Blogging Resources For Entrepreneurs And Content Creators
From my desk to yours, with love 💙
Free feminine styled stock photos
You know you need better photos to make your website look dreamy
And pretty. And legit. And far from boring.
How do you do that? Well, you can download a FREE stock photo bundle with a selection of photos from my stock photo collections.
Free Canva templates for bloggers and creators
Want to create a course workbook? Or course slides? Or pins graphics? What about Instagram posts and stories? For free?
Yes, that’s right. For free, on the house. Go get your templates and get the work done today.
Free Flodesk templates for creative entrepreneurs
Free Flodesk template to design your emails
I’ve been using Flodesk to send emails to my subscribers since I launched my business in 2020. It’s one of my favorite platforms ever.
I designed this Flodesk template with the sections that I use most of the time in my emails, and you can get it for free. 😍
Free Flodesk form template
Get this free Flodesk form template to create a beautiful and branded sign up page, and continue building your email list in Flodesk.
Business resources for entrepreneurs
All the tools and software to help you grow your creative business 💙
Psst! This page contains affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. By doing so, you’re helping me pay my biz bills (and to drink coffee; lots of coffee, & to keep buying design books and art supplies, which I love). Learn more in my Affiliate Disclosure.
Before I tell you what business tools and software I use to run my biz, I want to have a coffee chat with you. Ready, girl? Good. Let’s talk then. ☕ ☕
When I was deciding how to run my business and what I had to do to start, there was this time when I thought that I absolutely needed certain tools.
Kind of like:
“Use these tools or die!” said in a knightly voice. ⚔️
But when I made my numbers, the amount that I had to pay to just start my business was overwhelming, mostly because I was bootstrapping it with my part time job salary. (For the record, I work for myself nowadays.)
So in the end, I decided to use a combination of free tools, one-time fee tools, and monthly paid tools. “But how did you decide that, Giselle?” you say, with your cup of coffee in your hand. ☕
It’s so good that you asked! I was about to tell you that.
These are the questions that I ask myself before deciding what blogging tools & software to use:
- What problem does it solve in my business?
- Does it help me save time and concentrate on other tasks?
- If I use this tool/ software, do I need another one to complement it? Or does it run alone?
- Is there a similar tool I should consider as well? If the answer is yes, I ask the same questions for that tool as well.
- Is it worth the price? Tricky question, and each one of us will have a different answer for that, based on what we’re looking for.
And most of all, remember this:
You’re the boss in your own business. You decide how you’re going to run it.
So here’s my list of software, tools, and business resources to help you run your business.
Website Domains
Namecheap
Namecheap is a domain name registrar that offers affordable domains, SSL certificates, and shared, VPS, dedicated, and managed website hosting for WordPress.
Namecheap also offers business emails connected to your website domain. If you already have a domain name, you can transfer it.
This is what I use to manage my domain name.
Managed WordPress Hosting
Purchase a WordPress hosting plan with my affiliate link and get a bonus
If you purchase a hosting plan on Kinsta, SiteGround, Lyrical Host, Rocket.net, or Elementor Host with my affiliate link (or an Elementor Pro subscription), I’ll give you my Digital Download Instructions Template (value $39) for free. If you sell digital products, and you need to send a PDF with download instructions to your clients after purchasing, this template might be useful for you.
To claim this bonus, you’ll have to send me a screenshot of your purchase to hi@soulfulgirls.com. Once my affiliate commission is approved, I’ll give you a 100% coupon code to get this template for free.
This isn’t valid for free trials or the free Elementor Plugin.
SiteGround
SiteGround offers managed web hosting services for WordPress websites and WooCommerce.
All the hosting plans include free SSL, free WordPress installations and migrations, free domain for the first year, unlimited subdomains, free email, free daily backup, free CDN, WordPress auto updates, enhanced security, caching, and e-commerce enabled.
I used SiteGround hosting when I migrated my website from Squarespace to WordPress, and their client support was always 10/10 via the live chat.
Lyrical Host
Lyrical Host is a managed hosting service designed by bloggers, for bloggers (it’s an independent hosting company).
Lyrical Host offers anything you need in your hosting plan, without upsells: SSL certificates, email addresses, automatic daily backups, automatic WordPress core updates (on WordPress plans), and one-to-one developer-grade support.
If you’re creating a website on WordPress for the first time, or if you’re still new to WordPress, Lyrical Host offers free resources, free masterclasses, video tutorials, and guides.
Also, if you book a free migration, the Lyrical Host team will move your existing website and email addresses, even if you have a website on Blogger or WordPress.com.
In fact, I’m using their hosting services right now for my website, and the Lyrical Host team took care of all my website’s migration. I only had to answer a couple of questions via the ticket system during the migration. That was it. I didn’t have to worry about anything else. So I recommend them 100%. (Also, no matter how silly your question, they will answer you. True story.) 😅
Use my coupon code SOULFULGIRLS10 at checkout to get 10% off on any hosting plan.
Rocket.net
Rocket.net is a managed WordPress hosting service that helps you have a fast and secure website.
Rocket.net hosting plans include free migrations, free SSL certificates, CDN, web application Firewall, hack and malware removal, pre-configured speed and security optimizations, automatic WP Core, theme, and plugin updates; free staging installs, file manager, 24/7 live chat and email support, optimized Google fonts, multi-user support, automatic daily backups, and on-demand backups.
If you get a Starter, Pro, or Enterprise hosting plan, you’ll receive a free licensed copy of the WP Rocket caching plugin (value $59). This is a new offer from Rocket.net.
Kinsta
Kinsta offers managed WordPress hosting services powered by the Google Cloud Platform, which means that your website will load fast. Kinsta also has 260+ CDN locations worldwide.
All WordPress hosting plans on Kinsta include full page caching, automatic daily backups, free CDN, free SSL certificates, a Staging environment, edge caching to boost site speed, a free Application Performance Monitoring Tool (to visualize speed issues quickly), free migrations managed by dedicated migration experts, and 24/7/365 support in different languages (English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Danish, Dutch, and Swedish).
Some Single-Site plans and Multi-Site plans include the first month for free on selected plans.
Website builder & themes for WordPress
Elementor Pro & Elementor Host
If you want to use WordPress and have a professional-looking website, a good option that you have is the Elementor Pro Plugin, which also offers website kits. You can easily design your website and blog without the headache of writing code.
Another option that you have is Elementor Host, which includes website building, the free Hello Theme, managed WordPress hosting, free SSL certification, free domain for the first year (for new domain names), support, and templates.
Royal Elementor Addons
Royal Elementor Addons is a plugin that gives you a lot more options to design your website on WordPress with the Elementor Plugin.
I used this plugin mostly to automatically create the blog archive, the prior and next post section in every blog post, and to style my contact forms.
Bluchic
If you want to use a theme for a self-hosted WordPress website, you can choose one from Bluchic.
Bluchic offers feminine WordPress themes, sales funnel templates, add-on templates, All-In-One Bundles, Elementor Pro containers, and Canva templates.
BONUS: If you purchase one of Bluchic’s All-in-One Bundles with my affiliate link, I’ll give you $75 Gigi Cash (that’s a coupon for my business) to get products from my shop (not valid for my Soulful Template Membership). To claim this bonus, send me a screenshot of your purchase to hi@soulfulgirls.com.
Squarespace Templates & Plugins
Ghost Plugins
Ghost Plugins is a platform where you can find free Squarespace plugins (they have more than 500 free plugins), premium plugins, and Squarespace templates, so that you can build a beautiful website easily, without looking like a typical Squarespace website.
You can use my coupon code SOULFULGIRLS at checkout to get 10% off Super Plugins, Templates, and Ghost+ Memberships (during the first month).
Email service provider
Flodesk
Girl, I’m in love. Do you know how many hours I spent googling, trying to find a solution for pretty emails without tinkering with code? Thousaaands, I tell you.
I’m a photographer. Images are my thing. So having emails with ugly text wasn’t the answer for me. But with Flodesk? I design beautiful emails in minutes, with a system that I understand and that also works.
(Psst! You can get my Flodesk template for free, and customize it to your branding.)
Flodesk has a free plan that allows you to create unlimited forms, landing pages, and link in bio pages. However, you won’t be able to send emails.
If you sign up with my link or with my Flodesk promo code SOULFULGIRLS, you get 25% off in your monthly or yearly subscription, during the first year.
FLODESK BONUS: If you purchase a Flodesk subscription with my affiliate link or my discount code, I’ll give you one of my Flodesk link in bio templates of your choice for free (there are five different styles: Authors, Bold, Dreamy, Mystical, and Sophia). Value: $21.
To claim this bonus, you’ll have to send me a screenshot of your purchase to hi@soulfulgirls.com and tell me which Flodesk template you want. I’ll give you a 100% coupon code to get that template for free.
This isn’t valid for free trials or the free plan. You have to purchase a Flodesk subscription to qualify for this bonus.
Kit (Formerly ConvertKit)
If you want mostly text based emails, you can try Kit (formerly ConvertKit).
Kit has a free plan that allows you to have one basic visual automation, one email sequence, and one user. You can create unlimited landing pages, unlimited opt-in forms, and unlimited email broadcasts. You can also run paid newsletters and subscriptions, and sell digital products (this may not be available everywhere).
However, if you want to use third-party integrations in the Kit App Store, you need to choose a paid subscription, which you can try for free for 14 days.
GetResponse
GetResponse is an email marketing platform that helps you create your email list, send and automate emails to your subscribers, and build landing pages.
It also includes a website builder and, depending on the plan that you choose, you can host webinars, offer promo codes, and send transactional emails.
If you’re building your email list from scratch, you can start with a free account, which allows you to send emails to up to 500 subscribers. If you have less than 1000 subscribers, you can start sending emails for $19 per month, or save when you purchase a 12 or 24 month subscription.
Online Shop
Payhip
Payhip is an ecommerce platform where you can create your own shop with an affiliate program, coupon codes, and upsells for free, and customize it to look similar to your website.
If you don’t have a website yet, you can purchase a domain on Namecheap, connect it with Payhip, and start selling your products and services for free today. You can also sell online courses and memberships.
This is what I use nowadays to sell my digital products. I was looking for a platform that would manage and pay EU VAT for me, and that’s how I found Payhip.
If you collect payments with Stripe and/or PayPal, you can start with the free plan, with a 5% commission for every sale that you make (plus the usual fees from Stripe or PayPal).
You can choose a free plan, or you can use my coupon code SOULFULGIRLS10 to get 10% off on all Payhip paid plans. All plans in Payhip include all their features, unlimited products, and unlimited revenue.
BONUS: If you sign up to any paid plan on Payhip with my affiliate link or my affiliate code SOULFULGIRLS10, I’ll give you one of my Canva workbook templates of your choice for free (there are two styles available: Ashley and Mystical). Value: $39.
To claim this bonus, you’ll have to send me a screenshot of your purchase to hi@soulfulgirls.com.
Not valid for the free plan. You have to purchase a paid subscription on Payhip to qualify for this bonus.
SendOwl
SendOwl is a platform that allows you to create a cart system on your website and sell digital products easily, like ebooks, audiobooks, stock photos, software, memberships, license keys, digital product bundles, coaching services, online courses, and more.
All plans in SendOwl include PDF stamping, product pages, secure downloads, upsells, cart recovery, built-in affiliate program, email integration, API & webhooks, Stripe and PayPal integration, unlimited products, unlimited storage, and no setup fees.
This is the platform that I used during the first two years of my business, when my website was on Squarespace (now it runs on WordPress).
You can try SendOwl for free for 7 days, and see how easy it is to set up your digital products and start selling them online.
Online course & membership platforms
Podia
If you want to build your website and your blog, sell digital downloads, memberships, coaching, webinar, workshops, and online courses, all in one place, you can use Podia.
You can also create your own community and, depending on the plan that you choose, you can set up your own affiliate program to get more sales through your affiliates.
If you’ve just started building your email list, you can manage it for free on Podia (as long as you have less than 100 subscribers).
You can try Podia for free for 14 days.
Small Investment Courses For Bloggers And Entrepreneurs
Crack the tech stack code
In this $9 training about choosing your online business tools by Elizabeth Goddard, you will learn how to decide which are the best tech tools for your business.
Remember this: There are no perfect tools, and you’re wasting time and money trying to find the “perfect” ones.
Small but mighty $9 offers
In this $9 mini training about small offers by Elizabeth Goddard, you will learn the origins of her $9 offers, the benefits of having them, what makes them great, and more.
That Black Friday feeling
In this online training about Black Friday, you will learn how to map out your Black Friday offer, including planning your Black Friday dates, 8 types of Black Friday offers that you can create, pro tips from Lizzy to get more sales (also affiliate sales), and more… all for $9.
Credit to your business
In this mini course from Elizabeth Goddard, you will learn how to create your own currency for your online business… for only $9.
This is the course that I’ve used to set up my own voucher for my online shop, called “Gigi Cash”, which I sell as a limited time offer to those who are on my email list only. 😎
Pinterest marketing courses
Pin it better: a blogger’s guide to Pinterest
In this course about Pinterest marketing, by Margaret Bourne, you will learn:
- Pinning strategies that help you build your presence on Pinterest, while generating traffic to your website.
- How to create attractive pins.
- How to use Ideas pins to position yourself as an expert in your niche.
- How to pin in a smart way, with pinning best practices in mind.
Memberships for creative entrepreneurs
Unicorn Biz & Life Academy by Leonie Dawson
Leonie Dawson is an artist, creative soul, and best-selling author who has sold more than 500.000 printed books. She has also created courses, workshops, and workbooks to help other entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
All her content and resources have beautiful, fun, and colorful illustrations that she made.
Inside her Unicorn Biz And Life Academy membership, you can get access to online courses, workbooks, business basic 101 workshops, business templates, spreadsheets, done-for-you resources, and guest expert workshops, starting at $99 per year.
BONUS: If you purchase Leonie’s Unicorn Biz & Life Academy with my affiliate link, I’ll give you 100 Gigi Cash (that’s a coupon for my business) to get products from my shop (not valid for my Soulful Template Membership).