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If you’ve been looking for a resource guide to help you get started with a side income or online business, look no further than this post.
I created this post as the ultimate resource of tools for the online solopreneur. So you don’t have to do the research anymore – we already did that for you.
Now, that’s what I call a running start.
There are many great tools that can have such an impact on your productivity and ultimately your success.
Note: Some of these tools may contain affiliate links. Keep in mind, this is no way reflective of my opinion of these tools. I don’t believe a small commission is worth jeopardizing my integrity.
Many of these tools are free and some have a cost. You will also find some offer a free trial period.
Website Setup
This is one of the very first things you want to do before anything else.
Buying a domain
Namecheap is a great site to buy your domain.
Next, choosing a web host.
Now when you’re just starting out, you don’t need to have an elaborate web hosting plan.
BlueHost is our host here at The Income Spot and it has been a solid choice. They have plans that start at just $2.95 per month.
Best calendar tools
Google Calendar
Perhaps the gold standard of calendar tools, Google Calendar’s main advantage against its competitors is it’s a tool that’s widely used by a lot of people. Essentially, anyone with a Google account has access to it.
This means a lot of the people you will be working with such as freelancers will probably be using Google Calendar.
And the best part? You can use it for free!
Calendly
This tool claims that when you use it, you’ll be able to set up meetings and appointments without back and forth emails.
Essentially, all you need to do with Calendly is to set your meeting preferences, and it will be able to schedule meetings for you.
Additionally, it can also be integrated with Outlook, Google, Office 365, or iCloud calendar.
Best email marketing tools
Do you need to build a mailing list and want to find a way to continuously communicate with them? Try any of these email marketing tools.
Convertkit
What I love about ConvertKit is its ease of use. From setting up sequences to broadcast emails, it has everything you need as a solopreneur.
Rafflecopter
One way to get better engagement with your fans and also grow your email list quickly is by running contests. Rafflecopter is an excellent tool to host these giveaways. It makes picking winners simple and helps you grow your social media presence faster.
Best Digital Marketing Tool
SEMrush
An excellent tool that has a host of features that allows you to get keyword ideas, obtain backlinks, beat the competition, audit your content and much more.
Check out the SEMrush Review.
Cloud storage and backup tools
Dropbox
This is a personal favorite among the storage tools featured here because it’s easy to use and organize. Additionally, its premium subscription is also pretty affordable.
Meanwhile, for the free version, you get 2 GB worth of storage. You can also share the links of files you’ve uploaded so other people can view and download the same files. And if you want to have someone upload secure files, you can create a link and send it to them.
Fun fact: the tool claims to have 500 million active users. That’s half a billion people uploading and storing files on their site!
Google Drive
It beats Dropbox in terms of active users, because there are apparently 800 million people actively using this service.
A free account will give you 15GB of storage space where you can upload and store all sorts of files, from photos, videos, recordings, and more.
I personally think one of the best parts of Google Drive is the fact that you automatically get one once you have a Google Account – which I’m sure most of us have.
When you upload your files on Google Drive, you’ll be able to access them anywhere you are, with any device, whether it’s a tablet, your smartphone, or your laptop.
Backblaze
When you visit their main site, you’ll immediately see their selling point: “cloud storage that’s astonishingly easy and low-cost”. They even have a counter of how many files they have recovered.
For just five dollars every month, you’ll be able to securely back up your files. Backblaze even offers unlimited backup!
They also claim to be the world’s easiest cloud backup.
The only downside is that Backblaze doesn’t offer a free service. But if you’re willing to get cloud storage for the cost of two coffee drinks, this might be the tool to use. This is especially true if you’re a bit of a novice when it comes to cloud storage, or you just simply don’t want to spend too much time on how you store files on the cloud.
With its easy initial setup, Backblaze is pretty much a set it and forget it kind of cloud storage, and definitely something to consider if you’re a freelancer with too many other tasks on your to-do list.
WeTransfer
This tool claims it’s the easiest way to “send your files around the world”. Headquartered in the US and the Netherlands, it claims that users from around the world send one billion files using their platform.
WeTransfer specializes in facilitating the transfer of large files, and not necessarily on their permanent storage or backup. In this sense, it’s not a platform that allows you to organize your files in the same way other cloud storage sites like Dropbox does.
However, where WeTransfer really shines is how easy it is to share files via the platform to any recipient around the world (provided that recipient has a compatible device and wifi).
Best communication tools
Slack
Their logo made it to the opening credits of HBO’s Silicon Valley last year, so you know they’re big.
Essentially, Slack seems to be the messaging app of choice among startups, and they’re quite useful for freelancers as well. Additionally, they are often included in lists that identify the top messaging apps of the year.
You can use Slack for free, but for premium functionalities, you can opt for the Standard package and the Plus account.
While their non-free packages cost more than what other messaging apps charge, it’s for good reason. Slack remains one of the most favored messaging apps among teams. Why do you ask? For starters, there are numerous ways to customize it in such a way that works best for you and your team. Additionally, you can easily integrate Slack with email.
Admittedly, there is a learning curve to using this tool, but once you and the people you work with get an understanding of the seemingly chaotic interface (a lot of first-time users can get overwhelmed with the Slack in the beginning), you’ll be able to use it with ease.
Skype
This is another tool I use quite often for my freelance projects. A lot of clients have Skype as their default communication tool, so you should definitely get yourself an account if you’re going to freelance.
You won’t necessarily have to upgrade to a business account, but once you feel your business picking up and your clients increasing, it might be a good idea to upgrade.
Very few communication tools can rival Skype’s popularity. Backed by tech giant Microsoft, it’s undoubtedly one of the most well known and used communication tools out there.
And as part of tech giant Microsoft, the team behind Skype make sure they’re constantly updating the tool with features that their users need. For instance, just recently, they unveiled that users can now record their calls directly from Skype instead of relying on a third party recording application.
Best contracting tools
Bonsai
You’re bound to experience this feeling of dread that washes over you when you realize you have to do the administrative work of your business. Drafting up contracts and getting them signed, releasing invoices and numerous other administrative tasks on your to-do list as a freelancer will always be pretty lengthy.
That said, there is a better way to manage the “unsexy” side of it, and it’s all thanks to Bonsai.
Their slogan states that thanks to Bonsai, its users can put their freelancing on autopilot. The tool claims to be a one-stop shop for all the solutions a solopreneur might need.
Its suite of services includes managing proposals, keeping track, creating and signing contracts, and time tracking.
On top of that, Bonsai also helps solopreneurs track projects and their expenses. It can also be used to generate invoices.
You can start using Bonsai for free or subscribe to their available plans. The Plus package costs $24 while the Premium package costs $34 monthly.
Legal Templates
You need airtight contracts, but hiring a lawyer or a legal team can be quite costly.
Thanks to Legal Templates, you can get access to hundreds of legal templates and forms, and all for free!
You also don’t have to worry about the quality of the templates and forms available on the site. These documents are regularly reviewed and updated by attorneys.
What’s more, it’s so easy to use, and can help you complete your legal requirements quickly!
Adobe Sign
Being a solopreneur means putting your signature on numerous documents. Often these documents are online instead of actual, physical documents. And for such virtual files, you’ll need Adobe Sign.
The awesome part about Adobe Sign is it can be fully integrated into other tools like Outlook or SharePoint Online. Once you’ve set up this integration, you can actually automate the approval process of your documents, saving you a lot of time!
Best easy to use design tools
Canva
For those with a creative eye and want to make a living out of this particular passion, we have the tool for you.
This is a particularly valuable tool for graphic designers who are just starting out. In fact, it might also be valuable for those of you who aren’t graphic designers at all!
This is because Canva is a platform that allows its users to create images and other visual content, even if those users have absolutely no training in graphic design.
Its drag and drop interface makes it super easy to use, and it also offers numerous templates, images, font styles and other design elements to choose from. It also has numerous tools that can help anyone make the perfect graphic or image for whatever purpose.
Piktochart
Similar to Canva, Piktochart is an easy to use visual design platform. For freelancers like me who are writers but who are not necessarily adept at graphic design, this might be the perfect tool for us all.
That’s because you don’t have to be a professional, or someone who’s had experience in graphic design to use Piktochart.
With this tool, you can level up your presentation visuals, develop infographics, make reports, flyers and even posters! And you don’t have to have experience in art direction or graphic design to use it.
Visually
Need various visuals for your projects? Connect with artists and designers via Visually, a community that helps you match with the right people to fulfill your visual requirements.
How the service works is you make a brief of your requirement and relay it to one of their Visually representatives. Upon evaluation of your requirement, you will be given a quotation for the project.
Visually charges a flat rate, so there won’t be any surprises of extra fees and charges at the end of the project.
If you’re happy with the price, you will then formally write a creative brief which will then be used to match the project with the right creative.
You’ll be able to collaborate with your creative on their platform until you reach your desired output!
Best finance tools
Paypal
Perhaps before your life as an entrepreneur, you only knew of PayPal as a payment system that allowed you to pay for things you shopped for online.
But now you can reverse the process, and instead, use PayPal as a service that pays you money.
If you don’t know yet, you can actually use it to create invoices and send them directly to your clients for payment. Nifty!
Freshbooks
Every business needs to get its finances in order.
Enter Freshbooks, an accounting software made for small businesses and freelancers.
With the software, you can do invoicing, track expenses, track projects and payments, and many others.
Best project management tools
Trello
This productivity platform is a must for project management needs.
To get started, you only need to create a board for your project and invite the rest of your team to collaborate.
Many Trello users love the software for its flexibility, enabling them to customize it the way it best suits their projects.
Wunderlist
This tool allows you to “keep your life in sync”. You can use it for your freelancing to-do lists, but also for your personal to-do list.
With Wunderlist, you can create lists for anything and share them with others.
It’s a great tool to help you keep track of your tasks, and it’s something you can use for both your freelancing requirements and your personal tasks.
Monday.com
This compact tool consolidates information from you and your other project members into one easily accessible hub, allowing your team to plan and make decisions together.
Essentially, Monday.com is one of the most sought-after collaboration and communication apps at the moment.
It’s a great tool if you’re working with other freelancers from all around the world because it’s a great way to connect and communicate!
Best productivity tools
LastPass
Need a way to manage all your passwords? And no, we don’t mean writing them down and hiding the piece of paper in a locked vault.
With LastPass, you get yourself an online password vault for when you just can’t keep track of all your different passwords anymore. With this service, you only need to remember your master password to unlock all your other passwords.
Evernote
This is my personal favorite when it comes to note-taking apps, and have been using it for years.
You can keep photos, audio recordings, and even handwritten items as notes. You can even attach files to your notes!
It’s probably the closest thing to a physical notebook that you’ll find online because of its flexibility.
The best part? You can use Evernote for free!
G Suite
Does the “G” in G Suite stand for Giant? It might as well, because G Suite was developed by Google, a definite giant in the tech world.
Launched in 2006, G Suite has the whole gamut of tools a freelancer needs, from Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive. It even has Jamboard, a virtual, interactive whiteboard.
Another awesome feature is you can create a business email address info@yourdomain.com
Toggl
This is a free and easy to use time tracking software. But for how simple it is to use Toggl, its reporting functionality is pretty powerful.
You can start tracking your hours with Toggl with just a click of a button, and you can use it on all of your devices.
But its reporting tool is a power to behold, allowing you to see the big picture of where most of your time goes, and where you can cut down on hours to give way to your real priorities.
Best proposal tools
Proposify
As a Freelancer creating proposals is a critical task in landing clients and projects.
This is why you should try using Proposify, which allows you to create proposals seamlessly. It also facilitates faster approval of your proposal by clients, and also has an integrated payment system!
Prospero
This tool claims you can make professional-looking proposals three times faster than usual. That’s three times the business opportunity for the same amount of time.
Not convinced? Sign up for their $1 trial.
You will then gain access to their ready-made templates and creatives, which you can customize to fix your proposal.
Best social media management tools
SmarterQue
SmarterQue is a tool that helps you schedule your posts and automatically recycle your content on social media.
Not only that, it also provides analytics and facilitates content curation.
Using their technology, you can quickly find the most engaging content online, giving you inspiration on what kind of content you should share.
You can then schedule your posts accordingly. Once executed, SmarterQue will then generate reports for your posts’ performance!
Tailwind
If you need a content scheduler for Instagram and Pinterest, look no further than with Tailwind.
You can bulk upload images for scheduled posts, and once posted, you can start measuring how well your posts did.
Meet Edgar
Meanwhile, this social media management tool claims it’s the tool that can manage itself.
Among the many tools for freelancers listed here, this is one that I’m keen on trying. It helps that their mascot is a cute blue octopus made of yarn.
Using its technology, Meet Edgar has a new feature you can set up to automatically post to social media quotes from content.
Best timer/time tracking tools
Harvest
This tool is a simple and easy to use time tracking tool, but it has also evolved to provide invoicing and simple project management services.
The tool prides itself in its exemplary customer service and its well-designed user interface makes it easy to use and navigate.
It also can be integrated into many other tools, making it easy for Harvest to integrate into your suite of productivity tools as a freelancer.
Best writing tools
Grammarly
I believe that any freelancer who does any kind of writing should have Grammarly.
Well guess what: because all freelancers have to write at least a proposal, then practically all freelancers could use Grammarly in their lives.
Grammarly is free to use and will definitely help you improve your writing. You can download it and add it to Chrome for free, or use it on your other devices as well.
Pro Writing Aid
Think of Pro Writing Aid as your personal writing coach. Not only will it check your grammar, but it will also check your writing style and provide guidance on your writing as well!
With this software, you can eliminate all your writing errors, and help you edit faster. Thanks to its technology, the software is able to provide numerous suggestions when you need to apply changes to your work.
Blog Title Generator
Need content on the regular, but sometimes, you just can’t seem to develop any click-worthy titles for your posts anymore?
Hop on over to the blog title generator. All you need to do is type in the keyword of your choice and voila! The site will generate titles for you to choose from.
Headline Analyzer
After you’ve generated a blog title, you now have to determine how effective it is. Use this tool to do exactly that.
All you need to do is to enter the text of your title on the site, and it will provide you with stats on how effective your title is. From there, you can figure out how to improve on your title further.
Best content marketing tools
Buzz Sumo
This simple yet powerful tool allows you to determine which type of content is the most engaging and effective for a specific topic.
You can also use it to analyze what works when it comes to Facebook posts.
It also collects what’s trending online across various categories and countries.
Woobox
If you have a blog and want to create giveaways, contests, and other kinds of campaigns easily, try Woobox.
This tool also allows you to create lead generation landing pages, polls, quizzes, games, download forms, and more!
Use Woobox to achieve your marketing goals, from lead generation, social media objectives, and your ecommerce goals.
Poll Maker
Content creators and social media managers know the value of polls when it comes to driving user engagement.
With Poll Maker, you can make polls easily and quickly with little effort!
Answer the Public
This tool helps you come up a magnitude of content ideas. It looks into insights that can be pulled from the auto-suggest results on Google and Bing.
Ninja Outreach
Need to find social media influencers and bloggers for your project? Use Ninja Outreach to find the most relevant Instagram and Twitter users for your requirements.
You can also use the tool for lead generation for your business.
This tool claims they have a database of over 25 million bloggers, thought leaders and social media influencers. With data like that, you’re bound to find an influencer that’s right for your project.
Best keyword research tools
Ahrefs
If you need to get information on your competitors, use this tool to figure out why they’re performing the way they’re performing. It can also help you improve your search traffic, along with other information to help you optimize your site.
Kwfinder
Here’s a budget-friendly keyword finder that will help you get long tail keywords with low SEO difficulty. You can filter the results by keyword difficulty search volume. It also allows you to see how the keyword search volume is trending over the past 12 months. Easy to use.
Ubersuggest
Here’s a keyword finder that’s completely free! All you need to do is type in the keyword you had in mind, and the site will suggest other keywords for you to use. Did I say FREE??
Best Chrome plugins
If you’re a Chrome user, you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of plugins available to Google’s browser that you can use to your advantage as a freelancer.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Awesomescreenshot
This plugin allows you to easily take a screenshot. You can capture whatever part of the screen you want. It also has a pen for highlighting and you can illustrate with circles and arrows. Nice way to images to your content.
Similarweb
Use this plugin to easily view analytics such as estimated monthly traffic, bounce rate, traffic sources and other valuable data on any website you’re browsing.
Keywordsanywhere
This free plugin allows you to view the search volume and CPC of a website right within Google search results.
Clearbit Connect
Used with Gmail, it allows you to find email addresses and gives you contextual data on anyone who emails you.
Best stock images websites
Any content creator knows the value of beautiful stock images. Here are a few of my favorite image resources for freelancers:
Pexels
Unsplash
Pixabay