BUSINESS RESOURCES & TOOLS I LOVE (& USE)
WEBSITE & AUTOMATION TOOLS
SITEGROUND.COM
Website hosting with lots of plan options, from small businesses getting started to dedicated hosting for large websites with lots of traffic.
** Disclaimer: The above link is an affiliate link. I will be paid a small commission when you sign up using my link. Thank you.
WORDPRESS.ORG
There are many options out there for building websites, but to have the most flexibility I recommend WordPress. You can load WordPress on self-hosted websites purchased through SiteGround or any other hosting company.
THRIVE THEMES/LEADS
This is one of the most robust list building WordPress plugins out there. With purchase of a license you also get WordPress themes, the ability to use countdown timers, highlight your testimonials, build landing pages, create courses, and so much more.
** Disclaimer: The above link is an affiliate link. I will be paid a small commission when you sign up using my link. Thank you.
GOOGLE - GSUITE
You can use your website host for email, but I prefer using GSuite (Gmail) for my business.
You can connect your professional email (example@example.com) through Gmail, as well as, have full access to Google Drive (FREE to all), but with a professional account you get an additional 30 GB of memory to store your content and securely share files with your clients and team.
ACTIVECAMPAIGN.COM
ActiveCampaign gives you the email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM tools you need to create incredible customer experiences. This is an autoresponder service that uses tags to organize your email list. I use ActiveCampaign to connect to Thrive Leads and build my email list as well as deliver my Freebies and marketing emails.
** Disclaimer: The above link is an affiliate link. I will be paid a small commission when you sign up using my link. Thank you.
PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
CLICKUP.COM
I have tried numerous project management systems to help manage my clients' projects and their teams. Nothing has quite compared to the friendly and easy to use system found at clickup.com.
** Disclaimer: The above link is an affiliate link. I will be paid a small commission when you sign up using my link. Thank you.
DUBSADO.COM
Dubsado offers so many features all in one location; from automatic payments to sending contracts and receiving signatures. You can organize your workflows and projects, create questionnaires and quotes, track your time spent on client projects, and sync with your calendar & email accounts so you can stay up to date with client requests and appointments. I use Dubsado's contracts feature, appointment scheduler, questionnaires, applications and payment processing with 1:1 clients and my group programs.
** Disclaimer: The above link is an affiliate link. I will be paid a small commission when you sign up using my link. Thank you.
MEMBERSHIP & COURSES PLATFORM
KAJABI
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that provides all the services you need. You can host your website , blog, podcast, coaching program, build your email list, send emails, and sell products. I have lots of clients who use this platform and have built 6- and 7-figure businesses using this one platform. I cannot say enough about their customer service and commitment to their customers. They are top notch!
** Disclaimer: The above link is an affiliate link. It will provide you with a 28-day FREE trial of Kajabi which is twice as long as the trial you would receive signing up directly from Kajabi. So click the link below and give Kajabi a test drive for 28-days. I will be paid a small commission when you sign up using my link. Thank you.
BUSINESS TOOLS
EVERNOTE
Evernote is an excellent place to take notes. It helps you capture and prioritize ideas, projects and to-do lists, so nothing falls through the cracks. You can share with your team and collaborate on ideas.
** Disclaimer: The above link is an affiliate link. Each referral who signs up earns me points and once I earn 10 points I receive 3 months of Evernote Premium. That is how they run their referral program. Please use my link above to sign up . Thank you.
DROPBOX
Dropbox is an online solution to store documents, photos, video and audio files. You can use it to exchange these files with your team. You can create folders to organize your projects and easily drop in the assets your team needs to complete their project. An example: if you hire a graphic designer, you would be able to share your headshots and professional photos in Dropbox. Your graphic designer would then have access to download those files and use them in your marketing or content materials. Dropbox stores large files that can not be sent via email.
DESIGN, IMAGE, & VIDEO TOOLS
ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE
The Adobe Creative Suite is a complete design solution that lets today's creative professionals create and publish content for print and the Web faster, more easily, and more affordably than ever. ... In short, the Adobe Creative Suite offers time-saving integration, simplified workflows, and an unprecedented value. This is a more advanced solution than Canva.com, but also offers software that Canva.com does not offer. This is definitely for the more advanced designer. I do recommend that you have at least Adobe Acrobat Pro to make your own PDFs.
CANVA
Easily create beautiful designs + documents. Use Canva's drag-and-drop feature and professional layouts to design consistently stunning graphics. There is a free and paid version of Canva available. You can create graphics for your blog posts, social media graphics and posts, eBooks, downloadable PDFs and so much more.
** Disclaimer: The above link is an affiliate link. I will be paid a small commission when you sign up for a paid account when using my link. Thank you.
CAMTASIA
Camtasia is software for video recording, screen recording, and video editing for PC (I think they may have a Mac version as well). You can add video effects, transitions, intro and outros to your videos, and audio tracks.
ONLINE SECURITY MUST-HAVES
PURE VPN
If you ever travel and use hotel WiFi or go to a public place, like a coffee shop, and use their WiFi you've got to have a VPN to protect your privacy, your identity, and your intellectual property. A VPN is a secure and private portal that links you to the internet, so no one around you can eavesdrop on what you're doing on your computer or device. Get it! It's a must!
** Disclaimer: The above link is an affiliate link. I will be paid a small commission when you sign up using my link. Thank you.
LASTPASS
Another must, must, must! This is a password manager that safely and securely stores your passwords for you. The main feature that I want to point out here, when you are working with a VA, a designer, or a whole team and are sharing your passwords you must do it in a secure way. Lastpass allows you to share passwords with team members without them actually seeing the password. This gives YOU complete control and security over all of your business assets. Get it!
** Disclaimer: I want to mention again that there are affiliate links on this page. I have made it clear which links above have an affiliate link where I will make a small commission or earn a perk when you sign up using my link.
I appreciate you using my affiliate links if any of these services look like a good fit for you. As you know, every income stream helps small business owners like myself, and allows me to continue to serve those who need my help.
Thank you and with gratitude.
~ Melissa