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With so many options available for running a business, here is a list of resources for service and technology providers that have provided a positive experience and trusted to recommend.
Links with an * are designated as affiliate link and Stargazer may receive a commission.
WordPress Maintenance & Optimization: iMark* is a trusted service provider for monthly plugin updates, minor site changes and site speed enhancements.
SiteGround WordPress Hosting: SiteGround* is a very reliable and cost effective hosting solution. SiteGround is used for all Stargazer WordPress development sites and for several clients.
Squarespace: Stargazer is a Squarespace Circle member. If you create your Squarespace website through Stargazer you will receive 20% off the first year subscription. This is not an affiliate program so there is no monetary gain for Stargazer in recommending Squarespace.
Social Media DYI Content Creation: Canva is an amazing design tool with inspiration and sized templates. They offer free and paid Pro plans.
Design Resources & Inspiration: Creative Market is a great resource to find design templates already sized for Canva, Photoshop and Illustrator.
Scheduling Software: There are many options and social media managers will have their preference. The tool I recommend for a small business managing their own channels is Later. Later offers a forever-free package for one Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest account.
Project Management: Asana is a great free project management software for keeping organized whether you are a solopreneur or working with a team. There are other options such as Trello, Monday and Clickup that may also serve your business well depending on business, project, and team workflow.
Bookkeeping: Wave Apps is a free bookkeeping software for invoicing and business expense tracking. Xero and Quickbooks On-line are more robust in terms of the offering but if cost is a factor, Wave Apps is fairly feature rich for small business startups.
Client Onboarding Processing: Honeybook and Dubsado are great for service-based businesses to send proposals, invoices, taking on-line payment, contracts, and tracking client communication. They can also connect with project management tools through Zapier.
Email: There are a lot of options when it comes to email service providers and email specialists will have their favorite provider. The two I recommend most are MailChimp for e-commerce and ConvertKit for service providers.
Calendar / Booking: Calendly is what’s used for the Stargazer, however, Acuity is comparable. Both integrate well with websites, Google calendar and payment processors.
*These links are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a commission. However, please note that these are resources, tools, etc., that I’ve either used in the past and / or continue to use personally.
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