It lets me highlight, annotate, sign, and organize PDFs all in one place. I’ve got folders set up for each client and project, so I can easily pull up what I need without digging through emails.

I also use this app to scan all my physical notes into a folder for long term reference. That way, I don’t feel like I have to keep track of my physical notes, and can reference anything on the go no matter where I am.

For photo editing, I use Photomator and Affinity Photo, and I love them both for different reasons.

Photomator is lightning-fast and great for quick edits or color adjustments right from my Photos app after I download my images from my camera. Every one of my photos that I edit goes through this program, it’s very similar to Lightroom if you are familiar with the Adobe suite of editing.

Affinity Photo, on the other hand, is more like having a mini desktop editor in my hand. It’s incredibly powerful for retouching, cloning, layering, and doing the kind of detailed work I’d usually save for my studio. If I’m between shoots and want to get a head start on gallery edits, this is the app I reach for.

When I need to edit videos for Reels, YouTube, or behind-the-scenes content, LumaFusion is a game-changer. It lets me trim, cut, add text, music, and transitions all from my iPad. I can export and upload straight from there, which saves so much time and makes mobile video editing feel seamless and fun.

Canva is another daily essential. It’s where I create graphics for Instagram, Pinterest pins, Stories, carousels, freebies for my newsletter, and even slides for client guides. The templates make things quick, but I also love how customizable everything is. It helps me stay visually consistent while still being creative.

When I need to do a brain dump, jot down video ideas, or map out my next newsletter, I open up Google Keep. It’s simple, synced across my devices, and super easy to organize by color or label. I keep an ongoing list of blog post titles, content prompts, and even grocery lists when I’m multitasking life and work.

Every tool on this list helps me run a smoother, more creative business without feeling weighed down by clutter or tech overwhelm. The key for me is choosing apps that are intuitive, powerful, and make my life easier, not more complicated.

If you’re looking to streamline your own workflow, I hope this gave you some ideas. And if you’re curious about how I use any of these apps in more detail, let me know, I’d love to create a mini tutorial series or carousel to walk you through my exact process.

In the meantime, be sure to check out my Patreon page for behind-the-scenes mentoring and support for creatives, and sign up for my free newsletter for weekly tips, tools, and inspiration to help you grow your business.