Stop Buying Tools You Don’t Need: A Simpler Way to Set Up Your Business Tech

It happens all the time. You’re growing your business, and you keep hearing about tools you “should” be using.

A calendar scheduler.

A client portal.

An all-in-one system that “does everything.”

Someone in a Facebook group swears by one tool. A friend recommends another. You buy something on sale, try to figure it out, and then … it just sits there.

Now your business has too many tools, none of them really working together and you’re still doing most things manually.

Let’s talk about a better way.

Step 1: Sell First. Don’t Overbuild

Before you spend money or energy on tech, make sure you have a clear service you’re selling and people are buying it.

If you're just starting, it's perfectly okay to use a spreadsheet or Google Doc to track clients. You don’t need a fancy setup yet.

Step 2: Write Down Your Process

Once you’ve had a few clients, start writing down what happens from start to finish.

• How do clients find you?

• How do they book a call?

• What happens after they say yes?

• How do you deliver your service?

• How do you follow up?

Even just writing it in a list is helpful. You need to know what’s happening before you try to automate it.

Step 3: Don’t Choose Tools Until You Know What You Need

This is where people get stuck. They pick tech before they know what their business actually needs.

Instead, take your written process and ask:

• Where am I doing things manually?

• What tasks repeat over and over?

• Where do I feel like I’m always chasing something?

Those are the places tech can help.

Step 4: Try Tools Slowly, One at a Time

Choose 2–3 tools to look at. Don’t sign up for 10 trials. Don’t ask 50 people.

Pick a few and talk to their sales team. Show them your process and ask them to show you how the tool would support you.

Ask questions like:

• Does this come with the basic plan, or do I have to pay more?

• Does this work on its own, or do I need to connect other tools to it?

• How hard is this to set up?

Try the tools during a free trial. Pretend you’re a client and walk through it step-by-step. Make sure it feels good before you commit.

Step 5: Ask Around

Reach out to people in your industry who’ve used the tool. Ask:

• What do they like about it?

• What frustrates them?

• Would they choose it again?

You’ll learn a lot from real experiences. Plus, someone might have a referral code for you to save a little money.

Step 6: Build One Thing at a Time

Once you’ve picked a tool, start small.

Don’t try to do everything at once.

Set up one part, like client onboarding.

Test it. Make sure it works.

Then add the next thing.

And write it down as you go so if you bring in help later, they aren’t starting from zero.

You Don’t Have to Be a Tech Expert

If you’ve been beating yourself up for not “figuring out” your systems, take the pressure off.

You’re not behind.

You don’t have to learn every platform.

You just need a plan.

Start with what’s working. Document what you do. Then build slowly.

And if it still feels like too much, that’s okay. That’s when it’s time to bring in support that can help match your systems to how your business actually works.

Want to Chat It Out?

If you're tired of buying tools that just collect dust or you're not sure what tech you really need, I'm happy to help. We can walk through your client journey, find the gaps, and talk about tools that make your business run smoother without making you want to throw your laptop.

Let’s set up your tech to work for you while keeping it simple.

Book a strategy session here.