I have been self-employed for the last 10 years.
I try to run lean with as few expenses as possible. All These programs have a free version that generally has all the features I need.
You’ll see later, but, There is one exception on the list where it makes sense to pay.
Google Voice: Phone and send myself notes
The first thing I did was set up a Google Voice number for the business.
It has excellent blocking features built in. I can also shut off my number whenever I want. Messages get sent to my email so they aren’t forgotten.
I have this number as a contact on my home screen and often use it to send myself messages. This way I get a persistent reminder on my phone and an email, so it’s very hard to forget these.
Todoist: Task manager
Todoist is pretty robust. I have paid for it in the past, but I’ve found I don’t need my list to be that organized.
Whenever someone mentions they want something done, I can add it to the list with one click. Sunday, when I’m planning my week, I’ll give it a specific day and set if it’s a repeating task like cutting grass.
Todoist has a 2-way sync with Google Calendar. I usually set the work week schedule from inside todoist and then use Google Calendar to work out of.
Google Calendar: Shows my life at a glance
I have several color-coded calendars set up here: Todoist, personal, family obligations, holidays, and more.
Any time-based reminders I put here and they are sent to my phone and watch. The same goes for recurring alarms for daily routines.
Todoist is great for focusing on work tasks for the day. But my Google calendar shows everything going on in my life at a glance.
Everlance / Triplog: Mileage tracker
For years I’ve used Everlance free and it has worked out great. But recently it keeps resetting saved customer addresses at my house. This means zero-mile trips.
This year I’m trying Triplog. so far it seems good, though I will have to pay for premium. It harasses you constantly about paying and it’s much easier to use if you do.
Wave Accounting: Accounting, Invoicing, and Payments
If you have payroll, or a more complicated business model, this may not be for you, but it’s worked out great for me.
It has great-looking invoices I can create and send from my phone while in the field. It has just the features I need and not much else.
I make all business purchases on my Lowes card. I sync it in Wave, making it easy to track and classify all expenses.
Stripe, Paypal, and Venmo
Even though Wave Accounting does payments. Sign up for Stripe, Paypal, and Venmo.
Always make it as easy as possible for people to give you money. -Me
Homewyze.com: general estimates
I don’t use the standard business model.
Most people that do what I do, specialize in a few tasks that they do all the time. Because of this, they soon figure out how long something will take and what to charge.
I have a small number of clients (mostly seniors) and handle whatever they need. I could be changing light bulbs, giving a ride to the airport, or tearing out a rotten bathroom floor.
When it is something I don’t do much, I can check on homewyze.com and get an idea of how much to charge.
