Wondering what you need to run your business?
Here is the comprehensive list of my favorite tools & resources...
Many of these links are affiliate links, which means I will get a commission or credit if you purchase. However, none of the fees have been increased to compensate me.
TOOLS TO RUN YOUR MARKETING
SYSTEME.IO
I've just recently moved over to this all-in-one platform. And I LOVE IT! Here's what I have on it... my website, all of my funnels, my email marketing, my shopping cart, my courses, and my community. It's easy to use, intuitive, and fast. I've tried a ton of apps and this is my favorite by far. Not only is it perfect for coaches who are just getting started, but those same coaches will be able to keep using it as their business grows. The best part? Their free plan is GENEROUS! Check it out.
TOOLS TO COLLECT, MANAGE, AND SAVE MONEY
STRIPE
Stripe is a merchant account. It is my favorite because it is easy to get set up, easy to integrate with other apps, and easy to use.
THRIVECART
Thrivecart is the shopping cart I used to use for my business before switching over to systeme.io. If you end up using systeme.io (see above), you won't need Thrivecart. As of right now, you can buy it for a one-time investment (no monthly fees). It's not inexpensive, but when compared to $100 / mo charge for similar apps, it pays for itself in just a few months. You'll be able to easily hook it up with Stripe (and Paypal if you use it). If you sell anything other than coaching, such as courses, workbooks, etc., then definitely consider Thrivecart. And as an added bonus, for a couple hundred dollars more, you can add their Learn+ membership portal to it. It's where I house my courses, workshops, and alumni membership program.
YNAB
YNAB is a personal finance app that I actually use for my business as well. I've had to tweak a few things to make it work for business, but I couldn't be happier with it. It has a tiny bit of a learning curve, but once you understand it, it will be easy to get and keep your personal and business finances organized. AND save you money. They also include a generous 34 day free trial so you can really try it out before you decide. I saved more than double that the first month of using it. You might find you do the same.
APPSUMO
Appsumo is a company that works with other companies to create fantastic deals on business related apps. Most of them are lifetime deals. It's highly worth getting on their email list to get notified of new deals. It can save you a ton of money. If you use the link to the right, you'll get $10 towards your first app.
TOOLS TO HELP YOU COMMUNICATE
SPARK
Spark is an email app with a ton of features. The free version may be all that you need. It has a Smart Inbox, Smart Search, email templates, email signatures, and my favorite, Snooze. The snooze feature allows you to file the email away until you're ready to see it. Just let Spark know when you want it to show up in your inbox again.
ZOOM
Zoom is a video conferencing app. It is what I use for all of my coaching calls, as well as my enrollment conversations. The free version might be perfect for you. If not, their smallest paid plan is still quite affordable.
ACUITY SCHEDULING
Acuity Scheduling is a scheduling app that allows you to embed a scheduler on your website, send customized confirmation and reminder emails, and hook to a calendar you already use. It also allows you to hook to Stripe so you can collect money for your coaching.
SLACK
Slack is a communication tool you can use with your team if you have one. It beats the heck out of email. And their free version is quite generous. Depending on how big your team gets, you may never need a paid plan.
TOOLS TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS
CONVERTKIT
ConvertKit is the email marketing app I used before switching to systeme.io. It's intuitive and easy to use. You can send out newsletter emails, set up email campaigns, and even create landing pages.
MAILER LITE
Mailer Lite is another inexpensive, intuitive, and easy to use email marketing service where you can send out newsletter emails, set up email campaigns, and even create websites. Many of my clients love this app. If you're looking into doing a lot of email marketing, then definitely make this one of the contenders before you decide. Plus, you get quite a bit with their free version.
LATER
Later is the tool I use to post on all my social media platforms. It allows you to schedule and post to several platforms at once saving you a ton of time and headaches. It also has an incredible free option (the best I've seen), so depending on how often you post, you may not need to pay for it.
GOFULLPAGE - FULL PAGE SCREEN CAPTURE
Full page screen capture is a Chrome extension that allows you to capture an entire webpage. You can save the page as a PDF or PNG file. I use it to capture swipe files of marketing and business pages I love for future inspiration.
TOOLS TO KEEP YOU PRODUCTIVE & ORGANIZED
NOTION
Notion is the tool I use to organize everything in my business (and life). I use it to take notes, keep files, and generally just keep me sane. All the pieces of my business and life are in here and I know exactly where to go when I need something.
XMIND
Xmind is a mind mapping app that I use during my Coach Action Plan calls and whenever I need to get my creative juices flowing. One of the best parts is that it switches over to an outline when I'm ready to get things organized in a linear or hierarchical way.
ZAPIER
Zapier is a tool that allows one app to talk to another. This is great for automating pieces of your business so you don't have to manually copy and paste information from one app to another. There are so many uses it's hard to list them out here.
THINGS
Things is an intuitive task manager made for the Apple suite. I use it for all of my project and task management. It's so incredibly easy to use it that it just becomes an essential part of your toolbox. And if you're on a Mac, you can set it up as a widget (right side notifications area), and see all your tasks for today in one clear place.
VIDEO SPEED CONTROLLER
Video Speed Controller is a free Chrome extension that allows you to speed up videos in increments of 10%. Most video hosts only allow you to speed videos up or slow them down by 25%, if they have that feature at all. I always use Video Speed Controller when I'm watching training and other videos. It allows me to save time and retain more because my mind doesn't wander as much.
TOOLS FOR READING & WRITING
INSTAPAPER
Instapaper is a great way to keep newsletter emails and blog articles for reading later. Let's face it, we can't always read a fantastic article when we want to, so sending it to Instapaper ensures we never lose it. It's there waiting for us whenever we have the time. The free version is probably all you'll need, although the premium version has some pretty cool features.
READWISE
Readwise is a tool that allows you to connect Instapaper, Kindle notes, and a few other tools to Notion, Evernote, etc. It can take your Instapaper highlights and transfer them to your note taking app of choice. It also has a feature where it emails you some of your notes on a consistent basis, which helps you retain information you've read. Use the link to the right and you'll get a free month if you decide to try the premium version.
GRAMMARLY
Grammarly is a Chrome extension that highlights all your grammar mistakes as you make them and gives you suggestions for what to change. I won't lie, it's sometimes annoying, but super helpful.
TOOLS FOR THE CREATIVE STUFF
CANVA
Canva is an easy to use graphic design tool that allows you to create professional looking graphics for your business in no time. It's got a slight learning curve but nothing you can't handle. You'll be amazed and proud of the graphics you come up with. The best part are the hundreds (if not thousands) of templates to choose from. You'll never again have to design something from scratch. Time saver! If your budget allows, I also highly recommend the pro version. You'll be able to schedule your social media posts right from Canva, easily resize graphics for different social media platforms, create multiple brand kits with your brand colors and fonts, and a bunch more.
CREATIVE MARKET
Creative Market is a website that allows you to purchase already designed resources for your business -- social media posts, presentations, brochures, freebie giveaways. Everything is designed for you. You just need to add in your content.
DESCRIPT
If you create videos of any kind on a regular basis, you are going to want to get Descript. It saves me HOURS a month. It allows you to edit videos using the transcript of the video. No more trying to find the exact place in the video file to edit it.
OTTER
Otter is an AI powered tool that allows you to transcribe your audios and videos. Honestly, you don't need it if you get Descript. But if you don't need Descript but still need things transcribed, then Otter is a great tool to use. And they have a free account that allows you so many minutes without charge.
FIVERR
Fiverr is a great place to find inexpensive help for a variety of tasks for your business -- designers, writers, etc. It usually takes a couple of days to get things back, and you may need to go back and forth a bit, but often it's way better than doing it yourself.
UNSPLASH
Unsplash is a source for freely-usable images. They're beautiful and free. What's not to love? They're my first choice for grabbing beautiful graphics for my courses and marketing materials.
DEPOSITPHOTOS
Deposit Photos is another photography site. Not free, but sometimes I can't always find an image I'm looking for on Unsplash, so I use Deposit Photos to fill in the gaps.
