As more women step away from the corporate ladder — whether to close the “ambition gap,” reclaim flexibility, or build something on their own terms — solopreneurship is becoming an increasingly appealing career move.

For many first-time entrepreneurs, it can be tempting to invest in every app and platform. But most solopreneurs don’t struggle because they lack tools. They struggle because they adopt too many of them too early.

The right tech stack should make work easier, not more difficult. It should reduce friction, not introduce it. The right tools also protect time for strategy and growth, as well as the many roles women hold outside of work, from caregiving to community leadership.

Across consulting, coaching, and creative services, the advice was consistent: Start lean, choose tools that force clarity, and upgrade only when complexity demands it.

So, which tools are most useful and which ones can wait? In conversations with women navigating solopreneurship, these are the tools that have proven useful:

1. A Website

Before anything else, you need a website, consider it your professional home base.

For Chief Member and marketing consultant Deborah Keltner, building her site on Squarespace did more than give her a web presence. “It pushed me to articulate my offerings and brand position, and it gave me a platform to house thought leadership and establish my voice,” she says.

A website does three crucial things:

  • Establishes credibility
  • Clarifies your offer
  • Captures leads

In a world with rapidly changing social media algorithms, a website offers stability, ownership, and a direct line to your audience that isn’t subject to someone else’s platform rules.

2. A Command Center

If there’s one tool that repeatedly surfaced, it’s Notion, an all-in-one project management software.

Freelance writer and business coach Rachel Meltzer, founder of MeltzerSeltzer, calls it her “one source of truth.” She tracks leads, manages projects, plans launches, delivers proposals, and even runs her website through Notion (using Super.so for design and SEO).

Creative Director Deja Howard of DEJAMAKES Creative Studio uses Notion for pipeline tracking, revenue forecasting, process documentation, and project management with freelancers. So far, she hasn’t needed to upgrade beyond the free plan.

“Notion is my command center,” says Howard. “I use it for social media management with my social media manager; pipeline and revenue forecasting; project management; and documenting all my processes… It’s endlessly customizable — you can build whatever system you need. There are tons of templates to get you started until you get the hang of it.”

When your business lives in scattered documents and inbox threads, it becomes harder to scale. A centralized system — whether it’s Notion or even OneNote, which Keltner prefers — creates operational clarity.

3. Google Workspace

With Google Workspace, professional email, shared calendars, document storage, and video conferencing all live in one ecosystem. Several founders noted that Google’s built-in scheduling tools eventually replaced standalone platforms like Calendly.

“Having a professional email domain makes a difference,” says Howard, who bundles Google Workspace with Squarespace. “Google Calendar runs my schedule. Drive stores some client files, and Google Meet handles video calls.”

As Keltner puts it, you can launch a solid consulting business with “Excel, OneNote, the web platform of your choice, and an inbox.”

4. A Client Management System

Customer relationship management (also known as CRM) software can be either transformative or overwhelming. For Howard, Dubsado “changed everything” and she credits the CRM for helping her scale strategically.

“I can automate my entire client journey from inquiry to final invoice without lifting a finger,” she says. “Proposals, contracts, questionnaires, scheduling, and payments all live in one branded portal”

Meltzer, however, had the opposite experience. She invested in Dubsado early on, found it difficult to use, and eventually replaced it with a mix of free or low-cost apps that worked better for her.

5. Bookkeeping and Business Banking Infrastructure

Financial infrastructure is less visible than marketing tools, but it’s foundational.

Howard uses QuickBooks for bookkeeping and American Express Business Banking to create separate sub-accounts for taxes, profit, and operating expenses — a structure aligned with the Profit First methodology.

In the early stages, free tools like Wave can handle invoicing and expense tracking.

6. Email Marketing

Email remains one of the highest-leverage channels for solopreneurs.

Founders highlighted:

Choose your provider based on your growth stage. If you’re nurturing a small list, simplicity may matter more than advanced analytics.

7. Canva

For solopreneurs without a graphic design background, Canva enables consultants, coaches, and other creatives to create polished pitch decks, social media graphics, lead magnets, and client-facing materials without hiring a designer or investing in complex software.

“I could probably cancel Adobe and just use Canva, but I worry that everything on Canva looks a bit the same,” says Keltner.

While Canva’s templates make it easy to move quickly, they can also create sameness if used without customization.

8. ChatGPT and Other AI Tools

AI is quickly becoming part of the default solopreneur stack.

Keltner calls AI her “trusted coworker and assistant,” particularly when organizing complex thoughts and findings. “I’m curious about AI agents,” she says. “But I haven’t taken any action on it yet.”

While AI isn’t necessarily a replacement for strategy, it can assist with drafting, organizing, and brainstorming.

9. Community and Peer Networks

There’s no tool that can replace community. Peer networks — whether they’re formal networks, industry groups, or curated masterminds — are as essential as any software subscription.

In the early stages of building a business, having access to other women navigating similar decisions can help with problem-solving and sharpen judgment. To start, this could mean finding an event for solopreneurs in your area on Meetup or Eventbrite, joining free online groups on Facebook, Discord, or Reddit, or opting for a paid membership like Female Founder Collective or Chief.

These types of networks shorten the learning curve and reduce the isolation that can come with being a solopreneur. Technology can streamline operations, but it can’t replace experience, context, or candid advice you can only find from people who are a few steps ahead.

When it comes to building out a tech stack as a solopreneur, there is no one-size-fits-all tool. It will take patience and experimentation to determine the best tools for your business. After all, the goal is to build a business that supports your ambition and your life. Invest in tools that protect your time, sharpen your strategy, and make growth more sustainable. Everything else can wait.