My Tech Stack: Every Tool I Use to Run My Online Business
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Do you ever wonder what you actually need to run an online business? Well, I’m here to show you. In this blog post, I’m walking you through my entire tech stack.
I’ll share the exact softwares I use to run my business, from content creation to payment collection — and everything in between.
This may look like a lot of stuff, and it is. Which is why I’ll also point out the must-haves that I think you need when you’re just starting out.
Ready? Let’s dive in!
Website
Platform: Squarespace (affiliate link) — (psst…a website is a must-have!)
I’ve tried so many website platforms, from Wordpress to Showit to Wix, and Squarespace (affiliate link) is by far my favorite. It’s so easy to use and has loads of additional features, including email marketing, checkout software, invoicing, and more.
👉 Shopify is a great alternative if you have a large catalog of physical products. Try it here for 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months. (affiliate link)
Domain Host: Squarespace (a domain is a must-have as well)
I also purchased my domain (basically your website’s ‘address’ on the internet — mine is learnwithmarin.com) from Squarespace, which made it super easy to connect to my site.
👉 If you’re using a different website platform, a popular alternative domain host is GoDaddy.
Email & Communication
Email Service Provider: Squarespace (an email service provider is another must-have!)
I also use Squarespace for email marketing. I’ll be honest: it’s not my favorite email marketing software. It’s not quite as robust as I’d like it to be, but the fact that it’s connected to my site, checkout software, and course platform makes it easy to use. Plus, they’re always updating it and making it better.
👉 A great alternative is Flodesk, a simple-to-use software that makes designing emails and setting up automations easy. Try it out here for 50% off your first year. (affiliate link)
Email: Google Workspace (an email is a must-have as well)
Squarespace is my email service provider for marketing emails, but I still need a separate business email address and inbox. In my case, that’s hello@learnwithmarin.com. You’ll want that rather than at @gmail.com email address for your business. I use Google Workspace for this. (Which I purchased right through Squarespace!)
Video Calls: Zoom
For client calls, I keep it simple with Zoom. Most people know how to use it and it’s very reliable.
👉 An alternative for Zoom that people like is Butter, which is web-based so your clients won’t have to download any apps.
Sales & Payments
Cart Software: Squarespace
Surprise, surprise…Squarespace again! This is not the most robust checkout software if you want to do fancy funnels, but I’m not a huge fan of those anyway, so it works great for me.
👉 A great checkout alternative is Thrivecart (affiliate link), where you can build fancier funnels.
Invoicing: Found and Squarespace
For invoicing clients, I’ve used my banking software, Found (affiliate link), for a long time. However, I’m now starting to use the newer Squarespace invoicing to keep everything together under one account. For now, I still have some of my older recurring invoices in Found, but eventually I’ll have them all on Squarespace.
Payment Processors: Stripe and PayPal (if you’re selling anything, a payment processor is a must-have)
I use two classics for payment processing: Stripe and PayPal, both of which connect right to my Squarespace account.
Banking: Found (I can’t advise you on financial stuff, but business banking is a must-have!)
Found (affiliate link) is a lifesaver for me. I use it for my banking and bookkeeping, and it makes the financial stuff so much easier for me.
Course Host: Squarespace
That’s right, Squarespace again! Within Squarespace, I can create and sell courses and membership areas. I can’t stress enough how much I love having everything in one place.
Organization & Project Management
Calendar: Google Calendar
I keep things super simple (and free) with Google Calendar. It’s really easy to connect with other apps so appointments populate into the calendar, and you can easily send invites to clients as well.
Storage: Google Drive
Another simple choice: Google Drive keeps my files organized and accessible from any device.
👉 A good alternative for file storage (and sending large files) is Dropbox.
To-Do List Management: Todoist
For my business tasks, I use Todoist (affiliate link), because I don’t want to clutter up my Google Calendar with loads of tasks. It’s seriously one of my favorite pieces of tech. Scheduling a task is as easy as typing in, “Do xyz on Monday” and it fills right into your schedule. It even works with recurring tasks! I can do all of that on the free plan, but there is a paid plan as well. Click here to get two months of Pro for free. (affiliate link)
Photo Organization: Slidebox
If you create content for your business (or if you’re a social media manager creating content for lots of people — I’ve been there!) then Slidebox will be a game-changer. It’s a super easy way to organize all of your photos on your phone. Have you ever tried to sort iPhone photos into folders, but they don’t disappear from the ‘All Photos’ area, so you don’t know which ones have been sorted and which ones haven’t? It’s a nightmare. This makes photo sorting easy and fun.
Focusing: Focus Friend
This is one of my favorites. It’s a simple app by Hank Green that lets you get into focus time (no more phone distractions!) and decorate a little room from your focus sprints. Check it out here.
Design & Creative
Graphic Design: Canva
Canva is a tool I use almost every single day. I use it to create social media content, slide decks, client work, and other marketing materials. I couldn’t imagine running my business without it.
Stock Photos: Dupe, Élevae, and Unsplash (via Squarespace)
I suck at taking photos. Not only that, I hate doing it! A photographer I am not. So I utilize stock photos most of the time. For free photos, I use Dupe and Unsplash (Unsplash is also tied into Squarespace, which makes it easy to pull in photos, but you can access it outside of Squarespace as well). I also love Élevae, a paid stock photo service. (affiliate link)
Fonts: Creative Market
I purchased my brand font on Creative Market. Just a heads up when purchasing fonts or other elements: check the licensing to make sure you have the right license for your specific use case.
Template Membership: Your Template Club
I love the template drops from Your Template Club. This membership makes it easy to create fun, fresh content on the regular. It gets great engagement, too!
Content Creation
Video Recording & Editing: Screen Studio
This is another one of my favorite tools. I use it to film screen recordings that follow my cursor. So let’s say I’m filming a design tutorial in Canva. It will zoom in when I make clicks with my cursor to give a clearer view of the steps. Check it out here. (affiliate link)
Social Media Scheduling: Preview
I’ve tried so many social media schedulers, and this one is my favorite. It’s simple, it doesn’t constantly disconnect from Instagram (I’m not naming names, but IYKYK), and it’s a great way to see your grid mocked up before posting. Check it out here for 10% off. (affiliate link)
LEGAL & Admin
Contract Signing: Squarespace (contracts are a must-have!)
I use agreements on Squarespace (shocker, I know) to keep all of my projects in one place. It’s super easy to put an agreement together and send it off to my client to accept.
👉 An alternative for this is HoneyBook, which is a wonderful tool for inquiries, managing projects, and more.
Contracts: The Boutique Lawyer
This technically isn’t tech, but it is adjacent (and essential). I purchase all of my contract and website term templates from The Boutique Lawyer. They’re super easy to use and give me so much peace of mind about the legal stuff. Check them out here and use code LEARNWITHMARIN for 10% off. (affiliate link)
Time Tracking: Toggl
I use Toggl (affiliate link) to track my time for client projects or just to see where I’m spending the most time in my business. There’s a paid version, but I use the free plan and find it’s pretty robust!
Marketing & Analytics
DM Automations: Manychat
Rather than directing people to my link in bio, I use the tool Manychat. You’ve probably seen this on Instagram, it’s where people comment a word and get a link sent to their DMs. It makes a huge difference in website clicks for me! Get your first month of Pro free here. (affiliate link)
Quiz Software: Interact
I love creating quizzes as lead magnets or for lessons inside of programs, and I use the tool Interact (affiliate link) to create them. It makes the process super easy, and I can’t recommend this software enough!
I hope this helps you get an idea of what tech you need in your business, and what you might want to add a bit later on. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at hello@learnwithmarin.com.