Over 50 Top Resources For Freelancers And Bloggers
Are you looking for the tools and tech of the trade? Well, you’re in luck! If you are running an online biz this page has your resources. The resources on this page are the ones I personally use and/or those that have been recommended to me by fellow freelancers and bloggers. Make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see all the categories.
Be sure to bookmark this page for later reference!
*Some links are my affiliate and referral links meaning I may receive a commission or benefits when you purchase. This is at no extra cost to you and you are helping to support the site. Thank you.
Web Hosting
If you are looking for a hosting company for your website here are two choices with competitive prices that make it easy to get started with your blog or business…
WPEngine– Your Digital Experience platform for WordPress.
HostGator -Web Hosting made Easy and Affordable
BlueHost – Powering over 2 million websites worldwide
WordPress Themes
I recommend using WordPress.org for your websites. I’m theme obsessed!
Genesis Framework – Many of my favorite themes use the Genesis Framework. It makes it easy to customize your site without having to dive into coding.
Studio Press – They have so many wonderful themes! I currently use the Studio Press theme called Foodie Pro
Theme Forest – Another great place to find lots of WordPress Themes
Elegant Themes – Beautiful Premium WordPress Themes
Creative Market – Not only can you find fun WordPress themes here, but also other design elements like fonts, templates, and photos for your biz!
Etsy – You can also find blog themes and other resources here
Graphic Design
These resources will help you rock it when creating your own graphics!
Canva – Empowering the world to design
PicMonkey – This is your photo on awesome juice
BeFunky – Photo Editor, Designer, and Collage Maker
99 Designs – If you are not into designing yourself, hire it out
Fiverr – Hire out design work starting at just $5
Skitch – For Screen Captures
Social Media Scheduling & Management
Sprout Social – Grow your social media presence
Hootsuite – Powerful social media management tools to grow your business
Buffer – Help keep those social media feeds topped off
Twitter Legend – A course on increasing followers and getting paid to tweet
IFTTT – Connects apps and devices to help you automate
Chrome extensions to search people for social media profiles:
Discover.ly – Put Social to work
Social Media Image Size Cheat Sheet
Whether you want to start a newsletter for your biz or just clean up your inbox, here are some great options:
ConvertKit – Email Marketing for Professional Bloggers
MailChimp – Send better email. Sell more stuff.
Unroll.me – Free service that makes it easy to unsubscribe and clean up your inbox
TypeForm – Create lovely contact forms for your site
Business Management
HelloSign – eSigning for documents and contracts
Wave – Free accounting and more
Microsoft Office 365 –
Google Apps For Work (docs, forms, hangouts, etc)
Lastpass – Organize and protect your passwords
Crash Plan – Protect your digital life. Computer backup
Evernote – organize your notes and clips
Skype – Have calls and meetings online
DropBox – File Storage online
Focus@Will – An app with music scientifically designed to help you focus while you work
Mind Movies – Create your own “movie vision board” to help you focus and meet your goals
Project Management
Trello – From the big picture to the minute details! Trello is a free project management tool and I cannot say how wonderful it is! But, I had no idea how to make good use of it until I took this course from Think Creative Collective: Trello For Business Boards already set up for you? Why, yes, I’ll take it!
Asana – allows teams to track their work and get results
Redbooth – Manage projects and collaborate
17 Hats – Say Goodbye to Chaos and Hello to Organization!
Money & Finances
Quickbooks Self-Employed – Organize your finances and prep for tax season
Ebates – Save money and get cash back for shopping online
Monefy – Budgeting app to keep up with your finances on the go
PayPal – Send and receive payments online
Mac Apps + Equipment
Apple iMac 21.5in Desktop – because life is better with iMac
Macbook Pro Retina Display – for when you’re on the go or working from the cafe
MacPaw – Clean My Mac and more tools
iPad Air 16GB – View and Organize your life on the go when a lightweight version is needed
smcFanCOntrol– If your laptop tends to overheat when you are cranking out content
Places To Collect Content to Share
Bloglovin – Find and share blog posts by category
Feedly – Organize and share what matters to you
Blogs To Follow For Freelance & Online Business Tips
- Smart Passive Income – build passive income streams
- Freelance To Freedom Project – get clients and organize your freelance life
- Freelance Lift – Conquer the business side of freelancing
- Copyblogger – Content Marketing Mastery
- Problogger – Create and grow your blog
- Entrepreneur – How To be an entrepreneur
Blogs To Follow For Marketing & Social Media
- Sprout Social Insights – Social media tips and expert advice (I am a contributor, so be sure to check out my profile here: http://sproutsocial.com/insights/author/lori-hil/
- Social Media Examiner – Your guide to the social media jungle
- Peg Fitzpatrick Blog – Advice from a social media marketing pro
- Mashable Social Media – Tips, tech, and news
Courses and Books
Skillshare – Click the link for two Free months of Premium
CreativeLive– Free On-Air Classes Weekly
Udemy – Online Courses in business, social media, and more!
Coursera – Courses, often free, that you can take with you on the go through their app
How To Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul (Check out my review post on this book here)
Coach Glue – forms, planners, and workshops
Twitter Legend – A course on increasing followers and getting paid to tweet
PLR Content
Private Label Rights (PLR) content can help you jumpstart your content creation for newsletters, blog posts, and more! I’ve got a post about here: How To Utilize PLR Content To Grow Your Biz, Saving Time & Money
Here are some resources to find PLR content: