Resources & Tools
These are services and apps that I personally use and recommend. I don’t list anything on here that I’ve used but not liked — this is my cherry-picked tool kit.
Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, and I may receive compensation, monetary or otherwise, if you decide to purchase through here.
I hear it from almost every client – you know blogging is important, but where do you find the time to write up the content? I’m not a copywriter, so I was super excited to find Blog Hands. Bonus points if you pass the content on to your VA for scheduling. The ultimate stress-free blog plan!Why it’s awesome:Choose a length from 400 to 2,000 wordsTheir writers are certified – you know the content will be goodYou get a project manager to learn your unique needs and audienceYou aren’t locked into one writer – whoever is most qualified will work on your projectEach month you get the content you need with no effort!Price: Varies, based on your needs
Try Blog Hands
Acuity has been invaluable in my efforts to connect with clients, and I’ve seen my growth double since I introduced it.How I use it:Share consultation call link in social postsCreate social ads which link to my schedulerCreate private (paid or free) webinars with exclusivitySell one-time project packages (Through social posts!)Streamline connecting with clientsFree, with paid upgrades
Try Acuity Scheduling
AppSumo is my go-to choice for amazing tools at a discount. They often have lifetime deals for business where you pay one fee and have access to services that are usually subscription only.Some amazing deals they’ve offered:100 images at Deposit Photos for $493k Leadfuze leadsLifetime access to Webinar NinjaLifetime access to StockUnlimitedLifetime access LawTrades contract libraryPrice: Varies, based on deals
Check Out AppSumo
Scheduling (finally) made simple. Recur Post allows me to schedule my own content and my clients’. Plus, it stores your library of content and recycles the posts. How I use it:Schedule social posts in advance on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedinStore and reuse your content so you never miss a daySchedule one-time-only content for promotions and holidaysAuto-schedule content for best performanceCreate custom “libraries” of content to group similar types or long vs short postsFree, with paid upgrades
Try Recur Post
Harvest is how I track my time in my business. It also allows me to generate invoices directly based on that time, which is amazing. Since I started using Harvest, I’ve noticed trends in both how I use my time and what tasks took longer than I thought. It’s also highly customizable (setting fiscal year start and interface color, for example)How I use it:Track time for each project with each clientBudget time on projects to ensure I’m not going overView reports with detail to look for areas of improvementIntegrated with my browsers and project managers so tracking time is effortlessTrack expenses related to projectsFree, with paid upgrades
Try Harvest
ViralWoot is an efficient way to schedule pins and find new influencers — or get found. I’ve been a user since nearly the beginning of their existence, and their growth continues to impress me. It’s my go-to for managing both my own Pinterest account, and my clients’!How I use it:Upload and schedule new pins to drive trafficEasily and quickly find repins & pins to likeAutomatically find relevant boards and pinners to followEasy to interpret analyticsPromote pins, boards, and profilesFree, with paid upgrades
Try Viralwoot
If you’re looking for an alternative to YouTube, this is it. You can upload and share videos, but that’s just the beginning, and the branding is much less intrusive!How I use it and features I love:Password protect videos right within VimeoFast, easy statistics (including most played vs most finished!)Sell access to your videos with Vimeo On DemandVideo School with all of the tips and tricks you could ever want – freePaid upgrade gives you fully customizable site to personalize, and you can remove the Vimeo branding altogether!Free, with paid upgrades
Try Vimeo
Udemy is for life-long learners. If there’s something you want to learn, odds are someone is teaching it on there. You can see reviews before you buy, most have guarantees, and there are often coupons.How I use it:Learn about new trends in marketing, or tried-and-true methodsLearn new computer languages/skillsLearn new business methods and tipsKeep up on design trends and learn new stylesThey even have workout programs!Price: Varies by course
Try Udemy
PicMonkey is an amazing free-to-low-cost option for creating fun, beautiful graphics. You don’t need to be tech savvy to make great images with this!See my how-to post for this great resource!Some of what you can do with it:Crop, resize, and all the essential color adjustmentsBasic touch upsFilters and effectsAdd overlays, textures, and framesUse your fonts or theirsPrice: Free, with paid upgrades
Try PicMonkey
If you’re wondering what this has to do with social media, you might be in for a surprise. Say you publish a post on your blog. You can set MailChimp to automatically send it (in part or entirety) to your email list… and post that email to your social accounts at the same time! this can grow your mailing list and increase your blog traffic in one go.How I use it:Automatically share blog posts and promotions to social mediaConnect with my subscribers on their social accounts, and send emails based on what platforms they’re on (paid upgrade)Add signup form to FacebookReinforce social presence with social links in every emailIntegrate social proof within emailsFree, with paid upgrades
Try MailChimp
Layers is, hands down, my favorite WordPress theme. I use it almost exclusively for my web designs, and you know I love it when I use it for my own site! It’s very comparable to Divi, but more user friendly (in my opinion). How I use it:Create fast, flexible site layouts that are easily updatedSee changes in real time, exactly as visitors would seeMobile-ready, WooCommerce ready, and SEO friendlyOne of the most versatile themes available (replicate those fancy landing pages in minutes!)Easily customize with CSS, right from the front endFree with paid upgrades & extensions (so worth it!)
Try Layers
Wishlist Member is an industry standard in membership sites, and there’s a good reason for that. While the setup isn’t intuitive for most (I offer that service here), it’s probably the most robust, flexible, powerful solution out there. For that reason, it’s my go-to option for folks wanting an all-in-one membership or education site.How I use it:Create e-courses, both live and evergreenRelease content at set intervals to paying membersProtect paid content from viewing by non-membersFree membership levels to build email lists and funnel into paidPrice: $197 for single site, $297 for multiple sites (with bonus resources)
Try Wishlist Member
Obviously, with what I do, security is important. If my computer gets compromised, it’s not just my information on the line. I’ve tried quite a few antivirus options, and this one has performed the best.It’s anti-virus, you know how I use it, so here are features:Anti-virus and anti-malwareSpam email protectionFirewall to stop hackersSafely open questionable apps files in a “sandbox” to protect your systemBrowser cleanupOne of the lowest impacts on your system in the industryPrice: Varies by product ($19.99-$69.99)
Try Avast
How many passwords do you have? On how many sites do you have an account with a password? If those two numbers are different, please start using a password manager, like LastPass, to create secure passwords. Yes, a different one for each site! Imagine what would happen if a spammer guessed the password for your social account, and started sending spam from your business?How I use it:Create strong, secure passwordsAudit existing passwords for strengthReceive and share passwords securelySync my passwords across all of my devices (paid feature)Keep my brain from exploding by only needing to remember ONE passwordFree, with paid upgrades
Try LastPass
This is the one tool I don’t think I could run my business without! While Trello is something of a digital whiteboard, it can do a million other things.How I use it:Task/appointment reminders with due datesLists of content to share, broken into categoriesCollaboration with clients and other VA’sCreate content calendarsStore links, graphics, and other resources I’ll use repeatedlyHave a look at my sample board here!Free, with paid upgrades
Try Trello
Dropbox is, hands-down, my favorite way to store and share files. While GoogleDrive has some benefits, I love Dropbox’s ease of use and endless integrations.How I use it:Share folders and files with clientsShare downloadable files and imagesComment on and request shared filesStore form submission data in dedicated foldersAutomatically backup websites to dedicated foldersFree, with paid upgrades
Try Dropbox
I may save everything to Dropbox, but I assure you I also back up my machine to my external WD drive. The last computer I had died unexpectedly – the number of fonts I would have lost was huge, which would have meant a serious re-investment!How I use it:Create daily backups of my laptopSafely store my personal files I don’t want weighing down my machine or DropBoxBeing able to use other computers for my workRestoring files I accidentally delete on my machine or DropBoxShared storage with hubby for his photographyPrice: varies
Find A WD External Drive
IFTTT lets you connect your various social, devices, and other apps to create one smart network of tools that do the heavy lifting for you.How I use it:Create Trello cards automatically (for recurring events, new shareable content, or appointments)Save new contact info from social to a spreadsheetAutomatically share my Instagram posts to Pinterest (or any other social combo!)Backup social posts to spreadsheets for later reuseGet email alerts for hot leads based on social searchesCompletely free!
Try IFTTT