My Tech Stack

⏰ Today in 5 minutes or less:

• When it comes to tech tools, choose what’s essential and upgrade when it saves you time.

• I couldn’t have run my business without these four: Ramp, M365, Asana, and ChatGPT.

• Clients don’t always need additional investments. Consultants can help them find the tipping point with a simple framework.

My Tech Stack: What to Use, When to Use It

No business is too small for good systems. But how do you know which one to use? 

Tech stacks can be a time-saving asset or a graveyard of unused subscriptions. 

And I’ve experienced both over my 10 years as an indie consultant. 

To make things easier for you, new indies, I made a list of the tech stack I’d use if I was starting today: 

Prerequisite: Legal Entity 

It’s time to move away from being a ‘freelancer with a laptop’ to a consulting business. 

But first, you need a legal structure to be a proper business. 

For Keenan Reid, I registered an LLC through my state's Secretary of State website (or you can use a service to save time.) 

Next, I set up an EIN from the IRS and filed this form to elect S-Corp status. 

(If that sounds too hard, I recommend Northwest Registered Agent – they only charge a one-time fee of $100 on top of state filing fees.) 

Stage One: Get Going with the Basics

Before launching your consulting practice, it's essential to have the right tools in place to handle the basics.

These tools should help you stay organized and make your business look more professional from day one. 

I recommend four things: 

1. Accounting. Even consultants working solo need to account for expenses (and write them off!). I use QuickBooks. Honestly, it’s difficult to use, but I haven’t found anything better yet.

2. Financial Management (a.k.a. a credit card). Two years ago, I wouldn’t have considered this technology. I thought I just needed a credit card. But platforms like Ramp serve as an all-in-one solution for invoicing, expenses, travel – and they accelerate bookkeeping. I suggest making the free version part of your tech stack from the very beginning.

   I use Ramp because of its no annual fee offer, auto-syncing feature, 1.5% cash back, and 4.3% interest for treasury account used by businesses. I prefer it over Mercury.

3. Productivity. Microsoft 365 over Google Workspace, and this is a hill I’ll die on. If I had a do-over, I wouldn’t even go near Google Workspace. For me, M365 is the best choice because it offers:

   1. Professional email: Consultants need a professional email address that’s not just [email protected]. And it’s hard to change email domains if you need to – it took me over 5 days moving nameservers from Google to Microsoft. Oh wait. You don’t know what a nameserver is? You will when you try to move your email domain off Google.

   2. Security: I handle sensitive client information, and I don’t mess around with this. But Microsoft offers enterprise-grade security and seamless integration between apps and that’s exactly what I need.

   3. One Stop Shop that Scales: As your client base grows, you’ll end up downloading a bunch of apps and software like Loom, Dropbox, etc. It becomes a nightmare to manage. M365 is an all-in-one solution that comes with Teams (calls), Stream (video), OneDrive (storage), and more.

4. Domain. Buy a domain early, even if it’s just a basic one. I use GoDaddy for ease of DNS management later. (Another tip – unless you’re planning to go solo forever, don’t secure a domain based on your name.) 

Stage Two: Buy Back Time as an Indie 

By this time, you have a few clients, revenue, and maybe even a waitlist of customers. 

First of all, congratulations. 

But now, you need to protect your time and energy before spreading yourself too thin. 

In this stage, automation and efficiency matters: 

1. E-Signatures. It’s easier to send agreements using DocuSign, the gold standard in digital signatures. I also suggest creating reusable templates in the tool that will make you look professional right off the bat. 

2. Calendar Management. If you also struggle with multiple calendars, then a calendar management app will be a lifesaver. I use Microsoft Bookings for scheduling, but to cross-check, others use CalendarBridge and Notion Calendar.

3. LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a megaphone for a business, but it takes time to build a good feed there. I swear by Taplio for this one (even though it’s a bit pricey) because it helps me come up with great content, monitor metrics, and everything in between.

4. AI Solutions. ChatGPT has a free version, but I recommend upgrading to at least ChatGPT Plus. It’s worth the money because you can use it for lots of different things – from business ops to content creation.

5. Workflow Management. We use Asana to organize my to-do list. If I have a do-over, I wish I found Asana five years before I did. It’s THE ultimate task juggling tool.

6. Website Upgrade. If you didn’t have a website in the early stages, this phase might be the best time for it. GoDaddy still works well, but many recommend moving to Squarespace for more capabilities. 

Stage Three: Scale Your MicroFirm 

At this point, there are new team members – whether they’re collaborators or full-time. 

With several clients, repeatable engagements, and growth to a small firm, you need tools to help you operate a bigger team – whether it's for supporting you with internal ops or handling more client work. 

Here's what we use at KRS: 

1. Password Manager. Clients or team members need to access sensitive files or information. You need something more secure than a notepad – like NordPass. Setting this up is annoying but the downside of password breach is SO much worse.

2. Marketing Tools Upgrade. There are lots of moving parts in marketing content creation: graphics, copies, media, and more. For each of those, I trust these ones – Canva for graphics, Riverside for videos, and Beehiiv for newsletter creation. We're also looking at pressmaster.ai for writing thought leadership pieces and Opus Clip for LinkedIn video editing.

3. Website Revamp. At this point, it’s time for a proper website. It will be your digital address that makes it easier for people to find and connect with you. You want it to look professional, so I suggest investing in professional design WordPress after hitting the million-dollar mark. (We can help with this!)

4. Pipeline Management. With many clients and prospects in line, consultants also need a tool to manage their sales pipeline and keep track of conversations. I find Pipedrive really useful at this stage, but it doesn’t make sense to pay for it until you reach the million-dollar mark in revenue. 

Lauren’s Core Four: The Must-Haves in My Stack

The best tools for a consulting business aren’t always the most expensive ones. 

They’re the ones that save time, boost credibility, and keep operations lean. 

My advice? Start with what’s essential and upgrade when it saves you hours. 

I couldn’t have run my business without Ramp, Asana, Microsoft 365, and ChatGPT Plus. 

Framework Focus: Marginal Return

Is your client stuck in the “more is better” mindset? 

Consultants constantly advise clients on where to invest their resources best. 

But sometimes, additional investments aren’t the key to driving better results. 

Find the tipping point to avoid wasting resources using the marginal return framework.

It helps you visualize the point of diminishing returns – where the extra effort no longer delivers meaningful gains.

The marginal return framework is especially useful for prioritizing growth investments, optimizing pricing and services, and streamlining operations. 

Picture a fractional CMO working with a SaaS company.  

The client kept increasing the ad budget every year and expecting growth, but new sign-ups still stalled. 

Using the marginal return framework, the fractional CMO showed them that the extra ad spend wasn’t driving enough new customers to justify the cost. 

Instead, they shifted the ad funds to referral programs and content marketing, which delivered better results for less money. 

The result? Customer acquisition costs dropped 20% and organic sign-ups grew by 35%. 

The marginal return framework helped the client see when the spending wasn’t worth it – and where to invest instead. 

Save time and download our template here. 

💼 See if you’re qualified…

• Business Analyst for Global Transformation at McKinsey, 3+ years of operations or accounting experience, ~$112k-$125k

• Strategy & Operations Manager for Global Ecosystem Sales at Afterpay, 4+ years of management consulting experience, ~$135k-$245k

• Senior Manager of Corporate Consolidations at StubHub, 8+ years of strategic finance experience, ~$155k-$215k

• Senior Managing Consultant for Service Business Development at Mastercard, 7+ years of consulting and business development experience, ~$161k-$250k

• Financial Process Improvement Consultant at McKinsey, 5+ years of operational finance experience, $192k

Remember, the path to success is paved with continuous learning and embracing fresh perspectives.

Let's stay connected, share ideas, and elevate your consulting business.

Stay curious, friends.

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