Top 10 – Learn with Kriss

Resources

I’m thrilled to share my top resources for designers.

It’s taken me years to find these sites that help me run my business more efficiently, and I hope by sharing these links you are able to benefit from them as well.

I’ll be adding to this as I add to my arsenal, so be sure to bookmark this page!

FULL DISCLOSURE:

Please note that I will receive credit on some of these links if you decide to click and make a purchase. Please understand that I recommend these companies because I actually use them, and I would recommend them even if I did not receive credit. The credit I receive is at no additional cost to you.

NameCheap – Whenever I’m looking to purchase a new domain name I always go with NameCheap. Not only is their pricing great, but I love their super clean interface. They also have awesome support which has made setting up my WordPress sites a breeze.

Click here to get your domain – some are less than $5/year!

Flywheel – I use and HIGHLY recommend Flywheel for website hosting. Myself and my clients have nothing but great things to say about their service. You can select the ‘Tiny’ plan and get fast page load speeds and excellent 24/7 chat support. You’ll also get two months free when you pay annually! Click here, input your email and click “get started for free” to sign up!

G Suite by Google – A custom email address like Kriss@Krissdidit.com adds professionalism to your business. You can get your custom email through G Suite by Google. It’s very affordable at $6 /month. You can click here and get 20% off the first year! I have the business package because I use the unlimited cloud storage (if you run out of space on your phone, this is VERY helpful!). There’s also 24/7 support and includes support by PHONE which is incredible! You can get 14 days free, your custom email, and get a ton of other awesome google apps by clicking here and signing up.

Elementor – Elementor is my absolute favorite site builder because it allows you to have full control over your site without a ton of knowledge around code.

Clarity – Whenever I need help with a specific situation and I don’t want to spend hours sifting through google results, I turn to Clarity. I can go on their site and find an expert in anything from Accounting to SEO. You pay per minute to have a conversation and get definitive answers fast. I once logged on to speak with a lawyer regarding a contract I received and immediately got the advice I needed. Definitely give them a try and you can even sign up to become an expert yourself!

Skillshare – Skillshare classes have a beautiful aesthetic which always keep me engaged while trying to learn a new skill. I love that you can take classes offline which is perfect when you’re on a flight and the wifi is spotty. You can get 30 days of unlimited access to thousands of classes for FREE right now. I promise you’ll find something you’ve been wanting to learn!

Creative Market – Creative Market is like a designer’s playground. Seriously. I’ve bought some incredible stock photos, fonts, graphics and I’ve never made a purchase that wasn’t well worth it. Everything is so reasonably priced, I’m happy to go back for more. This is also recommended by Marie Forleo’s B-School.

Click on the “Free Goods” section and download away! New free goodies every week. Check it all out here.

Unsplash – Totally free GORGEOUS photos. I love that they are all high resolution and their search function is great so I usually find just what I’m looking for. You can use them for commercial and noncommercial purposes.

Stocksy – This website has a ton of amazing stock photos and stock videos that don’t have that super cheesy stock feel. They do an awesome job of curating their site so you don’t have to spend time sorting through the crap. My favorite feature is the “More from this shoot” link you’ll find under most photos that will take you to all photos that were shot within that shoot. This way you can find a better angle or composition that better fits your project.

Death to the Stock Photo – Brought to you by two creatives who sought out to fix a problem: “too many extraordinary brands, bloggers, and creatives struggled to find images that fit their vibe + tribe.” Every month this site will email you 10 photos for immediate download to be used however you wish. Or you can sign up for their premium offer, and for $10 per month you access to all of their photos, plus an exclusive monthly member’s only pack. I buy stock photos all the time so this really is a steal, and I’m proud to be a premium member. Sign up below and every month this site will email you 10 photos for immediate download for free!

ConvertKit – ConvertKit is incredible for managing your email marketing, sending out email blasts, building your lists and tracking results. This is also recommended by Marie Forleo’s B-School. I love it’s clean interface and it’s very intuitive to use. They are the designer’s favorite because of their good looking templates and wide-range of design options. Sign up through this link to join the forever free plan!

Typeform – When I discovered Typeform I was blown away at how they made simply surveys an exciting part of the marketing process. I love the interfaced and how each form engaged the visitor. You can customize them any way you desire, which makes boring surveys, applications and ordering forms much more fun! Check out the examples and start creating yours for free.

Paypal – Most of my clients are completely comfortable with submitting a bank transfer for large payments, but for smaller jobs I simply send a Paypal invoice and its paid within hours. The fees can be bummer, but most of us have a Paypal account so becomes a matter of convenience. I’d rather write-off the small fees as a business expense and get my payment faster.

Bench Accounting – This is the business accounting software that I use for my small business. It helps to handle all of my accounting + billing and makes taxes a heck of a lot easier. It has a beautiful, simple to use interface and actually makes bookkeeping kind of fun!

Asana – Asana is my absolute favorite project management app. Asana makes it so easy to connect with your clients about their project. I also love using their calendar so my client knows exactly when to expect deliverables and when I need content to continue. My clients have told me how impressed they are by the app and the fact they can get the mobile app on their phone, allowing them to give me feedback anywhere, anytime.

Dropbox – I feel like I’m ALWAYS sending files. Whether it’s to my clients, their developers, or even myself (I’ve found it’s easiest to upload a graphic I’ve designed for instagram to dropbox, open the app on my phone and then submit to the gram) this is my #1 online file storage provider. I’ve also installed it to my desktop computer so I can simply put a file in the dropbox folder on my desktop and it automatically uploads to my online dropbox account. If you’ve ever had to upload 2GB files you know speed + efficiency are key and Dropbox makes this less way less nerve-racking. I had a free plan for years and recently upgraded to 1TB of space for $10/month.

Zoom – Whenever I need to have a phone call one-on-one or with a group I always use Zoom. It has awesome features like call-recording, screen-sharing, and chat (perfect for sharing links). Plus it’s totally free.

Calendly – Anything that helps me to spend less time in front of a computer is amazing, and Calendly allows me to get appointments scheduled 24/7 without my involvement. I just set up when I’m available , sync it with my Google Calendar and we’re good to go. Calendly makes sure appointments never overlap and even detects timezones so we’re all on the same page. Plus the interface is clean and intuitive. Highly recommended!

Hello Sign – This free tool lets me send out and receive contracts faster than I ever thought possible. Who has time to print and scan? When I use this app I get notified each time the contract recipient opens the doc so I never have to wonder if it was received. You can also have Hello Sign send a reminder email to the recipient letting them know the contract is ready. And when it’s finally signed we are both automatically emailed a copy.

Did you find this information helpful?

DM me @KrissDidIt and let me know your thoughts! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Website lovingly handcrafted by Krystle Rowry of KrissDidIt.com