Top tools for solopreneurs: Keys to success 

Congratulations on finally deciding to start your own business! That’s no small feat, but your journey has just begun. Since you’re going at it alone, you’re wearing all the hats—and you’ll need all the help you can get. 

With tools for solopreneurs, you can fast-track your way to success and leave burnout behind. These tools will streamline your processes, save time, and help you stay focused on what truly matters: growing your business and hitting your goals. 

Time management tools  

Every second counts when running a business. You need to stay focused, organized, and find time for downtime. While planners are useful, these apps and platforms can make time management even easier. Here are a few to start: 

Google Calendar 

Google Calendar helps solopreneurs stay on top of meetings, reminders, and daily tasks. It syncs across all your devices and integrates with third-party apps to streamline your workflow.  

To stay organized, try color-coding your events by category (meetings, tasks, personal time). If you’re looking to connect your calendar to your website for bookings or client scheduling, you can do this with Google Workspace, which we’ll cover in more detail later.   

RescueTime  

RescueTime is a customizable productivity tool that tracks the time you spend on apps and websites. It lets you categorize them as productive, neutral, or distracting. By doing so, you can identify which apps take your focus away from work and create strategies to boost your productivity. 

Project management tools  

Project management tools track how you spend your time on your business. They help you iron out the little details—like how long it takes to ship out an item or respond to a customer. By tracking tasks, you can identify where you’re spending most of your working hours and work towards creating systems to maximize your time and boost efficiency. 

Google Workspace 

Google Workspace gives solopreneurs everything they need to manage their workflow. With Gmail, Google Drive, Docs, and Google Calendar, you can handle emails, schedule meetings, and collaborate on files—all in one place. 

At Domain.com, getting started is easy. Google Workspace is already built in, so setup is quick and hassle-free. Get a domain with us, and start using Google’s business tools right away. 

Asana 

Asana is a task management tool that helps solopreneurs organize projects, set deadlines, and track progress. It’s designed for managing workflows, assigning tasks, and keeping projects on schedule. 

It also integrates with other tools like Gmail and Google Drive, allowing you to connect to your workspace. Since Asana is highly customizable, setting it up to match your workflow may take some time, but it offers flexibility for those who prefer tailored project management. 

Trello 

Trello uses a simple board-and-card system to organize your tasks visually. Think of it as your virtual corkboard. It’s easy to track progress by putting tasks into “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done” columns. This system allows you to break down big projects into smaller, manageable tasks that are easier to tackle and accomplish. 

Notion  

Notion is a versatile all-in-one workspace where you can organize tasks, take notes, track projects, and manage business operations. It’s highly customizable too. It lets you create exactly what you need. Here’s what Notion has to offer: 

• Task management. This is where your to-do lists, Kanban boards, or tables fall under. This lets you track deadlines, priorities, and progress all in one place.
• Databases. These let you manage specific information, such as project details, client contacts, or inventory. View your data in different formats (table, list, calendar, etc.) for maximum flexibility. 
• Wiki. A wiki is a knowledge base for your business. Store important documents, guidelines, and FAQs for easy access here, so you never have to search for that info again.
• Notes and ideas. Jot down your thoughts, project ideas, or meeting notes in a clean, clutter-free space with the notes and ideas section. You can organize them in a way that makes sense for you—whether that’s by project, client, or topic. 
• Customizable templates. Notion offers pre-built templates for everything from project management to meeting notes. Or you can create your own to suit your brand or style.  

Communication tools 

Connections are key, even for solopreneurs. To build and nurture these relationships, you need professional communication platforms. With these communication tools, you show you’re serious about your business. On that note, make sure to create a business account rather than relying on a personal one. 

Here are some of the tools for effective communication: 

Slack 

Slack is a powerful communication tool for business owners who need to stay organized and connected. With Slack, you can group conversations into channels for multiple projects, making it easy to delegate tasks and keep everything in one place. It also works well with tools like Google Drive, Trello, and Asana, allowing you to streamline your workflow and stay on top of your projects. 

Zoom 

Zoom is the go-to tool for video calls and virtual meetings. As a business owner, you can use Zoom to host client consultations, team meetings, or virtual presentations. It’s easy to schedule, share screens, and record your meetings for future reference. Pair it with Google Calendar for scheduling meetings and automating notifications and keep everyone in the loop. 

Sales/Financial management tools 

The most important business tools for solopreneurs are sales tools. These track cash flow, client meetings, and conversions. With the data from these financial management tools, you can quickly identify what’s working and what isn’t in your business strategy. 

Choosing the right tools can be overwhelming, so we’ve selected our best picks for you to try out. 

HubSpot 

HubSpot is a good tool for managing customer interactions. It lets small business owners keep track of their leads, or potential customers. It monitors how they engage with your website, emails, and content. In doing so, it can give valuable insights into where site visitors are in the buying process, so you can tailor your approach. 

It can also integrate with other business tools like Google Meet, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, and QuickBooks. It’s a free tool that brings all your customer information together in one place. As one of the top productivity tools for solopreneurs, HubSpot can help you pinpoint your target audience efficiently. 

Pipedrive 

Pipedrive tracks and manages your sales progress. By visually organizing your leads and deals, it makes it easier to follow up with potential clients making sure nothing slips through the cracks. 

Marketing tools 

Marketing tools help attract new customers by streamlining your content creation efforts. These are the best tools for creating social media posts, email templates, and other marketing materials to boost your brand’s presence. 

Canva 

Canva is a user-friendly graphic design and content creation tool that lets you design stunning graphics and marketing materials. Whether you’re creating social media posts, email headers, or promotional flyers, Canva’s templates make it easy to produce professional-quality visuals without needing design experience. 

Buffer 

Buffer is a social media scheduling tool that helps you plan and manage posts across multiple platforms. With Buffer, you can schedule posts in advance, track engagement, and analyze performance—all from one dashboard. The free tool version offers basic features, making it perfect for solopreneurs who want to stay consistent without extra time or money. 

Mailchimp 

Mailchimp is a leading email marketing platform that helps create content for your emails and automate campaigns. With its powerful segmentation and tracking features, you can send targeted messages to specific groups in your audience. This makes your communication more personal and effective. 

Automation tools 

Automation tools save time by handling repetitive tasks for you. This includes automating emails, managing workflows, scheduling social media posts, and more. Here are a few tools for solopreneurs that take care of these tasks for you: 

Zapier 

Zapier is an easy-to-use automation tool that connects different apps and helps you automate tasks. A few of the things you can do include automatically posting content to your social media platforms, adding new subscribers to your email marketing list, or syncing data between apps. It’s a productivity tool that saves you time by handling repetitive tasks.  

Make (formerly Integromat) 

Make is an advanced automation tool that lets you connect multiple apps and automate your workflows. For instance, you can set up an automation that sends a personalized follow-up email, updates a spreadsheet, and creates a task in your project management tool all in one go. 

Legal tools 

When you’re running a business, handling legal tasks like contracts and business registration is important. Though these tasks may seem overwhelming, the right legal tools can simplify the process and make sure you’re protected. Here are a few of the best tools to use to handle the legal side of your business: 

DocuSign 

DocuSign lets you electronically sign contracts and other legal documents. Simply create a digital signature, and the platform allows you to apply it wherever needed. It’s a convenient way to save time on signing and leaves you more room to focus on actually reviewing the documents. 

LegalZoom 

LegalZoom gives solopreneurs access to pre-drafted legal templates for LLC formation, contracts, NDAs, trademarks, and more. This saves you the time and effort of drafting them yourself. Though it’s smart to consult a lawyer for more complex matters, LegalZoom does most of the heavy lifting, bringing you one step closer to legal compliance. Additionally, it helps with digital filing, ensuring you always have a soft copy of your important documents stored securely online. 

Rocket Lawyer 

Rocket Lawyer is great for creating legal documents, but what really sets it apart is its access to a range of lawyers who specialize in areas that matter to solopreneurs like business law, contracts, and intellectual property. Need help forming your business, drafting an agreement, or protecting your ideas? Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to connect with the right lawyer without the hassle. Plus, you can get on-demand legal advice whenever you need it, without the high costs of hiring a lawyer for every little thing. 

How to make the best use of your business tools 

There are plenty of tools out there for solopreneurs, but it’s all about using the right ones strategically. When you’re starting out, focus on the basics, like time management, project management, and communication tools. These will help turn your ideas into a solid business. 

As your online business grows, you’ll start to build your brand identity. A website is key at this stage because it allows you to bring everything together on one platform. This will make it easier to manage your business and reduce the need for switching between different tools. 

Also, don’t forget to secure your business and domain names. While an online business may not require huge upfront costs, as your sales increase, having your licenses and legal documents organized will help keep everything in check. 

Your online business success starts with just a few clicks 

We’ve covered some great tools to help you stay organized, communicate better, and grow your business. Now it’s time to bring everything together. Explore these tools, find what works for you, and build a system that fits your workflow. 

Consider creating a website to keep everything in one place. At Domain.com, getting started is simple. Our AI-powered website builder and AI writer help you launch fast, so you can focus on running your business. Once your website is live, we help you set up Google Workspace to manage emails, tasks, and schedules all from one platform. 

Frequently asked questions