25+ Top Tools for Freelancers & Solopreneurs
Building a business from the ground up takes a lot of hard work. With this curated list of resources, you’ll have a leg up—on your competition!
I have tested and use every recommendation on this page.
If you have any questions about them, feel free to ask on Twitter or email me at coach at zacharysexton.com.
Sales & Prospecting
Contactually - Strengthen your professional relationships and grow your business by following up with the right people at the right time. See demo here.
Marketing Automation
ConvertKit - Email marketing made easy. It has the power of Infusionsoft, but easier to use than MailChimp. See demo here.
MeetEdgar - Recycle your best social updates automatically. See demo here.
Website Hosting & Design
Beaver Builder - Responsive WordPress websites, without the code.
Bluehost - Get a free domain and website hosting for as low as $3.95 a month.
Flywheel - WordPress hosting and management. Built for designers and agencies.
Audio & Video Production
Canva – Amazingly simple graphic design software. Use this free online tool to create beautiful designs for your blog, social media, presentations and more.
Screenflow – Record your screen. Edit your video. Share with the world. Perfect for tutorials and other how-to videos.
Passwords Security and Backup
Backblaze – Automatic personal or business computer backup at $50 a year. Compare it to other backup services here. Read reviews here. Get the free trial here. Do it.
Dropbox – Secure file sharing and storage solution.
LastPass – Securely store and share all of your passwords.
Productivity Tools
Assistant.to - Book meetings with one email. No back & forth. No double bookings. And it's free! A must-have plug-in for any service-based entrepreneur who uses Boomerang - Schedule an email to be sent later. Easy email reminders.
Calendly – Schedule meetings without the back-and-forth emails using personalized scheduler links. See example here.
Loom – Recording quick videos is often faster and more clear than typing. This free Chrome app makes recording those videos a breeze.
TextExpander Full Disclosure: I earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. - Recall your best words. Instantly. TextExpander saves you time and keystrokes, expanding custom keyboard shortcuts into words, paragraphs or even whole messages with images. Listen to founder interview here.
Trello – A work organization tool that lets you organize and prioritize your projects in a fun, flexible and rewarding way. See Demo Videos Here.
Video Speed Controller – Want to add a fast-forward button to all of your online videos? This free Chrome extension makes watching videos lightning fast.
Communication Tools
Slack – A shared workspace where conversations are organized and accessible.
Zoom – Powerful and easy to use video conferencing software.
Writing Tools
Grammarly – Free online grammar checker.
Hemmingway App – Makes your writing bold and clear.
Scrivener – Organize your long form content. Here's a course I took to learn how to learn Scrivener fast. Super helpful.
Delegation and Outsourcing
Aristosourcing - Hire a full or part-time virtual assistant to help with website updates, social media, graphic design or other behind the scenes work needed for your service-based business. Very affordable. Amazing owner. Listen to founder podcast interview here.
Hiremymom.com - Hire a full or part-time virtual assistant to help with customer support, email marketing, social media or other behind and in front of the scenes work needed to grow your business. Affordable. Amazing talent pool. Listen to founder podcast interview here.
Upwork.com - Find affordable help for your one-off projects.
Zapier - Zapier allows you to connect apps and automate workflows. It's like the duct tape of the internet.
Books
Courses That Work
Learn Scrivener Fast - One of the best self-paced online courses I've taken to date. Short videos. Simple index. I learned how to use Scrivener Fast.
The Penguin Program - 3-minute marketing lessons emailed 3 times a week for 15 weeks. The bite-sized, practical videos are sent right to your inbox. This means you'll actually use this program to help you build a more sustainable, profitable solo practice.
Radical Productivity With Evernote Full Disclosure: I earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. - Do you want to create a master knowledge base Evernote? This video will show you how to do that. I love this courses clickable index that makes finding the training you need easy.
Brains For Hire
Need a website that converts? Talk to Ryan.
Want to scale your business with Facebook advertising? Brice is your man.
Want to optimize your email newsletter? Michael will improve the clarity of your message.
Spending too much time on admin? Zack will automate and streamline your workflow.