I wasted most of my first year of business looking for the perfect tools and then trying to figure them out. I even spent $1,000 for a one-year subscription to a tool I never used.

New business owners usually choose one of two paths: They try to do everything cheaply and not pay for any tools or they try to find the ‘best” tool out there. Neither option will set the new business owner up for success. You will need some paid tools to run your business effectively and to portray the image of a respectable business that people will know, like, trust and buy from.

The issue with the second path is that no perfect solution exists. You will waste time and money in the search and still find problems with what you choose.

The following are essential tools for any business owner in 2024. You will have to pay a minimal amount for some, but they will help you build a professional and scalable process. As you outgrow these tools, you can look for more refined solutions, but by starting with these tools, you will learn about necessary processes in a more simplified environment. You also need little to no tech skills to get started.

Start simple and grow with ease.

Wix: A versatile website builder offering templates, domain registration, payment processing, CRM integration, email campaigns, webinar hosting, e-commerce capabilities, booking pages, course and membership management, SEO tools and access to stock images. Wix really is an all-in-one solution built to help your business grow. It offers a much simpler solution since all the tools are within Wix, so you aren’t trying to link up multiple websites. I recommend going with the cheapest paid version that has the features you need so that you can host on your own domain name. Wix will help you register your domain and set up a business email with Google.

Google Workspace: Providing professional email services, calendar and task management features, video conferencing, document storage and collaboration, and seamless integration with other tools and platforms, Google Workspace provides all the essential tools for your day-to-day operations.

Wave Apps: A comprehensive solution for expense tracking, payment collection, payroll management, generating profit and loss statements, accessing professional services and facilitating efficient financial management, Wave Apps is the easiest to track your business expenses for free. By quickly entering in expenses and income, you will have a better pulse on your business’s profitability and will save a lot of stress at tax time.

Canva: An intuitive graphic design tool with tons of templates, image editing features, and a vast library of stock images, enabling businesses to create visually appealing content effortlessly. Use the Canva templates to create branded products quickly that you will use daily — from business cards and logos to presentations and social media posts. You can even use their content calendar to schedule posts to your different social media accounts.

Starting with these essential tools will build a solid operational framework while allowing room for growth and refinement as the business evolves. By prioritizing simplicity and functionality, new business owners can avoid the pitfalls of excessive tool research and focus on core business activities.

Final tip: Create a spreadsheet to track your subscriptions’ cost and renewal date to easily monitor your subscription costs.