These 8 Simple Tools Run My Online Biz in 1–2 Hours a Day
The exact stack I use to grow online — without big spending.
I’ve been running my online side hustle since 2023. Between a full-time job and family life, time is tight.
On average, I spend just 1–2 hours a day on my digital business.
That means I need tools that actually save me time — not add more to my plate.
Over the last two years, I’ve tested dozens of apps. Some were fun but useless. Others made my life so much easier I can’t imagine working without them.
I also don’t like paying too much, so I stick with free plans whenever they get the job done.
People often ask what tools I use to run my side hustle. Here’s my full current stack — cheap, simple, and time-saving.
1) Carrd — Simple Landing Pages
Carrd is where I host my newsletter landing page. It’s super simple and super cheap.
For under $19/year (Pro Standard plan), you get custom domains, Google Analytics tracking, and widgets for Stripe, PayPal, or Gumroad. With Forms, I can connect to other tools like Kit or Beehiiv.
It’s minimal and fast. Just what I need.
2) Beehiiv — My Newsletter Home Base
After trying Substack for a while, I came back to Beehiiv.
Why? Because it gives me more flexibility and features — for free. I’m on the $0 Launch plan with around 1,000 subscribers, and it covers everything I need:
custom design,
analytics,
recommendations,
custom domain (!),
API access.
So far, it’s more than enough.
3) Canva — For All Things Visual
Canva is my design tool. All the featured images you see on my Medium or Substack? Designed in Canva.
I stick with the free version because I mostly use my own screenshots. It took a little practice to learn the basics, but now I can create what I need in minutes.
4) Gumroad — My Digital Store
For ebooks and paid products, I use Gumroad. It’s simple, free to use, and does the job.
Yes, they take a 10% fee, but for me that’s fair.
Gumroad lets you customize your checkout, set up email flows, and offer memberships. I’ve got my own system for writing great Gumroad product pages, and you can read it here.
5) Buffer — Set It and Forget It
This one saves me a ton of time.
I use Buffer’s $5/month plan to schedule unlimited posts. The best part? You can include the first comment — which is perfect for dropping links to products or content.
Buffer is a multi-platform tool. Under one account you can manage X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads.
6) ChatGPT — My Creative Assistant
Honestly? I use ChatGPT every single day.
It helps me brainstorm ideas, draft product offers, write Medium titles, and tweak SEO. I’ve even built a few custom GPTs around my business, so it knows my voice, audience, and goals.
Now, when I give it a task, it feels like it already knows what I need.
7) Shortcuts + Make — Automation Magic
These two help me automate the boring stuff.
Whether it’s formatting newsletters, adding Gumroad buyers to Beehiiv, or generating content — Apple Shortcuts and Make.com save me hours.
Think about anything you repeat regularly. That’s what you can automate.
I use ChatGPT to help write the shortcut logic. And I picked Make.com over Zapier because it’s cheaper (and just as powerful).
If you want to see examples how I build my automations, you can read this story.
8) Webflow — For Complex Projects
I use Webflow to build FindEnglish, a more complex startup project. It handles categories, filters, logic, and languages — without code.
And I even connected it to ChatGPT to generate code when I needed it.
Bonus: Apple Notes & Reminders — My Personal HQ
Running a business while raising a family and working full-time? Organization is everything.
Apple Notes and Reminders help me stay on top of everything. They’re free, sync across all devices, and surprisingly powerful.
With a bit of tweaking, they’ve become the backbone of my productivity system. I even made a tutorial for how I use Reminders here.
Wrap-up
These tools aren’t perfect. But they’re simple, affordable, and they work for me.
If you’re short on time but want to grow your own online business, this stack might help you too.
P.S. I share weekly stories about building a side hustle with limited time. Follow me here for more.
Thanks for reading!
-Robin
*Some of these links contains affiliate offers, so I may earn a small commission if you purchase anything through one of our links at no extra cost to you.