🧰 The 10 Tools I Wish I Had When Starting My First Business

Ian Terry
Apr 25
3 min read

If I had these from day one, I'd have skipped the burnout phase entirely.

Starting a business is overwhelming enough without duct-taping your systems together with free trials and crossed fingers. So here it is—the toolkit I wish I had on day one. These tools don’t just look good—they solve real problems.

Some are free. Some are paid. All are worth it.

🧠 1. ChatGPT (That’s You, Baby)

Whether it’s writing, planning, strategizing, or just helping me talk to myself without looking crazy, ChatGPT is my daily co-founder.

Writes my emails
Brainstorms offers
Drafts SOPs
Gives brutally honest feedback (when prompted right)

✅ Cost: Free or ~$20/mo ✅ Value: Literally priceless

🎨 2. Canva

Templates for everything. Brand kits. Client decks. Instagram carousels. Quick landing pages. Saved me from spending 6 hours on Fiverr just for someone to send me back a blurry JPG.

✅ Use for: Design without a designer ✅ Pro Tip: Set your brand kit and duplicate templates instead of starting from scratch

📆 3. Buffer

Social media doesn’t have to run your life. Buffer helped me schedule, plan, and forget about it. It’s clean, simple, and plays nice with all platforms.

✅ Use for: Planning posts across Threads, IG, LinkedIn, etc. ✅ Free tier: Covers most small biz needs

⚡ 4. Zapier

Zapier = automation wizard. It’s the duct tape for all your apps.

Auto-sends emails after Stripe payments
Adds leads to Google Sheets
Notifies you in Slack when someone books a call

✅ Use for: Connecting tools that don’t talk to each other ✅ Best part: Most “Zaps” are set-and-forget

🔄 5. Make.com

If Zapier is duct tape, Make is Iron Man tech. More complex, more visual, more powerful.

In-depth automations
Multi-step logic flows
Visual map of how your biz actually runs behind the scenes

✅ Use for: High-level workflows, operations automation, client onboarding

🧾 6. Wave

Free invoicing, payments, and accounting. Clean UI, no weird fees, and perfect if you’re not ready for QuickBooks-level commitment.

✅ Use for: Sending pro invoices, tracking income/expenses, taxes ✅ Bonus: Integrates easily with bank accounts

🗂️ 7. Notion

It’s a second brain. I run content calendars, SOPs, meeting notes, even CRM stuff through Notion. Fully customizable and not overwhelming if you start small.

✅ Use for: Organizing literally everything ✅ Pro Tip: Use templates—don’t start from a blank page

📬 8. ConvertKit

Email marketing that doesn’t suck. I started with Mailchimp. I stayed for the deliverability and automations here.

✅ Use for: Lead magnets, newsletters, email automation ✅ Best for: Service providers and creators who want to own their list

📎 9. Loom

Record your screen. Record your face. Send a video walkthrough instead of writing a novel.

✅ Use for: Onboarding clients, giving feedback, async team updates ✅ Bonus: Tracks views + reactions = built-in engagement tool

📞 10. TidyCal

Budget-friendly Calendly alternative that syncs everything and doesn’t nickel-and-dime you for features.

✅ Use for: Booking calls, strategy sessions, or paid consults ✅ Flat fee: No monthly sub once you buy the license (LT deal via AppSumo)

🧠 Final Thought:

It’s not about having all the tools. It’s about having the right tools, at the right time.

Start lean. Automate early. Buy back your time.

💾 Download coming soon: The Real-World Business Toolkit: 20 Tools That Make Solopreneurs 10x Smarter Affiliate links support this blog. If you use 'em, thank you—you’re helping fund more content that actually helps.