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Tools We Recommend & Set Up for Clients

The software stack behind the businesses we help scale. We install and configure these tools for clients, and we only list what we would run ourselves.

As our clients grow, the same operational questions come up on every call: what should we use for payroll, for follow-up, for the phones, for the books. This page is our standing answer. Every tool here is something we recommend, install, and configure for clients as they scale, matched to the size and type of business it fits best.

Some links on this page may earn us a commission at no cost to you. We only recommend tools we use with clients.

Payroll & HR

Gusto

Teams under 50

Full-service payroll with automatic tax filing in all 50 states, plus benefits administration in the same dashboard. Our default recommendation for independent practices and local businesses.

Visit Gusto

OnPay

Budget pick with live support

One flat price, every feature included, and a support team that answers the phone. Handles multiple pay rates and unlimited runs without upsells.

Visit OnPay

Paylocity

50+ employees or multi-location

Payroll plus scheduling, recruiting, onboarding, and compliance in one platform. The consolidation pays off once you manage staff across locations.

Visit Paylocity

CRM & Pipeline

GoHighLevel

Local service businesses

Two-way texting, missed-call text-back, pipelines, review requests, and booking in one system. The platform we deploy most for med spas and home services.

Visit GoHighLevel

HubSpot

In-house marketing teams

A genuinely free CRM that scales into full marketing attribution. Best when you run your own ads and content and want lead-to-revenue reporting in one place.

Visit HubSpot

Pipedrive

Simple visual pipelines

The cleanest way to see every open deal at a glance. Ideal when one coordinator owns follow-up and wants clarity over configuration.

Visit Pipedrive

AI Phone & Reception

Smith.ai

AI answering with human backup

AI answers instantly and real receptionists take the complex calls. The safest way to stop missing calls without changing how your front desk works.

Visit Smith.ai

Dialzara

Fully AI, trained on your business

A natural-voice AI receptionist that answers 24/7, books appointments, and texts confirmations. Deploys in days at a flat software price.

Visit Dialzara

Podium

Text-first front desk

Missed-call text-back, review management, and a shared team inbox. Turns the phone number you already have into a text channel customers actually use.

Visit Podium

Email & Newsletters

Beehiiv

Newsletters that grow

Modern newsletter platform with referral tools and a generous free tier. What we recommend when the goal is an audience, not just broadcasts.

Visit Beehiiv

Kit

Creators and service businesses

Clean automation builder, tagging, and landing pages. The right pick when you want simple sequences that follow up for you.

Visit Kit

Accounting & Ops

QuickBooks Online

The books, done monthly

Bank feeds, AI categorization, and receipt capture keep your books current in minutes a week. Clean financials also get you better terms when you seek funding.

Visit QuickBooks Online

Gorgias

Customer support inboxes

Consolidates email, chat, and social support into one AI-assisted helpdesk so small teams answer faster without hiring.

Visit Gorgias

Marketing & Ads

Canva

On-brand content, fast

Templates plus AI generation for social graphics, print, and simple video. The tool we set up first for owners who publish their own content.

Visit Canva

OpusClip

One video into many

Turns a single recorded video into a dozen ready-to-post clips with captions. The cheapest way to feed daily short-form posting from one hour of filming.

Visit OpusClip