Ever wonder which tools and services you actually need as a solopreneur, and which ones are just shiny distractions?

In this episode of The Aspiring Solopreneur, Carly and Joe revisit one of the most debated sections of their book, Solopreneur Business For Dummies: setting up your company’s tools and services.

From creating rock-solid SOPs to knowing when to outsource, to avoiding the dreaded “tool overload,” they break down how to make smarter choices that actually save you time. Plus, they share how AI can help today (and where it still falls short). If you’ve ever felt stuck between doing it all yourself, hiring help, or buying yet another app, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Three Episode Takeaways

• Should I outsource tasks as a solopreneur or keep doing everything myself?
  You don’t need employees to be a solopreneur, but you also don’t have to do everything alone. Outsourcing to contractors or companies for specific tasks can save time and prevent burnout. The key is to outsource before you’re desperate. This way, you have time to properly train someone and set up processes that work.
• How do I know which tools are worth paying for?
  Start by identifying the specific problem you want to solve, then choose tools that are simple, affordable, and easy to integrate with your current setup. Avoid chasing “shiny objects” that solve problems you don’t even have yet. Use free trials strategically and actually test them on a real task during the trial period, and start with monthly payments until you’re confident it’s a good fit.
• What should come first: documenting processes or finding tools and services?
  Always start with documenting your processes in the form of standard operating procedures (SOPs). If you try to outsource or automate a broken process, you’ll only make the problems bigger. SOPs give you a clear, repeatable checklist that works whether you do it yourself, hand it off to someone else, or use a tool to automate it.

Okay, this might be the craziest offer we’ve ever made. We’re giving away a solopreneur platform that normally costs five hundred dollars a year…For twenty-five bucks. And not for a month, not for a year… forever.

All you have to do is pre-order our new book: Solopreneur Business for Dummies.

When we first went solo, we thought we could just Google our way through it. But the advice out there?

It was built for startups with teams and money, not someone trying to do it all themselves. We kept thinking: “There’s gotta be a better way.”

So we made one. LifeStarr Premier is the system we wish we had back then: the tools, the strategy, the community, all in one place.

Go to book.lifestarr.com to lock it in.

This deal goes away when the book drops, October 6, 2025, and it’s not coming back.

Pre-order the book. Upload your receipt. You’re in. For good.