Tools & Resources

I’m often asked about tools and resources. So I made a list of the ones I use myself and recommend based on my experience, along with a few others that come with high praise from some other creators I look up to. By no means are these the only options out there, so feel free to shop around for cheaper, better (or free) alternatives.

Some of these are affiliate links. If you click and sign up or make a purchase, I’ll earn a commission at no cost to you.

Website

My business runs on WordPress.org (the self-hosted version). Old-fashioned? Yes. Comes with a learning curve? Yes. Powerful AF? You bet! These resources help me with my WordPress site.

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NameCheap

I buy all my domains from NameCheap, including this domain. They have good rates and an easy to use domain dashboard and DNS settings options.

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SiteGround

I host this website on SiteGround. It is one of the best WordPress hosting companies with great customer service, features, and top performance.

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Astra

You can use Astra for free with a page-builder (I do) or upgrade for paid with more features and template options. (Note: There are plenty of other great themes and templates besides Astra, and you can even use WordPress's native Gutenberg blocks for customizing your site. Feel free to shop around.)

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Email Marketing

Every business owner needs a newsletter. I started my newsletter as soon as I started The Side Blogger. No exceptions! Start your list-building efforts from day-zero.

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Kit

I use Kit for all of my email list-building and marketing needs. It is one of the most powerful yet easy-to-use email service providers.

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Beehiiv
Beehiiv

If you have a newsletter-only business and you do not have need for a separate website as your blogging platform, consider Beehiiv.

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Best Subscribers

Best Subscribers tells me where my readers find me (sources such as Google, Perplexity, Pinterest, etc.) and on which pages they choose to subscribe to my newsletter.

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Graphics, Images & Documents

I use these to create logos, banners, blog and social media graphics, Pinterest graphics, ebooks, workbooks, infographics, etc.

Canva

Canva is an integral part of my day-to-day business operations as I use it to create blog graphics, infographics, Pinterest and social graphics, banners, thumbnails, profile images, documents, presentations, workbooks, invoices, and more.

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Adobe

Adobe is another option for creating graphics and documents. I especially like it for creating vector logos.

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Moyo Studio
Moyo Studio

Moyo is a great boutique studio for affordable and beautiful mockups and stock images for your graphics and digital product showcases.

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Events/Meetings

If you hold events or meetings, group or 1:1, these should be useful.

Luma for event registration.
Luma

I use Luma to handle free and paid virtual event registrations. It has a beautiful user interface and experience.

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Calendly
Calendly

I use Calendly for selling my 1:1 coaching calls, where people get to pick their own meeting dates and times based on my availability.

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Zoom

Zoom is perfect for holding the actual events or coaching calls that I schedule with Luma and Calendly.

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Writing/Editing

These tools can help you write and edit better blog posts, essays, newsletters, and social posts.

Grammarly

Grammarly remains a trusted tool for spotting and fixing most typos and missing punctuations. I find the free version satisfies my needs just fine.

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Reedsy
Reedsy

Reedsy is perfect for those text-heavy documents that you might want to turn into an ebook or even a proper book!

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Course, Membership & Community Software

Some of these are what I use for my own membership site—The Vault. If you run (or plan to set up) a membership site, check them out!

MemberPress

I use MemberPress for my Membership Vault. It is perfect for creators who use WordPress as their course and membership platform.

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Skool

I use Skool for my communities. It is perfect for folks on a budget as it has an affordable "Hobby" plan—much cheaper than most community software out in the wild.

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