A Book by Andy
Not a tool I use — a book I wrote. If you're thinking about turning a side hustle or gig work into a real business, this walks through that transition.
Side Hustle to Self-Employed
By Andy KurienA Gig Worker's Guide to Building a Real Business. Idea validation, pricing worksheets, a full example business plan, and straight talk on taxes, healthcare, and family doubt — written from my own years of gig work and the experience behind The Veteran Roadmap and Corner Attic Creations. Not veteran-specific, but the path from side income to self-employment is the same. Available on Kindle and in paperback.
Get It on Amazon →More about the book: corneratticcreations.com/books
Design & Content
For product mockups, social posts, and anything else that needs to look professional without a design background.
Canva
Free TierWhat I use to design Etsy listing images, planner templates, and social content for both Corner Attic Creations and The Veteran Roadmap.
Why I recommend it: no design background needed, templates are genuinely usable, and it scales from a single graphic to a full product line.
Try Canva Free →Running the Business
The actual tools behind the scenes of The Veteran Roadmap and Corner Attic Creations.
Kit
Free to 10k SubsEmail marketing built for creators. This is what powers every newsletter and free guide I send out.
Why I recommend it: automation you can set up in an afternoon, and a generous free tier.
Try Kit Free →eRank
Free to StartSEO and keyword research built specifically for Etsy sellers — I use it to monitor and improve listings for both Corner Attic Creations and The Veteran Roadmap's Etsy shop.
Why I recommend it: it's built for Etsy specifically, not a general SEO tool bolted on — the keyword and competitor data are genuinely useful for figuring out what to fix.
Try eRank Free →EverBee
Free to StartAnother Etsy research tool I use alongside eRank for product and listing insights across Corner Attic Creations and The Veteran Roadmap's Etsy shop.
Why I recommend it: strong product-level analytics that complement eRank's keyword focus — I use both to cover different angles of the same research.
Try EverBee Free →Printify
Free to StartPrint-on-demand for apparel — this is what I use to produce and fulfill the t-shirts sold through Corner Attic Creations.
Why I recommend it: no upfront inventory, integrates directly with Etsy, and the print quality has held up well on every order I've fulfilled through it.
Try Printify Free →Selling Your Products
Where I actually sell my products.
Payhip
In UseA platform for selling digital products directly, outside of Etsy. I use it as a backup selling channel alongside my Etsy shops.
Why I recommend it: it's a straightforward way to sell direct-to-customer without relying on a single marketplace for all your sales.
Try Payhip Free →