Paul's IM Toolbox
Hi there, it's Paul Hollins here.
On this page I will share with you a list of the tools I use every single day in my business.
Some of these recommendations are completely free, others may cost a few £/$/€, but I have found that they are all absolutely integral to the success of my business.
So please go ahead and take a look through. I hope you find it useful.
Audacity
For anyone thinking of creating audio products, I would always recommend Audacity. It's a fully-featured audio editor that works on any Windows, Apple or Linux PC. It's also got a thriving support community and you can find lots of helpful tutorials over on YouTube.
Investment: Free
Download Link: http://www.audacityteam.org/download/
Thrive Architect
Thrive Architect allows you to design web-pages (inside Wordpress) in a truly visual way. When you combine this with their Thrive Landing Pages plug-in, you'll get gorgeous looking pages without needing a degree in graphic design!
Investment: $97-$197 (depending on your requirements)
Website:
https://www.paulhollins.com/ta
RODE NT-USB Microphone
The RODE NT-USB is a great-sounding and surprisingly affordable microphone. Whether you want to record voice-overs, audiobooks or conduct Skype interviews, this mic won't disappoint. It gets my highest recommendation.
Investment: £149, $169, €179
Available from: Amazon & other audio retailers
BlueHost Web Hosting
Web-hosting is big business and a few years ago I signed up with BlueHost. I've always found their servers to be reliable and cost-effective. Furthermore if I've ever needed support, they have handled it quickly and courteously via Live Chat.
While there are other hosting companies on the market, for anyone starting out, I would have no hesitation in recommending BlueHost.
Investment: From $3.95/month (paid yearly)
Website:
https://www.paulhollins.com/bluehost
Skype Call Recorder
A Skype Call Recorder will allow you to quickly produce an audio product of your own.
I love the fact you simply open Skype, hit record using the eCamm Skype Recorder
(for Mac) or Pamela for Skype
(for Windows) and once you've completed the interview, it will export a 'ready-to-go' audio file that can easily become your first (or next) product.
Investment: eCamm for Mac $29; Pamela for Windows €24.95
Website (eCamm for Mac):
https://www.paulhollins.com/ecamm
Website (Pamela for Windows):
https://www.paulhollins.com/pamela
ClickRight Wordpress Theme
I get a number of emails every week from visitors to my blog who ask about the theme I use. I'll be honest, I have tried a number of Wordpress themes for my blog but none have been anywhere near as good as ClickRight from ThemeBounce.
Investment: $19
Website: http://www.paulhollins.com/theme
Aweber Email Marketing
Email marketing is so important for any business and building an email list should be a top priority. When I first started out I used Aweber and found it to be a great asset to my online business. My advice? Sign up now and start building your list today.
Investment: $1 trial then $19/month
Website: http://www.paulhollins.com/aweber
And there you have it! I hope you find these tools are as useful to you as they are to me.
Best wishes,
