For people building online income on the side
The numbers and setup desk for your online side hustle.
Etsy, print-on-demand, digital products, freelance marketing. We do the math on what a sale actually leaves you, write the setup steps in plain English, and show you where AI genuinely saves hours. Every fee dated and traced to the platform's own published schedule.
Free calculator · No signup · Plain English · No hype
We read the fine print
Plan limits, what the free tier really includes, and the price after the intro discount ends. The parts that cost you later.
Every number has a date and a source
Chatbots guess from old data. Our fees come from the platform's own published schedule, with the date we checked it printed on the page.
Independent. No pay-to-play.
We don't sort this page by who pays us. When a link starts earning a commission, the disclosure sits right next to it. Here's exactly how we work.
HubSpot
Stop losing track of clients. HubSpot keeps your contacts, emails, and follow-ups in one place.
Best for
Service businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets: contractors tracking leads, agencies managing clients, consultants following up on proposals.
Semrush
Find out exactly what your competitors rank for and what it would take to outrank them.
Best for
Marketing agencies, freelance SEO consultants, and in-house marketing teams running ongoing keyword and competitor research.
GetResponse
Send professional email campaigns and automate follow-ups without needing three separate tools.
Best for
Online store owners, freelancers, and small agencies who need email marketing, automated follow-up sequences, and the option to host webinars all in one subscription.
Webflow
Build a professional website with full design control. No coding required, but full code quality under the hood.
Best for
Web designers, creative agencies, and marketing teams building client websites or content-heavy sites.
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
Start a newsletter, grow a list, and sell digital products. Free up to 1,000 subscribers.
Best for
Newsletter writers, freelancers, coaches, and small business owners building an email audience.
Mangools
SEO keyword research and rank tracking at a fraction of what Semrush costs. 10-day free trial included.
Best for
Solopreneurs, bloggers, freelance SEO consultants, and small agency owners who need accurate keyword data and rank tracking without paying $139.95/mo for Semrush.
FreshBooks
Small business accounting that doesn't require an accounting degree
Best for
Freelancers, consultants, and service-based small businesses who want invoicing, time tracking, and basic accounting in one place without hiring a bookkeeper.
Teachable
Online course platform built for creators who want to sell, not just teach
Best for
Solo course creators and coaches who want a clean, purpose-built platform to sell online courses without managing hosting or checkout themselves.
Riverside.fm
Record studio-quality podcasts, interviews, and client sessions remotely. No studio required.
Best for
Podcast hosts recording remote guests, coaches recording client sessions for delivery, and content creators shooting video interviews or testimonials.
No tools in this category yet
Nothing here yet. New breakdowns go up as we work through them, and the newsletter goes out first.
Picking the tool is the easy part.
Getting it to actually do something for your shop is where people stall out. Every guide is a workflow you can copy today, written in plain English.
AI Productivity
The AI Tools That Waste Small Business Money (And What to Use Instead)
Not every AI tool deserves a line on your card statement. The categories that quietly drain small business budgets, and the short list that consistently earns its cost.
Read the workflow →AI Productivity
How Small Businesses Use AI to Find and Vet Suppliers
AI sourcing collapsed the gap between "I have an idea" and "I have a quote from a real supplier." What that means for any owner who buys from, hires, or contracts anyone.
Read the workflow →AI Productivity
The Right Way to Use AI for Pricing Decisions (And the Wrong Way)
AI can pressure-test your pricing, model scenarios, and check your logic. It cannot set your price. The line between the two is where small businesses either sharpen their margins or hand them away.
Read the workflow →One honest email a week
One verified number that affects what you keep, and one setup you can finish in an evening. Written for people selling online on the side. Free.
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