Tools I actually use.
Not a round-up of 47 apps you’ll never open. Just the short list I rely on in my own business and with clients and why.
THE ESSENTIALS: The foundations every small business needs, whatever you make or sell.
RØDE Wireless Micro
Record perfect sound with your camera or plug into your smartphone. If you’re doing any social media content that involves speaking, a mic is non-negotiable.
DJI Osmo Mobile 7P Gimbal
Don’t let your wobbly hands ruin your video shooting. This is a must for any content creation but a god-send for Interior Designers and Real Estate who want to do walk through house content.
Seagate 4TB Expansion
This is something I cannot recommend more… back up your shit. Not just to the cloud, to a hard-drive that lives on your desk. Every photo, every file- keep a copy of it. This one is HUGE and would be near impossible to fill… and it’s under $300! I remember when 1TB was around $500.
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59” Tripod
The best tripod for your phone under $50… does everything you need it to.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (2 TB)
This is the model I have… yes it’s expensive but it replaces a professional camera and videocamera and it fits in your pocket. Easiest money to spend.
BenQ MA270UP 27” 4K Nano Gloss Monitor for Mac®
I have this exact model… and you need it for your office. This baby works seamlessly with Macbook Air and Pro and hold consistent colour between your laptop and desktop work. If you do anything that requires colour to be on point- this is your go to… and it’s under $1,000 and I think better than the Mac version.
Apple 2026 MacBook Pro
This one probably needs no explanation. Just get a Macbook Pro people… and don’t cheap out on the memory, you’ll fill it quickly- buy once, buy well and write-it-off
THE SOFTWARE: These are the platforms worth the subscription fee.
SQUARESPACE
WEBSITE BUILDER
Why I use it: Beautiful templates, hosting built in, and simple enough that you can update your own site without calling a developer.
Best for: portfolio sites, service businesses and small online shops.
UPWORK
FREELANCE EXPERTS
Why I use it: Because if I can’t do it, there is someone who can and they will be on Upwork.
Best for: Connect with freelancers from around the world. From a one off code fix for your website to larger editing projects. Pay attention to the reviews of freelancers on there though!
FLODESK
EMAILS AND AUTOMATIONS
Why I use it: It’s easy to build beautiful eDM campaigns, create signups and automations that help you grow your revenue through nurturing your audience.
Best for: small businesses who don’t have integrated CRM. Flodesk plugs in with Squarespace now so can also handle your segmented post-purchase flows.
SHOPIFY
WEBSITE BUILDER
Why I use it: Beautiful templates, hosting built in, and scalable for businesses who have big ambitions and want to sell online, store, wherever!
Best for: larger e-commerce business who need to keep an eye on inventory, sell internationally.
PLANOLY
FOR SCHEDULING ALL YOUR SOCIALS
Why I use it: Because it just saves time, allows me to repurpose my content and plan my post and make sure it is aligned with the strategy.
Best for: Scheduling across Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, TikTik and Pinterest… usually all of them at once!
XERO
ACCOUNTING
Why I use it: I hate this part of business… the accounts… but Xero makes it pretty easy. I just keep it updated and my accountant runs my BAS (because I couldn’t be bothered) but you can run it yourself through Xero too.
Best for: small businesses who don’t want to get caught short at tax time… their easy to view graphs also tell you when things are good and when they are … ‘questionable’.