My Favourite Business Tools
People often ask me what technology I use to run my online business, and since the tech plays a HUGE part in me being able to let my business run while I’m enjoying life elsewhere, it’s very important that I’ve got the best tools.
My preference is to use as few as possible, to keep the load of managing them to a minumum, and select them based on their ability to AUTOMATE and INTEGRATE.
Here’s a quick snapshot of what I use, or have used in the past and would recommend to my best mates.
Some of these platforms are so good I’ve joined their partner program and I happily share the details of their awesome services for those who are interested! So yes, I may be rewarded if you choose to sign up, but I’d give these recommendations regardless.
Website + online courses + membership platform
Kajabi
I held back from investing in Kajabi for ages! I thought WordPress was right for me... but then I got to a point where I was managing so many different plugins and platform integrations it just took up too much of my time and caused too many headaches!
Moving to Kajabi is one of the best decisions I made, I’ve been able to streamline my whole business into Kajabi and reduce the number of software platforms I use (and the costs!). Having it all in one place makes a lot of sense and the user-friendly layouts for the courses has lifted my customer experience up to the premium level I always wanted.
It’s simple and easy to build, even for non-techy people! Plus it's paid for itself already with simple checkout pages designed to convert.
Alternatives I’ve also used and like:
MemberVault
This is a great option for those looking to offer multiple courses or memberships and want an easy-to-use + affordable option that also has appealing design! MemberVault has a free-forever plan for up to 100 members which makes it my usual recommendation for those starting out and on a budget. It's not low quality, however: the impressive list of features includes online quizzes, and I love their concept of an online course marketplace so your members can see what else is on offer (and purchase other programs really easily!).
New Zenler
New Zenler is a flexible all-in-one course, membership, website platform with everything you need to create and sell your online products. The flexibility with their template design makes it a great choice. Try it free while their latest update is in beta!
Podia
Podia is a really simple-to-use platform to host and sell online courses, memberships, and digital downloads. No technical headaches, zero transaction fees, and unlimited everything.
LearnWorlds
Host your website and online school, courses or membership in the one place with LearnWorlds. Full featured all-in-one solution with a simple website page builder that also enables you to run webinars.
Simplero
Simplero is an all-in-one solution designed for coaches, consultants and trainers - essentially any online education business. Their platform gives you all the tools you need to build and grow a successful online education business all in one place, reducing the number of software systems you need in your business. Simplero includes your website, courses, membership programs, email marketing, landing pages, help desk and affiliate program... plus many more features. Take them for a test drive today!
Kartra
Kartra is an all-in-one marketing platform designed to help businesses manage and automate their online presence. It includes tools for creating sales funnels, email marketing campaigns, membership sites, and landing pages. Kartra also offers advanced analytics, a built-in CRM, and e-commerce features to handle payments and product delivery. With its drag-and-drop interface and integrations, Kartra is a comprehensive solution for entrepreneurs and businesses looking to streamline their digital marketing and operations in one place.
Convertri
Convertri is a high-speed funnel builder and landing page platform designed to help businesses create fast-loading, mobile-optimized pages. With its intuitive drag-and-drop editor, users can easily design custom sales funnels, opt-in pages, and websites without coding. Convertri stands out for its page speed, helping improve user experience and SEO rankings. It also offers A/B testing, integrations with various marketing tools, and built-in analytics, making it a powerful choice for marketers who need performance-driven pages to boost conversions and sales.
Leadpages
Leadpages is a user-friendly platform designed to help businesses create high-converting landing pages, websites, and pop-ups without any coding skills. It offers a drag-and-drop editor, customizable templates, and tools for building opt-in forms, lead magnets, and email capture pages. Leadpages integrates with various marketing platforms, helping users streamline lead generation and sales processes. It also provides analytics, A/B testing, and mobile-responsive designs, making it a great option for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to grow their audience and improve conversions.
Email Marketing + Business Automation
Active Campaign
I started with Active Campaign right at the beginning, even though it wasn’t the cheapest email marketing platform, it was the ability to build visual automation flows that really sold me on Active Campaign.
My goal was to reduce the amount of time I spend on managing my customer communications using their full automation functionality.
I now have well over 100 automations that run my business in the background - keeping my clients happy and working for me while I'm not! It's how I manage to work part-time hours - honestly I don’t know where I would be without it!
Alternatives I’ve also used and like:
MailerLite
MailerLite is one I often recommend for those starting out with email marketing. It's easy to use, they have excellent customer support and beautiful email designs. It offers automated flows which is a HUGE bonus, plus you can start with a free plan and grow your list without the upfront cost.
Moosend
A rival to Active Campaign, I like how this marketing automation platform also does excellent visual automation maps, as well as handling your email marketing needs. Start for free, up to 1,000 subscribers.
ManyChat
ManyChat is a chatbot platform that automates conversations on Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It helps businesses engage customers, generate leads, and drive sales through easy-to-build chatbots, with no coding needed. ManyChat also integrates with CRM and marketing tools for streamlined communication.
Online Meetings, Conference and Webinars
Zoom
No doubt you already know and love Zoom, it’s a no brainer! You can start on the free version and upgrade to host multi-people meetings and sessions when you need. And it doubles as a webinar platform with their webinar add-on. (However if you’re doing a lot of webinars I would suggest using a dedicated webinar platform like WebinarJam. It’s designed to streamline the whole process and super easy to use.)
Calendly
I use Calendly as my online booking system, allowing clients to book themselves into an available spot in my diary, without me needing to go back and forward to find a mutually suitable time. It also lets me take payments directly, so great to have another simple option for people to pay.
Alternatives I’ve also used and like:
EasyWebinar
EasyWebinar's user-friendly platform makes it easy for you to create, promote, and host webinars, all in one convenient place. With features like live streaming, chat, and automated replays, you can engage with your audience and keep them coming back for more. Plus, the analytics tools give you valuable insights into your webinar performance, so you can fine-tune your strategy and make the most of every event. Try EasyWebinar today and take your webinars to the next level!
Webinar Jam
WebinarJam is the leading webinar platform - and for a good reason! It's got everything you need to create, promote and run your webinars - and it's an easy step by step method with done-for-you templates. It's fast, the tech is user friendly for your audience as well as for you, and you get all the data you need to maximise your sales! Highly recommend.
EverWebinar
EverWebinar is an automated webinar platform designed to help businesses run pre-recorded webinars as if they were live. It offers features like scheduling, live chat simulation, and audience interaction tools to engage participants and create a realistic live experience. EverWebinar integrates with various marketing tools and provides analytics to track performance, making it a great solution for lead generation, sales, and customer engagement without needing to host a live event every time.
Social Media, Graphic Design
Planoly
I’ve used lots of social media schedulers but Planoly has stood the test of time, in that I’m still using it 3 years later! It’s easy and visual plus the iphone app saves me so much time and makes it easy to schedule ‘real’ photos I’ve taken from my phone.
Canva
By far the best online graphic design tool I’ve used. So simple and easy, plenty of templates in there to get you started on any of your designs. I do recommend upgrading to have your brand palette and fonts saved - every moment you save by having them pre-loaded is a moment you can be doing something else!
Productivity and Team Management
Asana
This is a great online project management platform you can either use just for yourself and keeping track of what you’re working on, but also for team task management. I have a number of VAs who work remotely and this tool is a lifesaver for keeping it all in one place where we can see what everyone is working on and prioritise tasks.
Favorite AI Tools
Castmagic
For Podcasters: I'm loving this tool that turns your podcast audio recordings into show notes, emails, social media posts and even suggests titles! Love also how it integrates with Zoom, Google Drive etc so it can import the files directly and save you even MORE time!
