Low Budget Business Toolkit

Ready to get your online business rolling, but not sure where to start?

Here's a primer on what types of tech tools will help you succeed, and what to use to get you going.

1. Website

For beautiful and easy to build websites, my go-to is Carrd. They describe themselves as "Simple, free, fully responsive one-page sites for pretty much anything." and it's spot on. 

Make no mistake: "one page" does not mean "basic" - you get lots of style options, can add an email list subscription form, embed other tools like calendar booking, and even take payments (with a paid plan). 

2. Email and Documents

I use and highly recommend Google Workspace.

It's a paid subscription, so watch out for additional users, but as a single user you can create as many separate email "aliases" as you want, and even add additional domain names for free. It looks much more professional than a standard @gmail.com address. 

3. Appointment Scheduling

Ready for an incoming flood of prospective clients? Make it easy for them to set up time to speak with you by using an appointment booking tool. These tools manage calendar invites, email confirmations, and easy ways to reschedule or cancel when life happens.

A free Calendly account gives you one appointment type, and when you're ready to upgrade you can also add automations and payments. 

4. Getting Paid

Time to get paid for your work! Here's how to collect payments safely and (fairly) easily:

Zelle

Zelle is a great option because there are NO fees, and when set up correctly, you'll get nearly instant access to the money, right in your bank account. The downside is that most people don't know about it and it's not as frequently available. 

Venmo

Venmo has personal and business accounts, and the fees for business payments are lower than other options. Many people are familiar with Venmo. Downside: it can be hard to set up to take payments on your website and other platforms. 

Stripe

Stripe has nearly universal integrations (almost every platform lets you take payments through Stripe), but setup and invoicing can be confusing and complicated. 

Wise

Wise (formerly Transferwise) is a great way to accept international payments in multiple currencies for a reasonable fee. Downside is that setup is not intuitive, and it doesn't integrate with a lot of other platforms. 

Square

Square is an easy way to accept in-person and some online payments, and they're very user friendly with fees in line with Stripe. The downside is that not many other tools will let you accept payments through Square. 

PayPal

PayPal is the oldest and best known payment platform, and some people will only pay via PayPal. The downside is that they have the highest fees, and sometimes keep your money hostage for a long time with no recourse. 

5. Graphics and Branding

Canva

Canva makes it easy to create professional designs and to share or print them. Create social media banners and images, presentations, infographics, and even videos. The free version has plenty of stock images and elements, and you can upgrade for team features and even more fonts and elements. 

Coolors

Coolors is a fun way to explore color and create a custom color palette for your new brand. Explore trending palettes or create your own, adjust colors, and even check your new palette for accessibility with color blindness adjustments. 

The End

This toolkit should get you going on your business building journey; as you grow, you'll want to add more to your tool cabinet. 

Check out my full toolkit and many more recommendations in the Resources section of this site.