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10 Best tools for solopreneurs

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The GoCardless content team comprises a group of subject-matter experts in multiple fields from across GoCardless. The authors and reviewers work in the sales, marketing, legal, and finance departments. All have in-depth knowledge and experience in various aspects of payment scheme technology and the operating rules applicable to each. The team holds expertise in the well-established payment schemes such as UK Direct Debit, the European SEPA scheme, and the US ACH scheme, as well as in schemes operating in Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. See full bio

Last editedAug 20222 min read

Starting a business by yourself can be a daunting prospect, but there are many digital tools for solopreneurs that can make the task much easier. Being a solo entrepreneur takes a lot of hard work and determination, but the solopreneur tools described below can help you make the best of the work you put in.

Here’s our guide to the ten best digital tools for solopreneurs. We have separated them into four categories:

getting started as a solopreneur
maximising productivity
legal documentation
marketing and promotion

Getting Started as a Solopreneur

WiseIntro

As a solopreneur, you will need a professional online presence that describes what you do and lets potential customers know how to contact you. WiseIntro allows you to create such a presence without needing to design a website or hire a graphic designer. It is free to start, though you can pay to access even better features.

Square & Xero

Once you have your online presence sorted, the next thing you’ll need is a reliable payment system. Square brings mobility to your point-of-sale needs and integrates perfectly with invoicing software Xero. This combination creates a daily summary sales invoice in Xero that represents the previous day's transactions in Square, so you can spend less time on manual data entry and more time growing your business.

WiseStamp

Use WiseStamp to create a professional signature that displays your photo and automatically sends your contact information to the recipients. You can also add links to your website and social media pages.

Maximising Productivity

WorkFlow Max

WorkFlow Max is a project management solution that can be used on any device and is an ideal tool for solopreneurs. It features in-built quoting, scheduling, time-tracking and invoicing. There are also lots of possible integrations including Adobe, HubSpot and ZenDesk.

RescueTime

RescueTime helps you maximise your productivity, which can be an issue when you are your own boss. The app tracks the activity on your computer to provide insights into how you are using your time. You can also use the app to block certain sites while you’re working to maintain your focus.

Rapportive

Rapportive is an add-on business tool for Gmail which displays LinkedIn profiles in your Gmail account. It makes the social media information for each of your email contacts readily available, which can save a lot of time when you are working as a solopreneur. The Rapportive app also lets you know if they are in your location, in case a quick meeting can be arranged.

Legal Documentation

Shake

Create legally binding agreements in seconds with the Shake web and mobile app. It is a fantastic solopreneur tool that lets you create contracts for freelance jobs quickly and easily. It also lets you create documents for loans, leases, sales and non-disclosure agreements.

Shoeboxed

Use ShoeBoxed to keep track of all receipts, forms and business cards. It is a free solopreneur tool that enables you to quickly scan all of your important papers such as receipts, which will make filing your taxes a lot easier.

Marketing and Promotion

Hootsuite

A common aspect of being a solopreneur is needing to manage multiple social media platforms. Hootsuite lets you connect up to three social media accounts in the free version so you can manage them from one place. You can also schedule future posts and examine basic analytics for insights. There are also paid plans if you need to manage more than three platforms or accounts.

GetResponse

Building a subscriber email list can be a grind for a solopreneur, but GetResponse helps you grow your email list up to 1,000 subscribers for a small fee every month. It is a powerful, simplified tool to send emails, create pages, and automate your marketing.

We Can Help

Another invoicing option is GoCardless, which is a platform for collecting invoice payments by Direct Debit automatically whenever they are due. It is especially easy for solopreneurs to automate cash collection and reconciliation with any existing invoicing software, or simply use our intuitive dashboard.

GoCardless is a global payments solution that helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of financial admin your team needs to deal with. Find out how GoCardless can help you with one-off or recurring payments.