Resources for Business Owners
Having been a solo business owner since 2010 and learning on the fly how to set up and run a business, I have tried and tested hundreds of business tools and apps. In a bid to help you save you time and money, here is a curated list of my favorite business resources to get you started.
(If you see an * it's because I might get a few smackeroos ($) if you purchase this product)
Websites Builders, Domains, Hosting and Email Marketing
SQUARESPACE *
An easy to use website builder that offers elegant templates. My choice for simple websites.
WORDPRESS
An easy to use website builder that offers elegant templates.
CRAZY DOMAINS *
An Australian-based domain registration and web hosting company I recommend for domain services.
SHOPIFY *
My go-to and only website builder I recommend for creating and managing e-commerce businesses.
DREAMHOST *
DreamHost is a well-established web hosting provider with great customer service. I recommend Dreamhost for website hosting.
Project Management, Productivity & Finance
DUBSADO *
(Use this link for 20% off your first year!)
Dubsado has been a game changer for me. I use it for client communication and project management including proposals, invoices, time tracking, finance goals, scheduling meetings, digital signatures, questionnaires and more. I'm not in love with the interface, but after trying similar platforms, Dubsado ticked most of my wish list.
TRELLO
Another favourite. I use Trello to organize tasks and projects on visual boards. I use it for both personal and business tasks.
PAYPAL
Secure online payment processing. I also use PayPal to receive overseas payments.
DROPBOX
Cloud storage that allows you to securely store and share files online. I use Dropbox daily to backup my files and share files with clients.
DROPBOX PAPER
Dropbox Paper is a collaborative document editing tool that integrates with Dropbox. Useful for writing content, brain dumps, to-do lists etc and for sharing these docs with others.
CHAT GPT
ChatGPT is a language model for text-based conversations and language-related tasks. I use it to help me brainstorm content ideas, proofreading and rewriting content for me.
TOGGL
Time tracking and reporting.
DOCUSIGN
Electronic signature and contract management.
ZOOM
Video conferencing and webinars.
Free and Premium Images & Video
STOCKSY
Stocksy is a stock photo agency known for its high-quality, artist-owned images and a commitment to fair compensation for photographers.
UNSPLASH
Unsplash offers a vast collection of stylish and free high-resolution photos, making it a popular resource for creatives and businesses.
PEXELS
Pexels offers free stock photos and videos. An excellent resources to have for website or social videos.
KABOOM PICS
Kaboom Pics offers a selection of high-quality, modern stock photos with a focus on lifestyle and interior design themes.
PACKSIA
Packsia is a platform that provides curated collections of premium design resources, including fonts, templates, and graphics, for designers and creative professionals.
Social Media, Image/Video Editing & Printing
CANVA
Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters and more.
A COLOR STORY
A great app for Photo editing including filters, effects and tools plus an Instagram grid planners so you can plan and preview your grid before you post.
PLANN
Plann is an all-in-one Instagram and social media content planner, scheduler, and strategist with post ideas, free templates, plus a free link-in-bio tool. I've never used it, but it looks excellent.
COLOURTONE
My favourite app for photo + video filters and tools. I've bought several filters and use them constantly.
CLIPCHAMP
An app and online video editing tool. There are lots of great tools around, but this was the easiest tool I could find for creating reels!
MOO.COM
High-quality online printing for business cards, postcards, and other promotional materials. My favourite product is the extra thick business cards with coloured edges.
NOISSUE
An eco-friendly packaging company that prints tissue paper, stickers, mailers, food paper, packing tape etc.
FAST PRINTING
Another great printer that offers a huge range of printed materials and offers fun and luxe finishes such as foiling, letterpress and embossing.
GETTING STARTED
For help establishing your brand identity or online presence visit the design services page for more information.