My Favourite Resources for Bloggers + Makers (Including Free Trials!)
My Quick Fire Top 5 Resources
(1) Tailwind
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(2) A-Z Business Directory
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(3) Flodesk
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Other Amazing Resources I Use Regularly
Training Courses + Learning
Creative Live
They offer new free classes every week – the live streamed courses change daily, so there’s always something interesting to learn without having to pay anything. If you like a class that you seen on the live stream, and would like to purchase it, they are all very affordable and 100% worth the investment. To see my favourite Creative Live courses – check out my roundup blog post here.
Skillshare
This is a yearly membership site, that has similar content as Creative Live plus a huge selection of classes to expand your artistic side. I am currently taking courses on surface pattern lettering, watercolour florals and folk art illustrations. It’s a ton of fun, and you have a finished project at the end of every class. Get three months for free using this link.
Social Media Tools + Apps
Tailwind
Tailwind is a powerful scheduling tool for Pinterest. Schedule your pins and other people’s pins right without ever leaving the Pinterest interface. In Tailwind you can use the Tribes feature and also follow your favorite pinners. The analytics are really good too. Get a month for free using this link to give it a try!
Iconosquare
This is the program I use
Email Marketing
Flodesk
We currently use the free program, and it works like a dream. You can have up to 2000 subscribers on your list, and send up to 12,000 total emails before they require you to upgrade to their paid plan. Perfect for small businesses just starting out!
Accounting + Bookkeeping
Xero
If you are looking for a Quickbooks alternative – Xero might just be the thing for you. It has a sleek and fun to use interface that makes the task of bookkeeping a bit more tolerable. ? The great news is that they offer a generous free trial period – so you can take it for a spin before you commit. I am a certified Xero bookkeeper, and can help you get set up if you have any questions.
Creative Storefronts + E-Commerce
Etsy
Naturally, I’m partial to Etsy since it’s what gave this little baby business it’s wings. I still do workshops on how to maximize the reach of your business using the Etsy Marketplace, and believe even businesses who have graduated to Shopify can still benefit from Etsy. If you’re thinking of giving it a try, earn 40 Free listings to give your shop a try for free!
Shopify
IMAGES, PHOTO EDITING + DESIGN TOOLS
Fiverr
Sometimes you just can’t do it all yourself. If a VA is not in your budget, then a trip to Fiverr may just do the trick. If you are not familiar, you can hire someone on Fiverr to design or create almost anything that you need for your website, starting at a 5 dollar price tag. From logos to infographics to book covers – they’ve got you covered. Just be sure to read the reviews and do a little due diligence before you hire.
Creative Market
Looking for beautiful fonts, styled photos and beautiful stock images? Creative Market is THE best place to find on trend, beautiful images and graphics to round out your blog or website.
Canva
Canva is a great site for designing your own graphics.
Stencil
Similar to Canva, Stencil is a new graphic creation program that has a number of features Canva doesn’t (include 1,000’s of stunning royalty free photos to choose from). They’re also Canadian, which means if you end up graduating from their free program into their paid programs ($9 – $18/month) it’s in Canadian dollars. Which is a huge plus for those of us in the great white north.
Where I Get My Shipping Supplies
Amazon.ca
Staples for Business
My Favourite Productivity Tools
Your Best Year
The best productivity planner I’ve ever used – and trust me I’ve tried a lot of them!
Backup + Online Storage + File Sharing
Dropbox
Misc Time Savers I Swear By
- Chefs Plate – meal prep service here in Canada that is ah.maz.ing.
