Digital tools are great for making your life and business easier by setting up systems that run on their own. Think of them as helpers who do the work for you.

Although there are thousands of apps out there to help you simplify—and they can easily become a distraction (I’ve been there and tried many of them)—they can also be one of your biggest assets if you focus on the right ones.

The most important reasons to use them include:

• Saves time: They perform tasks faster than humans, which means you spend less time on repetitive work.
• Organizes information: They consolidate all your information in one place, making it easier to find what you need.
• Scales your business: They can manage increasing workloads as your business grows, without the immediate need to hire staff.
• Helps focus on core tasks: They take care of routine tasks, freeing you up to concentrate on more significant work that requires your unique skills.
• Always available: They operate around the clock, so you can set tasks for them even when you’re not working.

I’m sharing the ones that currently work best for me and my business. For most of them, I use the free versions.

1. Airtable

For spreadsheets

Airtable is a tool that works like a mix between a spreadsheet and a database. It’s like making lists with superpowers. Airtable is a free tool that looks nicer and does more than Google Sheets. I use it to keep track of lots of things like sales, people coming to events and what we spend, looking after clients, planning for social media, and scheduling blog posts.

2. ConvertKit

For newsletters and automated marketing processes

ConvertKit is an online tool that helps creative entrepreneurs to send out emails, get new subscribers, and make money from their stuff online. It’s easy to use and helps you to send emails without needing to be tech-savvy. Up to this point, Convertkit has been the best email provider I could find.

3. Acuity Scheduling

For booking appointments

Acuity Scheduling is an online tool that lets you set up a calendar for clients to see when you’re available and book their own appointments. It also allows clients to pay for your services and sends reminders, simplifying appointment management for both you and your clients. I’m currently using it for all my offerings because it enables me to organize group classes for yoga, as well as sell packages for yoga or coaching sessions, gift cards, and more. It’s especially useful if you provide various types of services.

4. Stripe

For taking payments

Stripe is one of the easiest ways to send invoices and accept global payments online without any other tools or a website. You can even create subscriptions, works with every platform in this world, and has a really nice design.

5. Google Calendar

For tasks prioritizations

Google Calendar is your best friend, and you should use it on a daily basis for everything you do. The moment you add your most important tasks to your calendar, you know when the action is going to happen. No more unnecessary brain chatter is draining you, and your mind is free and ready to focus on the task at hand.

6. Google Meet

For video calls

Google Meet is a tool that lets you have video calls or meetings over the internet. You can see and talk to other people, share your screen, and do things like online classes or meetings with it. It’s part of Google’s tools, like Gmail and Google Calendar. I find Google Meet to be the best option when it comes to coaching calls. It’s free and you can integrate it with most scheduling tools (like Acuity, the one that I’m using). Even if you set up a meeting in your Google Calendar, you can click “add a video conference” to your meeting and voilà, you’re all set.

7. InShot

For video editing

InShot is an app that lets you edit videos and photos. You can cut videos, make them look nicer with filters, add music, and put text and stickers on your photos and videos. It’s handy for making your stuff look cool before you share it on social media. I use it to edit all my videos across all platforms. Any video you’ll see on my Instagram account or YouTube channel has been edited with InShot.

8. Notion

Your personal hub

Notion is an app that you can use for writing notes, making to-do lists, and keeping track of all your work and personal projects. It’s like a bunch of different tools in one place — you can write documents, make spreadsheets, and even create little databases. I like it because it helps me stay organized.

9. Canva

For social media templates

Canva is the best design tool you can have for Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or any other type of platform where you want to share your work in a beautiful way. It’s simple to use and you’ll find thousands of templates to play with. You cand create designs like posters, social media graphics, presentations, and other visual content. It has templates and pictures you can use to make your designs look good even if you’re not a professional designer.