Tech Tools I Actually Use & Recommend to my Clients

I’m not here to overwhelm you with a giant tech stack — just sharing the tools I’ve seen make life easier for service providers and makers who want things to feel a little lighter.

If you’re a service provider or product maker trying to keep your business running without losing your mind, here’s a list of tools I actually recommend to clients all the time. These are solid, reliable tech that helps your business run smoother without making it feel cold or corporate. (I know because they’re what I actually use!)

You don’t need every single one, and definitely not all at once. But if you’re scribbling things down in your notebooks and loosing your sticky notes… it’s time.

Project & Task Management:

ClickUp or Notion

If your brain feels like it’s constantly jumping between ideas and half-finished to-do lists… you need somewhere to put it all! Not just for you, but for your team (even if your “team” is just you right now).

ClickUp is great if you’re looking for more structure (and is very useful on the task management side of things). You can create tasks with due dates, assign things to yourself or your team, and choose how you want to view it - list, calendar, board - whichever way makes the most sense to you.

If you’re not quite ready for that level of setup, Notion is a solid place to start! It can feel a little blank page-y at first since it’s super customizable, but once you get it going, it’s a great spot to track your to-dos, store ideas, and organize all the shit that usually lives in 12 different notebooks.

Bottom line? Either one is great! You have to pick one that works for how your brain works. The goal is to stop relying on memory and sticky notes and actually have a system that keeps up with you.

Team & Client Communication:

Slack

If you’re still emailing your VA or going back and forth with clients in your inbox, Slack will change your life! It’s like texting, but organized. You can create channels for different clients, projects, or teams, and keep all those little conversations searchable and separate from your email. Less clutter - yaye!

It also keeps things faster and lighter - no more waiting two days for someone to reply to “Did you get that file I sent?”

Email Marketing:

Mailchimp or MailerLite

If you’re sending updates, launch information, or monthly newsletters from your Gmail Inbox, it’s time to bring in an actual email marketing tool.

Here’s why:

Your Gmail (or Outlook or whatever you use) is great for one-on-one conversations, but when you want to email your full client list, send out a launch sequence, or keep people in the loop without copying and pasting the same message over and over and over… that’s where tools like Mailchimp or MailerLite come in.

Both are solid places to start. They’re easy to use, budget-friendly, and don’t require a ton of setup. You can design simple emails, schedule them ahead of time, and even see who’s opening what!

All you need to start is a welcome email and a plan to stay in touch with the people who already care about what you do. Need help writing that welcome email, I have swipe copy for you here!

Customer relationship management (CRM):

HoneyBook

HoneyBook is my go-to for client relationship management - a place to schedule calls or send contracts, invoices, proposals, and create workflows… all in one place. It looks super professional, feels easy to use, and saves so much time (especially during onboarding)!

It’s great for solo service providers or small teams who want to keep things feeling personal without manually tracking every lead or client step.

Scheduling:

Calendly

Let people book their own calls without a million back-and-forth emails. You set your availability, connect it to your calendar and let Calendly do the rest. No more “what time works for you?” emails… we all know how annoying those are!

Bonus:

Most CRMs (like HoneyBook) have built-in scheduling tools, so check what you’re already using before adding another tool.

E-Commerce:

Shopify

If you sell products of any kind - physical or digital - Shopify is my favorite! They have a clean, intuitive platform that handles everything from product listings to checkout to shipping. It also integrates well with your email platform and automation tools (if you use them), so things can move without needing your constant input.

Even if tech isn’t your thing, Shopify’s setup process is pretty straightforward and they have wonderful support.

Automation:

Zapier

Zapier is like the digital assistant you didn’t know you needed. It connects all your tools and lets them talk to each other behind the scenes.

Example:

Someone fills out your inquiry form → gets added to your CRM → gets tagged in your email list → gets a welcome email automatically — all without you lifting a finger!

This is one of those tools that sounds intimidating at first but can save so much time once you get one or two key automations set up.

File Sharing:

Google Drive

I have a love/hate relationship with Google Drive. I love it for myself… but it’s a PIA when it comes to being able to easily find things other share with you.

That said, it’s still old faithful. If you need to send files to clients or team members, organize content, or just stop searching your inbox for “final_final_FINALv2.pdf,” Google Drive is still one of the easiest ways to stay organized.

Pro tip:

Use folders and name your files clearly. Your future self will thank you.

Bookkeeping:

QuickBooks Online

If you’re tracking your income and expenses in a spreadsheet (…or not at all…), it’s time to bring in a real bookkeeping tool.

QuickBooks Online is one of the most trusted options out there. It helps you keep tabs on your income, expenses and taxes without needing to be a financial expert. If you’re managing it yourself, or working with a bookkeeper, it makes the numbers side of business (that we all hate!) a little less intimidating.

Bonus:

Most accountants already use it, so come tax season, everything is already in one place!

You don’t need all the tools

The goal here isn’t to “tech-stack” your way to success. It’s to pick tools that support how you work and help you spend less time in the weeds.

If your systems are scattered, clunky, or just plain nonexistent - that’s okay. You’re not behind, you just haven’t gotten to it yet.

Start with the one area that feels the heaviest right now and try one tool that can lighten the load.

And if you’re not sure where to start? That’s literally what I help with. Let’s figure it out together. Book an intro call today and we can chat about it!