The Top 11 Essential Tools I Use Daily As a New-ish Entrepreneur

I am now about 6 months in as a new entrepreneur - actually 174 days to be exact for those who are keeping track :)

I wrote several months back on 70 Lessons From My First 70 Days As An Entrepreneur that received some very positive feedback! One question I get asked often now is...

"What tool/app/software/etc. do you use for _____?"

So...I figured today would be a great chance to share with you all the tools that I use and what I use it for. These are the tools that I use consistently to build my growing and thriving business! MY goal is to provide a simple reference page that you can use too. You'll see that there are many free tools that I use and some that are relatively inexpensive for the value I get from it.

Yes, I'm sure there are better tools out there but these currently work for me! (Full disclosure, a couple are affiliate links - that doesn't influence my decision to use them. I just like the way they work.) Let's dig in:

VIDEO CALLS/TRAININGS/WEBINAR

• Zoom: For all video coaching or group coaching calls, I use Zoom. It works super well and it's free for what I need it for! You can record easily and it works awesome from pretty much any device.

• Go-To-Webinar: For all live webinars, I use Go-To-Webinar. It's actually super easy to set up and integrates well with most auto-responders. Once I learned how to use it, it's been awesome to use! (It costs me $249/month to use for my version)
• Leadpages: This is what I use to create sign-up forms for webinars, free trainings, cheat sheets, etc. They have a ton of templates, which makes it easy to use! ($48/month is the version I use)

• ConvertKit: This is what I use for my autoresponder aka how I send reminder emails and communicate with my audience. I used to use Mailchimp but switched to ConvertKit several months back and could not be happier. Super easy to use and user-friendly! ($49/month)
• Calendly: I use Calendly to provide a simple link so prospects/clients can book times on my schedule without having to go back and forth. I use the free version!
• HD Video Laptop Camera: So I use an upgraded camera instead of my laptop. It's simply and shoots in HD. This is what I use for all video calls, webinars, etc! (I got mine for $65)

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CONTENT CREATION/WEBSITE

For content creation, you'll notice I also don't use a ton of fancy things:

• Video Recording: I literally use either the camera above or my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I used to use my Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ before that.
• Laptop: Macbook Pro - enough said.
• Wordpress: So I use Wordpress and use the free templates on there. It's actually quite easy to build a website for free using Wordpress. (It costs more to get more features.) You can check out my sites here: Venli Consulting and my Blog.
• Camtasia: This is the software I use to record my screen, make/edit videos, etc. It cost me $250 one time and has been well worth it! It's simple and works for me.

• YETI Microphone: For podcast interviews, video recordings, etc. I use the YETI microphone. It works, sounds good, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg! ($150)

MISCELLANEOUS

The rest of these are pretty standard but I do get questions periodically so I'll group them based on questions I get:

• How do I stay organized: Outlook Calendar
• How do I create presentation/training decks and tools: Powerpoint/Excel/Word - sometimes these are converted into PDF's as well.
• How do I create invoices and manage payments: Paypal for invoices and collecting payments via PayPal. My digital course is connected to Stripe as the payment processor.

So there you have it! You'll notice that it's actually quite a simple list. The point is that you don't need a lot of tools to grow a thriving business! You'll also probably notice that I like tools that are easy to use - technology is NOT my expertise so I need things I can figure out quickly. If you liked this simple resource list, make sure to like, comment, and share below!

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Marcus Chan is an award-winning results and people-driven executive sales leader. Over the last decade, Marcus has been promoted 10X in 10 years and has been ranked in the top percentile of every company and every role he has been in. He is passionate about helping others sell more and sell better. You can follow him on Instagram here for daily motivation! Or grab his free guide here to learn 7 simple tips to book more appointments!