Business Tools
Since starting my business in 2017, I’ve explored TONS of business tools… some rocked, and some flopped.
So in the spirit of making your life easier, I’m sharing my fave free & paid tools, courses, and templates so you can grow & scale your business – without all the trial and error. Cue the confetti cannons!
Oh also: Some links below are affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission if you purchase, at no extra cost to you. But don’t worry, I only share products/services that I truly love. No BS. 🚫💩
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Website Essentials
WordPress Theme
Divi is a drag-and-drop theme & page builder for WordPress. I use Divi for all of my client sites, and my own. Highly recommend the Lifetime License (it can be used on unlimited sites)!
Website Hosting
Siteground is second-to-none (in my humble opinion) when it comes to WordPress website hosting. Their Customer Support alone is phenomenal and worth their weight in gold.
Website Domain
Google Domains is where I get all domains from. Their checkout process is super easy, and they include the oh-so-important Privacy Protection with all domains at no extra cost.
Working with Clients
File storage
Store & share project files all in one place with Google Drive. Files sync automatically, on any device!
Project Organization
Asana helps organize clients projects with to-do lists & tasks, so clients know what needs to get done, and when.
Screen Recording
Loom is the best screen-recording tool out there! Great for sending clients a project preview or training tutorials.
Scheduling Calls
Stop the back and forth to book calls. Availability, reminders, Zoom links, timezones – Calendly handles it all!
Password Sharing
Share and store client passwords securely and privately with LastPass. No more awkward password sharing.
Getting Paid!
Send one-time or recurring invoices, receive payment, and track revenue using Wave. Bonus: It’s free!
Business Paperwork
Send proposals, contracts, & invoices. Track your time, tasks, & expenses. Fiverr Workspace (formerly AndCo) handles all your paperwork.
Templates & Design
Squarespace Templates
Big Cat Creative is one of THE biggest and best Squarespace template shops if you’re looking to DIY your website.
Design Templates
Get 875+ templates for graphics, slide decks, guides, worksheets, lead magnets & more from Basil & Bark.
Creative Assets
Get custom fonts, graphics, stock photos, textures, patterns, mockups, & more with Creative Market!
Education
For branding
For all things branding, my unparalleled go-to is the brilliant Kaye Putnam!
Kaye leverages something called “brand archetypes” as a tool help you define, create, and embody your brand in a way that truly makes sense, and feels like YOU.
Brand Archetypes – ‘Brandfluency’
Start by taking Kaye’s Brand Archetype Quiz to find out your archetypes! There are 12 possible archetypes. Then, to help you get fluent in your brand archetype, she created one course for EACH archetype which she calls Brandfluency. My brand is a blend of the Explorer & Caregiver archetypes 🌍💕
Building your Brand – ‘Brand New Brand’
From my own personal experience taking this course, I can assure you that Brand New Brand is LITERALLY LIFE-CHANGING! I struggled for so long to create my own brand… it’s so much harder to do your own stuff, amirite?! Well, Brand New Brand blew me away! My brand finally feels like ME 🥰
For streamlining & scaling
Guides, Resources, Templates, & Trainings
When it comes to all things “systems”, Sarah at Rebel Office is my go-to girl. Sarah’s brain thrives on structure, streamlining, and scaling – and her entire business & education platform is built around sharing that knowledge with you! I’ve worked with Sarah directly when she helped me improve my overall client experience, and indirectly through her UH-MAZ-ING Resource Library (which is chock full of templates, tools, and trainings to help you streamline & scale your business). Oh, and don’t forget to explore her free guides!
For free trainings on #allthethings
Lynda.com
Lynda is a free online resource for trainings on basically any topic under the sun, from business to design to web development and more. Free trial available for 30 days.
Pro-tip: Check with your local library to see if you can get a free Lynda membership just by getting a library card!
Marketing
Email Marketing
The intuitive interface of MailerLite makes it easy to send one-time emails or setup automations. Free for up to 1000 subscribers.
Social media Scheduling
To help map out upcoming posts & captions I use Later. Free for up to 30 posts per month, with auto-publishing available on the free plan as well.