Resources you’ll find helpful

Let’s face it; in today’s world, we need certain tools to help us get to our end goal fast. And lucky for you, this resource guide will give you a comprehensive list of tools/resources you MUST have at your disposal to start a successful internet business. Most are free, but others have a cost. Such resources include:

LastPass

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to remember a certain password or using the same password for several platforms (even as you tell yourself you really shouldn’t be doing that), you’ll really appreciate the genius of LastPass.

LastPass is an online password manager that:

• Stores encrypted passwords
• Supports password generation
• Automates form filling and password entering
• Allows you to add secure notes and
• Lets you share information safely

As the name suggests, LastPass is the last (and only) password you need to remember!

Once you download LastPass, it will attach to your browser as an extension. You’ll just need to press the button to log into your account. Think of all the sites that need your password as tiny boxes with fancy names. Now, think of LastPass as one large box that is securely guarded and that can store all your tiny boxes and remember their names for you. When you get LastPass, you just need to recall one master password. This saves you the headache of trying to remember the numerous passwords you need, fearing for their safety or having to create new passwords when you can’t recall the old ones.

You also don’t need to work too hard to import sites to LastPass, as it does a good job of saving sites when you log in.

There is also another very good reason to use LastPass; LastPass does not have access to your passwords. Rather, you’re the only one who has the encryption key to your account. This means that the data you store in your LastPass vault will be safe even from LastPass. In other words, you don’t have to worry about your documents and passwords being compromised. You can also use LastPass on mobile devices to access all your information using nothing but your fingerprint. Simply download the app and register your fingerprint; it’s that easy. LastPass has literally saved me countless hours and so much headache.

It’s by far the best password manager that’s also FREE. That’s why I strongly urge you to start using it as soon as possible—you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Evernote

Note taking is a skill that is still in demand. The only difference being that nowadays, people are not so keen on taking down notes in the traditional notebook.

With the technological advancements that we are witnessing these days however, you can bet that there has to be something that resolves many of the challenges that traditional notebooks come with. While there are many solutions these days, Evernote is the ‘mother’ of all note-taking tools.

Let me explain:

Evernote is a note-taking software service that was purposely designed to create, store and organize media files or ‘notes’. These notes can be in form of a written document, an audio file, a video, an image or even a webpage.

But why should you use it?

Well, Evernote is a cloud-based service. This means that you get to store a lot of media files that would have otherwise eaten up your storage space. What’s more, you can use your laptop, tablet, Android device, and iPhone to access the same notes since all the notes are automatically updated.

You can use it to screenshot images, collect recipes, bookmark webpages and do group assignments and if you happen to damage your phone or laptop, you won’t lose any information. That’s definitely a good reason to get the app.

LeadPages

Your ability to create professional and mobile responsive websites/pages will without a doubt determine how successful you are in the marketplace. But luckily for you, there’s no better option out there than LeadPages.

LeadPages is the #1 landing page software that allows you to build beautifully designed, professional pages in a matter of seconds with already done for you templates without touching a spec of code.

It’s my #1 recommended landing page software which anyone can easily master in as little as a day without any struggle whatsoever.

The best part?

They even offer you a free 14-day trial you can check out by clicking here.

I’ve tried some different landing page softwares (clickfunnels included) and Leadpages is still my #1.

Everything you could ever want is inside of leapages!

Click here to start your free 14-day trial.

AWeber

The next tool that you’re going to need is called an email autoresponder. If you don’t know what an email autoresponder is, it’s basically software that allows you to automate your business by sending out scheduled emails. Otherwise known as follow-ups.

This software is truly the holy grail of passive income.

Imagine setting up a business once that leverages the power of automation so that you never have to lift a finger ever again.

Well, that’s what you get inside of AWeber.

It’s the #1 autoresponder in my opinion and it’s the 1^st choice of 100,000 other email marketers.

 Opera

I know you might be thinking; who still uses Opera? Well, it would impress you to know that with most of the internet traffic increasingly coming from mobile, Opera is still very relevant today given that it is among the most popular browsers for mobile devices. This means you should make it a priority to have Opera installed on your devices.

It is not popular by chance; it is because of what it brings to the table.

Let me explain:

Opera is touted as a modern web browser that allows you to customize your browsing experience, bookmark sites, save pages offline, get the news you want and download files. This browsing software is not only small in size but also fast and stable.

It also has a Speed Dial function that places your favorite sites on standby. This allows for quick access. You also have the option of surfing the net in private mode, printing, zooming in and out of content and viewing your downloads.

That’s not all; Opera’s latest features include a built-in ad blocker, which hides annoying ads from websites, a build in QR codes scanner within a redesigned search bar along with a smart news feed, which recommends relevant news stories to read.

Note: Opera browser is also available for Windows and Mac OS and brings the same lightweight and powerful features.

Canva.com

Graphics are increasingly taking over the internet! With studies pointing to the fact that posts that have more graphics generate more engagement, this means we all need to improve on our graphics generation skills if we are to increasingly keep our engagement going.

Obviously, you need not hire a graphics designer every time you want to create something. But this doesn’t mean you should only be creating crappy graphics just because you cannot hire a graphics designer.

That’s where Canva comes in.

Canva is an online graphic design platform that allows you to easily create graphics and documents. It comes with professional layouts and an impressive image library that makes it easier for you to design your graphics. It also comes with:

• Hundreds of fonts
• Free shapes and icons
• Millions of images
• Photo filters

Canva also has free interactive courses that can help you create better infographics, banners, presentations and brochures. Once you create the graphics, you can post them directly on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Moreover, you can download them in a PDF format, JPG or PNG or embed them in your blog. If you are in need of professional looking graphics, Canvas should be your platform of choice.

Skillshare.com

Once upon a time, you needed to go to a fancy college to get the skills you needed to upgrade your résumé and move ahead in life. Those days are long gone. Nowadays, you can easily Google what you want and watch some YouTube videos to get a sense of what you need to be doing. But there’s something better you can and should do. This is get on Skillshare, an online learning community that allows you to learn the skills you need from experts.

But unlike some platforms, it comes with certain advantages.

It allows you to connect with your peers, do practical exercises that help you hone those skills and discover various opportunities. As such, you’ll always be up-to-date when it comes to things such as trends and topics that affect the field you’re interested in. What’s more, there are over 24,000 lessons and you can access them free for 2 months.

Skillshare’s usually $10 a month, but for a limited time you can sign up and get a 2-month free trial by clicking here.  That’s unlimited access to over 18,000 classes on everything from business, to design, to photography, to marketing, to technology.

If you’re interested in any or all of these classes, it’s definitely worth it to check out Skillshare. Just sign up using my link, and you’ll get 2 months free access to unlimited online classes. No commitments and you could cancel anytime. Thanks Skillshare!

Try out Skillshare and get unlimited access to over 18,000 online classes.

Fiverr.com

Digital services are always in demand. People are always on the lookout for services such as graphic design, social networking, translation, advertisement and business promotion services and they don’t want to pay through the roof to access such services. This is why Fiverr.com was born. It touts itself as the biggest marketplace for various digital micro-services. You can sign up for free and begin to buy and sell ‘Gigs’ or services. So, next time you want to access digital services to promote your business or create a Gig to earn some cash, think Fiverr.com.

Upwork.com

Upwork is an online marketplace that facilitates the exchange of services between clients and freelancers. On Upwork, you can find people offering services such as IT and networking, writing, engineering and architecture, accounting and consulting, translation, legal and design.

If you’re a freelancer, you can apply for work or win work opportunities and start earning cash. If you’re a client, you can post a job and set milestones to monitor the work progress and pay for a job well done.

One great thing about Upwork is its secure payment system. The cash is held by the site in escrow, which allows clients to only release funds when they are happy with the work done. The escrow system also gives Freelancers confidence that clients will not rip them off after they have completed a task since Upwork can arbitrate if something like that were to happen. This gives everyone peace of mind. Upwork also has a review option that allows both clients and freelancers to give each other feedback. Thus, you can read the reviews before you settle on a service/client.

Guru.com

Guru is very much the same as Upwork. Guru is a third party online platform that helps buyers connect and collaborate with freelancers. It is a fairly easy platform to use. If you’re a freelancer, you can search for jobs and bid on them.

What’s more, you don’t have to stay on the site to lookout for jobs. Guru has a notifications feature that will notify you whenever a project that interests you is posted.

This way, you can bid on it instantly. And when it comes to payment, Guru uses SafePay to hold the money from clients. Once you reach a set milestone or complete a job, SafePay releases the cash to you. This protects you from scammers.

CamScanner

We often times need to scan pictures or documents for different reasons. In the past, the only option we had was to use a physical scanner to scan an image then use a computer to make any edits or annotations within the scanned documents. With the technological advancements that we have these days, you don’t have to do that anymore, unless you want to! This is especially so because today, there are apps that transform smartphones and tablets into smart scanners! And the leading app in this category is Camscanner!

Camscanner is an app that allows you to scan documents and share them. It basically turns your phone into an effective scanner. When you register or sign in, you’ll notice a camera icon right at the bottom of your screen. You just need to press that icon to capture an image.

Camscanner makes life easier in that it not only allows you to scan and store images but it also syncs the image across tablets, smartphone and computers. It also has a group option that gives members of the group access to the image. They can customize the image, set passcodes to allow selected members to view images, put watermarks and make annotations. This comes in handy in group projects. But something else that makes Camscanner awesome is the fact that you can print out the documents in the app or fax them to more than 30 countries. A beauty indeed!

These are the 12 websites/apps I highly recommend you try out as they will increase your productivity and are great tools to help you reach your end goal fast. However, this list is in no way conclusive. Others you should try include:

• Openshot (Free, open and award winning video editor)

• Wave.video (Free platform that allows to easily use, edit and create engaging videos)

• Unsplash (Beautiful, free images and photos that you can download and use for any project)

• Pixabay (Beautiful, free images, photos and videos that you can download and use for any project)

• Dropbox or Google Drive (for saving all documents on your devices in cloud)

• FreedCamp (for your to do lists to enhance productivity)

• HootSuite (for managing multiple social media accounts in one central location)

• Rescue Time (for tracking how much time you spent on different websites so that you can note the time wasters and take action etc).
• Unroll.Me (for decluttering your email inbox from unnecessary newsletter notifications)

• Cold Turkey (For blocking distracting websites for certain durations so that you can focus on something important)

Start making use of these tools to streamline your life today!