Tools I Use To Run My Business

Google Workspace for email

I used to use email hosting given by the company where I bought my domain but I’ve since switched to Google Workspace, aka G Suite.

It’s easier since I’m very used to using Gmail all my life.

It’s not that expensive and they do run promos so if you’re new to it, make sure to grab any promo they have while it lasts.

I’m paying RM21.20 per month. It’s just a tiny investment to separate work and personal life, as well as elevate the image of my business.

TransferWise / Wise

Since I have some overseas clients, I do get paid in various currencies and the best wallet or bank to manage all that is definitely Wise.

You can also create a Business profile on Wise and makes it a lot easier to separate your personal spendings with your business’s.

There’s a debit card you can apply for, they give the best exchange rate, and since I pay many tools or subscriptions in USD, they easily deduct it from my Wise account with zero fee!

Can’t recommend it enough!

Notion

I’m still a beginner in Notion. I used to explore it but didn’t like it cause it was slow on my side.

I tried TickTick app and it was great but it was also a paid app. I wanted to try minimizing my business’s expenditure and so I chose to go back to Notion.

I’m better at it now and it’s fast with my new laptop 🙂 I mainly use it to handle clients’ accounts and take notes.

I only use the Free version.

Loom

When you’re working remotely, one of the challenges that you need to overcome is miscommunication.

Texts can be read wrongly and sometimes it’s just hard to explain everything over messages.

So, I use Loom to explain things that are harder to text and if I need to show any visuals to the clients.

I only use the Free version at the moment (limited to 5mins video) but if you wanna go for premium it’s also only $96/year and you’ll get engagement insights.

Definitely a tool where I won’t mind upgrading in the future!

Exabytes Hosting & Domain

I’ve tried many hosting before and to be fair, I’m still on the lookout for the best website hosting out there.

Exabytes is fine, the price isn’t so bad – I paid ~RM700 for hosting and domain, for the first year.

I’ve tried Squarespace before but I miss the flexibility of WordPress and I think I’ll always go back to WordPress after this.

If you’re looking to just get started, Exabytes isn’t bad but my website did crash a few times.

I bought my domain from Exabytes also and connect it to my Google Workspace.

Generate Press Theme

I always go back to Generate Press theme because of its simplicity and speed. It’s one of the fastest themes out there.

I did upgrade to premium but it’s a one-time purchase unless you wanna renew for support.

I also use it alongside with the free version of Generate Blocks.

TidyCal

I used to use Calendly – which works fine but TidyCal is only $29 lifetime. It’s hard to say no to their offer!

I use it on my website where people can book their calls with me, both free and paid.

For paid calls, you can make it as simple as possible by using PayPal as the payment gateway. I believe you can also use Stripe but with the fees etc, I just like to keep things simple.

If going on calls is important for your business, I definitely recommend investing $29 on TidyCal!

SendFox

For email marketing, I used to use ConvertKit, Aweber, and even Infusion Soft!

Skip all the overwhelm and make things simple with SendFox. Again, it’s one-time purchase (starts from $49). Depending on the email volume you send, the pricing will be different.

SendFox works for my business because I don’t sell any e-com products and it’s still a small business with little tagging needed. If you’re like me and you don’t need a lot tweaking and customizations, SendFox can be a godsend.

Zapier

Zapier is probably a tool that almost all marketers need.

It helps you to integrate from one tool to another. It helps me with Facebook ads, email tagging, and many more.

It does have a free plan but most of the things that I use for Facebook ads will need me to upgrade ~$29/month.

Zapier is the one that I’m used to but I’ll compare it to Make/Integromat soon.

Canva Pro

Everyone uses Canva and I’m also using Canva!

I’ve been using CanvaPro for a couple of years now and it’s only around RM250.

You get all the pro tools and premium stock photos – which can be very helpful when you’re trying to create new creatives with never-before-seen photos.

Definitely a tool I’ll continue paying for.

CapCut

I don’t do video editing a lot but when I do, I use CapCut.

It’s pretty easy and convenient. You can do it on your phone, iPad, and laptop.

Plus, a lot of the trending visuals, texts, transitions can be found on CapCut. You can chose the paid version but I’m only using the Free version at the moment.

Metricool

I’ve really only learned about Metricool this year and it’s probably the best and affordable scheduling tools out there.

Looking at the features, it’s definitely a must-have for social media managers cause Metricool can help create all the reports you need.

I use it for my social media accounts, albeit not being the most active there.

The only social media platform I didn’t integrate with Metricool is LinkedIn – cause I need to upgrade. I’m currently only on the Free plan.

Premium plans are also not as expensive as other scheduling tools by the way!

Hypefury for Twitter

I use Hypefury sometimes when I know I want to draft some of my Tweets.

I only use the Free version and I can only draft up to the next 2 days but it’s enough for me.

If you really want to grow on Twitter, it’s worth looking into Hypefury but I’m good with the free version at the moment.