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# How Much I Pay for Tools to Run My Solo Business
- URL: https://tinkeringwithideas.io/tools-solo-business/
- Published: 2025-12-03T16:15:28.000Z
- Updated: 2026-02-18T12:26:13.000Z
- Description: 25 tools + use cases + pricing
- Author: Anna Burgess Yang
- Tags: Deep Dive

As any solo business owner can attest, it costs money to run a business. I pay for accounting services, business insurance, taxes, a [virtual assistant](https://blog.annabyang.com/viritual-assistant-for-a-solo-business/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) — and a *lot* of apps and tools.

Some tools are necessary (like accounting software). Most make my life easier. 

I have a simple equation when it comes to tools. I ask myself, "Can this tool save me an hour of time each month?" If so, the cost of the tool is *usually* offset by the time saved. I'm willing to pay for a tool if it saves me time, because then I can focus on other parts of my business.

I've listed all the tools I use below. There's some overlap – like you'll wonder, "Why does she use X tool, when she's already paying for Y tool?" The answer is that I want the **best** tool for the job. If that means I have to pay for a separate tool, I'm fine with that (and then will figure out how to integrate it with other tools I use).

💲

The total cost of all of my tools is ****$458.80/month.** Even though the tools are all listed with monthly costs, I pay annually for many tools to take advantage of discounts offered for annual payments.

## 1\. Airtable

**Monthly cost:** $20/month ($240 paid annually). I'm on a team plan and pay for two seats so my virtual assistant can also use Airtable.

### How I use this tool:

[Airtable](https://airtable.com/invite/r/UCwrdMYa?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)\* is my "source of truth" for everything related to my business. I keep track of clients, deliverables, payments, and my sales pipeline.

It's also my content library, where I keep track of everything I've published on The Internet. New content is automatically added to Airtable (picking up the RSS feed via Zapier). 

I also LOVE Airtable AI. Field agents, in particular, can handle a lot of tasks that I couldn't previously do with automation alone.

### Additional resources:

- [How I Use Airtable to Organize Content](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/airtable-organize-content/)
- [How to Set Up an Airtable Field Agent](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/airtable-field-agent/)

## 2\. Buffer

**Monthly cost:** $36 ($6/channel and I have 6 channels connected)

### How I use this tool:

[Buffer](https://join.buffer.com/anna-burgess-yang?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)\* is really easy to use for social media scheduling. I've got a whole process to create social media posts based on my blog content, and send the drafts to Buffer (which I then **edit** before publishing). 

Buffer has great Zapier integration. I have a ton of automation set up based on scheduling content *in* Buffer, and when content is sent *from* Buffer.

### Additional resources:

- [Automatically Send Your Published Articles to Buffer](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/save-published-content-buffer-zapier/)
- [Repurpose Social Posts Using ChatGPT](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/repurpose-social-posts-using-chatgpt/)

## 3\. Calendly

**Monthly cost:** $10/month ($120 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

Let's be honest: there are a LOT of calendar scheduling tools out there. I could even use the calendar scheduling tool included in my Google Workspace. 

But I still choose and pay for [Calendly](https://calendly.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io). I think the experience is much better for the person *scheduling* the meeting, and that's what I care about. 

### Additional resources:

- [Create Projects from Your Calendar Events](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/create-projects-from-your-calendar-events/)
- [Time Blocking for Freelancers: How to Manage Your Work](https://blog.annabyang.com/time-blocking-for-freelancers/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 4\. Canva

**Monthly cost:** $10/month ($120 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

About 18 months ago, I hired a brand designer. He created *hundreds* of brand templates for me to use in Canva. I use these across social media for assets like images, carousels, and more.

My virtual assistant does some work for me in Canva. But rather than pay for a team plan, I simply share links to editable files with her.

### Additional resources:

- [Automatically Extract Text from Canva Social Posts](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/extract-text-social-posts/)
- [4 Reasons You Need to Organize Your Freelance Brand Assets](https://blog.annabyang.com/organize-freelance-brand-assets/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 5\. Carrd

**Monthly cost: $1.58** ($19 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

I'm not at a place in my business where I need a fancy website, so I use [Carrd](https://try.carrd.co/annabyang?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)\* for a simple one-pager. I have several Carrd sites, across different domains and subdomains. 

Carrd also integrates with Kit, so I can collect email signups through Carrd, for things like webinar events.

### Additional resources:

- [Do You Host Webinars? Follow These 7 Steps](https://blog.annabyang.com/steps-to-host-webinars/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)
- [Do You Need a Domain and Business Email Address?](https://blog.annabyang.com/business-email-address/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 6\. ChatGPT

**Monthly cost:** $20/month, plus a small API fee

### How I use this tool:

ChatGPT had the benefit of "first to market" for a lot of things, so it's embedded into my workflows. I am using ChatGPT within Zapier, which costs a little extra on top of the monthly ChatGPT subscription. But I pay maybe $5 every few months – it's a nominal amount.

I use ChatGPT to repurpose my own blog posts into other content and to help me self-edit my writing. I have tons of Projects set up, which lets me add reference files, such as my own style guide. With Projects, I don't have to repeat my instructions each time.

### Additional resources:

- [How to Integrate ChatGPT Into Your Workflows](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/integrate-chatgpt-into-workflows/)
- [Pull Standout Quotes From Your Blog Posts Using AI](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/quotes-from-blog-posts/)

## 7\. Cleft

**Monthly cost:** $2.41/month ($29 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[Cleft](https://www.cleftnotes.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) is my voice memo app. It does an amazing job of taking my stream-of-consciousness thoughts and organizing them into something coherent.

Cleft also works with Zapier. So when I add specific tags, the notes are sent to different apps (like Todoist or Trello).

### Additional resources:

- [How to Automate Your Blog Publishing Process](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/automate-your-blog-publishing-process/)
- [How I Use Voice Apps to Capture My Ideas](https://blog.annabyang.com/voice-apps/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 8\. Fireflies

**Monthly cost:** $19/month ($228 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[Fireflies.ai](https://app.fireflies.ai/login?referralCode=c0Ux29gYtg&ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)\* automatically joins all of my meetings, records the call, and produces a transcript. 

There are a lot of AI notetakers on the market, but Fireflies works with Zapier. My meeting transcripts are automatically saved to my Google Drive, and I have a Zapier automation set up to add any action items to my to-do list.

### Additional resources:

- [Automatically Add AI-Generated Meeting Follow-Ups to Your To-Do List](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/ai-meeting-follow-ups-to-do-list/)
- [3 Ways to Get a Transcript for a YouTube Video](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/youtube-transcript/)

## 9\. Ghost

**Monthly cost:** $27 ($9 per website x 3 websites) ($324 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[Ghost](https://ghost.org/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) hosts this tutorials website, my [blog](https://blog.annabyang.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io), and my [personal blog](https://www.musingsoutloud.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io). I like that Ghost has the ability to email blog posts to subscribers. Ghost also has the ability to collect subscription revenue, but I don't use that feature.

### Additional resources:

- [I Publish on Substack, Ghost, and Kit. Here's Why](https://blog.annabyang.com/publish-substack-ghost-kit/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io).
- [Automatically Add Substack Subscribers to Kit](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/automatically-add-substack-subscribers-to-kit/) (works for Ghost also)

## 10\. Google Workspace

**Monthly cost:** $23.92 for two users ($287 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

I use [Google Workspace](https://referworkspace.app.goo.gl/6dxC?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) for the obvious things like email and Google Drive. But I also use Google Meet for all meetings and collect eSignatures on contracts. I used to pay for a separate eSignature tool, but I collect so few signatures. Google Workspace's eSignature feature isn't great, but it gets the job done.

I pay for two users so I can share things with my virtual assistant on an email address that I can control (on my domain). 

### Additional resources:

- [Automatically Save Files from Gmail to Google Drive](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/save-pdfs-gmail-gdrive/)
- [Create Client Folders in Google Drive](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/client-folders-google-drive/)

## 11\. Grammarly

**Monthly cost:** $12/month ($144 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

I have to self-edit a lot of my work. Grammarly catches spelling/grammar errors. I use the Chrome extension so Grammarly can review my writing on-screen, whether I'm working in Google Docs or on one of my websites.

Grammarly also suggests ways to improve the text. For the most part, I do *not* use this. I'll sometimes look at the suggestions, but I almost always prefer the way I wrote the sentence. 

### Additional resources:

- [How to Use AI to Create a Style Guide](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/style-guide-ai/)
- [AI Won't Replace Me As a Writer. Here's Why](https://blog.annabyang.com/ai-will-not-replace-writers/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io).

## 12\. Journo Portfolio

**Monthly cost:** $9/month (paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[Journo Portfolio](https://www.journoportfolio.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) hosts my writing portfolio. It is linked from my one-page Carrd site. When I add links to JournoPortfolio, it takes a backup PDF copy of my work. That way, if a client ever takes my work offline, I won't lose it. 

I like how easy it is to add new links and maintain my portfolio with Journo Portfolio. Journo Portfolio has full websites (like a homepage with a link to the portfolio page), but I like the simplicity of Carrd more. That's why I use the combination of Carrd and Journo Portfolio. 

### Additional resources:

- [4 Tips to Make Your Freelance Portfolio Work to Your Advantage](https://blog.annabyang.com/freelance-portfolio/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)
- [How to Stand Out as a Freelancer](https://blog.annabyang.com/how-to-stand-out-as-a-freelancer/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 13\. Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

**Monthly cost:** $49.17 ($590 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[Kit](https://partners.kit.com/f9fp6buqnnz1?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)\* (formerly ConvertKit) is my email marketing platform. I send my newsletter from Kit. I also have a lot of email sequences set up based on people downloading different resources or signing up for events. 

I like the automations of Kit a lot. It's also tightly integrated with Gumroad, where I offer a lot of [free resources](https://products.annabyang.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io). 

### Additional resources:

- [How to Create and Maintain a Client Email List](https://blog.annabyang.com/create-and-maintain-client-email-list/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)
- [The Content Ecosystem That Grows My Audience as a Creator](https://blog.annabyang.com/content-ecosystem/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 14\. LastPass

**Monthly cost:** $4/month ($48 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[LastPass](https://www.lastpass.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) is my password manager. I use complex passwords for everything, generated by LastPass. I can even securely share passwords with my virtual assistant.

### Additional resources:

- [Solopreneur Tech Support: How to Manage On Your Own](https://blog.annabyang.com/solopreneur-tech-support/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)
- [5 Ways to Prepare For Life's Worst-Case Scenarios](https://blog.annabyang.com/prepare-for-worst-case-scenarios/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 15\. Loom

**Monthly cost:** $16.50/month ($198 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[Loom](https://www.loom.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io): I use Loom to record and share videos. Most videos are created for my virtual assistant or to document my processes.

I *love* Loom AI, which will create a Standard Operating Procedure based on a video. It's pretty accurate. I then save a copy of the SOP to my Google Drive. I pay extra for access to Loom AI. 

### Additional resources:

- [Why You Need Standard Operating Procedures For Your Solo Business](https://blog.annabyang.com/why-you-need-standard-operating-procedures-for-your-solo-business/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)
- [How to Organize Your Standard Operating Procedures](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/how-to-organize-your-standard-operating-procedures/)

## 16\. Midjourney

**Monthly cost:** $48/month ($576 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[Midjourney](https://www.midjourney.com/home?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) generates images for all of my blogs. I use different [style codes](https://sref-midjourney.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) for each publication. Style codes create a consistent look/feel for the images.

Midjourney is one of the most expensive tools I pay for, because I opt to keep my images private. If I didn't pay for a higher tier, my images would be visible to other Midjourney users.

It's important to note that I am *not* replacing a human with AI-generated images. Prior to Midjourney, I was using generic, free Unsplash images (which I hated). If at some point I'm able to do so, I will hire an illustrator. For now, Midjourney is a good alternative for me. 

### Additional resources:

- [Streamline Image Creation With AI](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/streamline-image-creation-ai/)
- [Why Writers Should Care About AI Image Generation](https://blog.annabyang.com/writers-should-care-about-ai-art/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 17\. QuickBooks

**Monthly cost:** $38/month

### How I use this tool:

[QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) is my accounting tool. Honestly, I hate it. I only use it because that's what my accounting firm uses. I previously used [Wave](https://www.waveapps.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) and was much happier, but my business eventually needed some of the more robust accounting features that QuickBooks offers. 

Because I use an outsourced bookkeeper, I'm thankfully not in QuickBooks much. Mostly just to send invoices. 

### Additional resources:

- [Managing Your Finances As a Solopreneur](https://blog.annabyang.com/managing-solopreneur-finances/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)
- [Tips to Better Manage Your Solo Business Cash Flow](https://blog.annabyang.com/solo-business-cash-flow/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 18\. Readwise

**Monthly cost:** $4.99/month

### How I use this tool:

[Readwise](https://readwise.io/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) is my read-it-later app. I can bookmark articles, webpages, podcasts and more and then read them from a centralized feed. Readwise also lets me highlight text from articles and then syncs my highlights to my notetaking app, Reflect.

Note: I think I'm on legacy pricing, because the current pricing of Readwise is $7.99/month. 

### Additional resources:

- [Save Articles to Your Note-Taking App With Readwise](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/save-articles-to-your-note-taking-app-with-readwise/)
- [What to Do When an App You Love Shuts Down](https://blog.annabyang.com/app-alternatives/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 19\. Reflect

**Monthly cost:** $10/month ($120 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[Reflect](https://reflect.app/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) is the app I use for note-taking and drafting long-torm content. Several outside sources sync to Reflect, including Readwise and Snipd. 

Reflect is basically my "second brain" all in one place. I search through notes as I'm writing articles to find related ideas.

### Additional resources:

- [Build a Note-Taking System You'll Actually Use](https://blog.annabyang.com/best-tools-for-capturing-notes/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)
- [Automatically Add Blog Posts to Notebook LM](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/blog-posts-notebook-lm/)

## 20\. Scribe 

**Monthly cost:** $29/month

### How I use this tool:

I use [Scribe](https://get.scribehow.com/lp-1/?via=anna-burgess-yang&ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)\* to create tutorials for this website. Scribe will follow along with my mouse clicks and capture screenshots. It also lets me redact sensitive information (like email addresses or client data).

I could *probably* use Loom to do the same thing. Loom will grab screenshots as part of creating an SOP. But since Scribe is mouse-click-based, the screenshots are more focused. It's also easy to edit the screenshot (resize it). I'd spend a lot more time editing screenshots if I relied on Loom. So Scribe is saving me time. 

### Additional resources: 

Tutorials created with Scribe. 

- [Let Your Kids Add Events to Google Calendar](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/google-calendar-notifications-events/)
- [Automation Tips for Working With Audio and Video Files](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/automation-audio-video/)

## 21\. Slack

**Monthly cost:** $7.25/month ($87 paid annually).

### How I use this tool:

I'll use whatever communication tool my clients prefer, and some prefer [Slack](https://slack.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io). I have to pay for a single user (me), and then my clients usually add me as an external connection. 

Because I also use email a lot, I'll usually opt to receive Slack notifications via email. When I get the notification, I know to check Slack. 

### Additional resources:

- [Save Slack Messages as Content Ideas](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/slack-messages-content-ideas/)
- [Communication Shouldn't Be On Demand](https://www.workbetter.media/p/the-best-way-to-sync-is-async?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 22: Snipd

**Monthly cost:** $6.99/month ($83.88 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

I'm a podcast junkie. With Snipd, I can save snippets from podcasts. The snippets (the transcript and an AI-powered summary) are synced to Reflect, which is where I store research and notes for my writing.

### Additional resources:

- [How to Use Podcast Guest Appearances to Market Yourself](https://blog.annabyang.com/how-to-be-a-podcast-guest/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)
- [How to Repurpose Podcast Content as Social Media Posts](https://blog.annabyang.com/repurpose-podcast-content/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 23\. Todoist

**Monthly cost:** $5/month ($60 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[Todoist](https://get.todoist.io/5vaw2q1il5zr?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)\* is my task list, which is separate from project management. Todoist does a great job with recurring tasks, in particular. 

I've been a Todoist user for twelve years, which is a *wild* amount of time. The app is so easy to use. I also have tasks frequently added via Zapier, based on activity in other apps. 

### Additional resources:

- [Why I Use Both Trello and Todoist](https://blog.annabyang.com/use-both-trello-and-todoist/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)
- [How to Tackle Your To-Do List with Time Blocking](https://blog.annabyang.com/tackle-your-to-do-list-with-time-blocking/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 24\. Trello

**Monthly cost:** $10/month ($120 paid annually) 

### How I use this tool:

[Trello](https://trello.com/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io) is my project management tool for client deliverables. In a few instances, I've used Trello as a client-facing collaborative tool. But, in most cases, my clients already have project management set up on their end. 

I also use Trello to plan my long-form content and other projects I'm working on (like webinars I want to host or resources I want to create).

### Additional resources:

- [Randomly Select Ideas from a Trello List](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/randomly-select-ideas-from-a-trello-list/)
- [How to Build a Freelance Project Management System](https://blog.annabyang.com/freelance-project-management-system/?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)

## 25\. Zapier

**Monthly cost:** $39/month ($468 paid annually)

### How I use this tool:

[Zapier](https://try.zapier.com/annabyang?ref=tinkeringwithideas.io)\* sits at the heart of most of my tools. It automates **hundreds** of tasks between my different apps. The monthly amount is low compared to the amount of time it saves me.

### Additional resources:

- [How to Automate Your Content Repurposing](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/content-repurposing-automation/)
- [Create Custom SMS Alerts Based on Labeled Emails](https://tinkeringwithideas.io/sms-alerts/)

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**at different stages of your business.*

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