Some of these links are affiliate links, which means I may earn some money if you click on one and make a purchase.
Read the full disclosure here.
Domain Registration
Google Domains—most domains are $12/year and include privacy protection https://domains.google/
NameCheap—start at $8.88/year and include privacy protection https://www.namecheap.com
Hosting Companies for WordPress Hosting
Bluehost –starts at $3.95/month but requires a 3-year signup (shorter periods will have a higher monthly price), includes your SSL certificate https://www.bluehost.com/track/marieleslie/
Email List Apps
Birdsend—I personally use Birdsend. It isn’t a fancy layouts—you can include images—but it has good open rates and is easy to use. It starts at $7.20/month for up to 1000 subscribers. https://birdsend.co/?fp_ref=marie24
Mailchimp—If you need to start with a free email manager Mailchimp is the most well-known. The free account does have some limitations, but can get you started and is good for up to 2000 subscribers.
Productivity Helps
Appointlet if your business includes appointments/consultations, a scheduling program ends the headaches of trying to synchronize schedules and calendars. Visitors to your website can automatically find a time that works for both of you. Includes both paid and free versions. https://www.appointlet.com/?tap_a=3391-c9deb2&tap_s=866437-dab3e5
Backblaze—automatic data backup is critical to both the health of your business and your sanity. It runs about $60/year for most people, and it is worth every penny. It isn’t a matter of IF your hard drive will fail, but WHEN. https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-backup.html#af9twc
Bitwarden—This is a password manager that stores and remembers all your passwords. You no longer need to worry about all those insecure passwords you create because secure ones are too hard to remember. Bitwarden offers free and paid versions. You can have two users who can share some or all passwords on the free plan. https://bitwarden.com/
Canva—While I am personally a devotee of Photoshop, Canva will make life much easier for most people. They make making graphics easy. partner.canva.com/BXyPML
Google Voice—you can control your calls and not have your home or cell phone out there as a business number, making you available 24/7.
Rescuetime—You may or may not need this, and you generally don’t need it forever. If you feel like you’re not getting anything done all day, install this and find out where you are spending your computer time. It will likely surprise you. It has both free and paid versions https://www.rescuetime.com/rp/marieleslie/plans
Stock Photos—DO NOT get your website, business and social media photos from Google Searches. Copyright is real and violating someone’s copyright can cost you a lot of money. I use primarily use Pixabay and Unsplash when I want something free, and Deposit Photos, when I need something more specialized. I do have a giant resource list of free and paid sites for graphics, photos, videos, and fonts available here.
Trello–I use Trello to track projects, ideas, deadlines, and pretty much everything in my business life. It has a list of features about a mile long, it’s easy to get started with, and it has free and paid versions. https://trello.com/marieleslie/recommend