Solo Entrepreneur Tools: What I Actually Use Every Day

Solo entrepreneur tools are a rabbit hole. I've spent an embarrassing amount of time testing, subscribing to, and abandoning software in the three years since I started building online businesses. What remains — the tools still open in my browser right now — are the ones that genuinely earned their spot. Here's the honest breakdown.

My Philosophy on Tools

Before the list: the best tool stack is the smallest one that does the job. Every tool you add is another subscription, another login, another distraction. I ruthlessly cut anything that doesn't generate visible time savings or revenue improvements.

I currently run a five-figure digital product business with six core tools. That's it.

Tool 1: MadeThis (Business Platform)

MadeThis is the foundation of my entire operation. It handles:

• My digital product storefront (customers browse and buy here)
• Checkout and payment processing
• Automatic digital delivery (file sent to buyer immediately on purchase)
• Customer management and order history
• AI co-founder for strategy, copy, and business questions

The AI co-founder deserves special mention. I use it daily for things like: "review this product description and suggest improvements," "what should I price this new workbook at," "why might conversion be dropping on this page," and "suggest 5 digital product ideas adjacent to my existing catalog."

It's not a gimmick. It's the closest thing to having a business partner for free. The answers are specific, actionable, and informed by context about my actual business — not generic internet advice.

Who it's for: Anyone building a digital product business who wants one platform instead of five.

Free tier: Yes, genuinely functional.

What it replaced: Shopify + Gumroad + a separate AI subscription + a customer email tool.

Tool 2: Notion (Operations Hub)

Notion is where I track everything that doesn't live inside MadeThis. My editorial calendar, product development roadmap, income tracking spreadsheet, research notes, and standard operating procedures all live in Notion.

I have a simple dashboard with four sections: Today (3 priority tasks), Projects (what I'm building), Content (blog posts in progress), and Numbers (monthly revenue, traffic, conversion).

What I use it for daily: Checking my 3 daily priorities, updating my content calendar, logging income numbers.

What it replaced: Trello + a physical notebook + a separate Google Sheet + Evernote.

Tool 3: ChatGPT (Content and Writing Assistant)

I use ChatGPT for long-form content production. When I'm writing a blog post, I use it to outline the article, draft the first few sections, generate headline options, and suggest supporting points I might have missed.

I don't use it to write posts verbatim — everything goes through my own editing for voice, specificity, and accuracy. But it compresses a 3-hour writing process to about 1 hour.

I also use it to stress-test ideas. "Here's my product concept — what objections would a skeptical buyer have?" That kind of adversarial brainstorming saves me from assumptions.

What I use it for daily: Drafting blog content, email sequences, and quick copy needs.

Tool 4: Canva (Design)

I design everything in Canva — product covers, PDF workbook layouts, Pinterest pins, social media graphics, and store banners. The free tier handles everything I need.

The reason Canva made the cut is the template library. I don't need to design from scratch; I find a template close to what I want, customize colors and fonts, and I'm done. A decent design in 20 minutes instead of 2 hours.

What I use it for daily: At least one design task — usually a new Pinterest pin or updating a product thumbnail.

Tool 5: ConvertKit (Email Marketing)

My email list is the most valuable business asset I have. ConvertKit manages it.

I use it for: weekly newsletter to my list, product launch sequences, and a few automated welcome sequences for new subscribers. The automation is simple enough that I set it up once and it runs indefinitely.

Important note: I don't use the MadeThis email tools and ConvertKit simultaneously — they serve different functions. ConvertKit is for my editorial newsletter and marketing sequences; MadeThis handles post-purchase transactional emails.

Tool 6: Google Analytics (Traffic and SEO)

Free, powerful, and the only way I know what's actually working. I check GA weekly to see which blog posts are driving traffic, where my traffic comes from, and what pages convert best.

The most valuable insight it gives me: which search queries bring people to my site. That tells me what content to create next.

Tools I Tried and Stopped Using

Zapier: I thought I needed it to connect tools. Once I consolidated onto MadeThis, I had almost nothing left to connect. Cancelled after the first month.

Buffer/Hootsuite: I tried scheduling social media posts consistently and realized I wasn't getting meaningful results from social compared to SEO and Pinterest. Stopped paying for scheduling tools.

Kajabi: Excellent platform for course creators with audiences. Overkill and overpriced for a solo creator in the early stages. Switched to MadeThis.

Grammarly Pro: The free version handles the things I actually need. The pro features didn't justify the price.

The Anti-Tool List

Things I don't use that people expect me to:

• Project management tools (Asana, Monday, ClickUp) — Notion handles what I need
• Separate landing page builders — MadeThis has this covered
• Paid keyword research tools — Google Search Console + manual research is enough at my scale
• Design subscriptions beyond Canva — not needed

The Core Insight

The most important decision I made was consolidating my store, payments, delivery, and AI strategy into one platform (MadeThis). That single move eliminated four separate tools, four subscriptions, and hours of integration maintenance.

Everything else on my list supports content creation and list building — the two activities that drive new customers. Keep it simple. Keep it small. Every tool you add is overhead.

If you're building a solo online business and want the most consolidated, AI-powered stack available, start with MadeThis. It handles more than you think — and it's free to start.

→ Build your solo business stack starting with MadeThis — free