Name Address & Phone
Google
There’s no substitute for searching the world’s dominant search engine to check out your namespace.
Namechk
This tool is actually for looking up domain names (also an important consideration when choosing a name). If many popular domain extensions (such as .com and .net) are taken, it can provide an extra indication of how crowded your namespace is. Check the availability of your preferred business social handle across multiple social platforms.
Domain Name
Google Domains
Really the only tool you need here. If your chosen .com is not available, Google will suggest alternatives. Using domains.google also makes future steps of the roadmap much easier -- such as setting up G Suite for Productivity.
Productivity
MX Toolbox
The simplest way to check if a domain name is using G Suite.
G Suite
"If you haven’t yet reserved your domain name, simply sign up for G Suite as you go through the buying process on domains.google.
Within Google Domains click ‘Email’, then click ‘Get G Suite’ and it will walk you through the purchase process and set it up to work with the domain you purchased through Google Domains.
If you already have a domain name, you’ll probably need to change a setting with your domain registrar. Google provides step-by-step instructions for how to connect G Suite for most major domain registrars here:
https://support.google.com/a/topic/1409901"
Branding
Tailor Brands
Tailor Brands offers an affordable do-it-yourself logo builder and branding kit.
Photos & Videos
Google Images
On https://images.google.com, type site:yourdomain.com
Do these images represent your business well?
Mercatus Directory
There are a number of professional photographers in the Mercatus program!
Snappr
Snappr is sort of like Uber or Lyft, for professional photographers and videographers.
Customer Data
G Suite Contacts
Manually reviewing (and labeling) your existing contacts can be a great place to start building your customer list.
If you’re diligent about labeling your contacts as customers in G Suite, that’s really all you need as a starting point. If that sounds unrealistic (which it is for most business owners), read on.
G Suite Sheets
Google provides a simple spreadsheet program with G Suite which can be used to keep track of your customers from multiple sources, including G Suite.
IFTTT
IF This Then That helps you automate the process of consolidating customer accounts into one place. Connect your G Suite email account to a Google Spreadsheet in just a couple of clicks.
To seamlessly begin compiling a list of customers, simply label incoming emails from them with something like “business.” You can then use this IFTTT applet:
https://ifttt.com/applets/101636p-log-emails-with-label-in-google-drive-sheet
to automatically store the email addresses from any sender in your “business” label.
Mailchimp Subscribe App
The Mailchimp Subscribe App is a great option for businesses that do a lot of in-person events. It’s a great way to eliminate the dreaded pen and paper sign up sheet. All you need is a MailChimp account and a tablet. It allows you to host a subscription form on your tablet, and even if the event doesn’t have wi-fi, any customers who signed up for your list will sync to your account once your tablet has an internet connection.
PieSync
For more advanced businesses with larger customer bases, PieSync is a great option for connecting multiple lists. PieSync looks at all past, present and future data and syncs it for you. An excellent solution if you’ve been in business for a while. Connect Shopify to Mailchimp, for example; Square is coming soon.
Offline Collateral
Mercatus Directory
There are a few printing companies in the Mercatus program.
Canva
Canva can help you put together impressive-looking visuals even if you don’t have the budget for a graphic designer.
Referrals & Word of Mouth
Small Thanks with Google
If you have a Google My Business Profile, this free tool helps you spread word-of-mouth with offline collateral.
Content Management System (CMS)
WhatCMS
Easily detect the Content Management System of any website.
Squarespace
"Are you just getting started, or do you plan to sell just a handful of products offline?
Squarespace (https://squarespace.com) is the best option for you. It’s reasonably search-engine-friendly, reasonably easy to update, and cost-effective."
Shopify
"Is your business somewhat established, or do you plan to sell primarily online?
Shopify (https://shopify.com) is the best option for more advanced small businesses who want to sell more than a handful of items online. Shopify is reasonably search-engine-friendly, integrates with a number of third-party applications, and is cost-effective."
Wordpress
"Is your business somewhat established, and are you not really interested in Ecommerce?
Wordpress (https://wordpress.org) is the best CMS option for more advanced small businesses who don’t plan to sell online, or who plan to create lots of content about their business. Wordpress is very search-engine-friendly, free (though it requires buying a hosting plan), but not as easy to update as Squarespace.
Choose a host (see “Hosting”) that will install Wordpress on your own domain name for you."
eCommerce
Shopify
"Is your business somewhat established, or do you plan to sell primarily online?
Shopify (https://shopify.com) is the best option for more advanced small businesses who want to sell more than a handful of items online. Shopify is reasonably search-engine-friendly, integrates with a number of third-party applications, and is cost-effective."
Shopify Lite
A simple plugin for businesses already on Wordpress who want to sell just a few items.
WooCommerce
A suite of plugins for businesses already familiar with Wordpress who want a robust online store.
Hosting
Flywheel
Flywheel is a Wordpress hosting company that scores high marks on the above criteria and offers excellent support -- including migrating your website from another host for free.They’re on the expensive side, as hosts go, at $165/year but their support and migration services are worth the expense.
SSL Certificate
Really Simple SSL
If you’re running Wordpress, this plugin can help you configure your website to be secure in just a couple of clicks.
Let's Encrypt
If you’re not running Wordpress, you may still be able to secure your website using a free certificate from Let’s Encrypt
Website User Experience (UX)
Google's Mobile Friendly Test
Google’s easy, automated test to see how mobile friendly your website is.
Usability Hub
Inspiring questions to ask about your website usability.
Hayden Template (Squarespace)
Many Squarespace experts consider this the most flexible template to work with for a variety of businesses.
Best Themes for Small Inventories (Shopify)
Shopify’s curated list of best themes for businesses like yours.
BeaverBuilder (Wordpress)
Make your Wordpress site user-friendly with BeaverBuilder.
Elementor
A more complicated but slightly fuller-featured alternative to BeaverBuilder.
Ask Lorem
If updating your website feels overwhelming, consider hiring a reasonably-priced freelancer from AskLorem.com.
Web Analytics
GA Checker
See which of your pages have Google Analytics installed.
Google Analytics
Track behavior on, and sources of traffic to, your website.
Google Analytics for Wordpress
Connect Google Analytics to your Wordpress website. Note: there are many similarly-named (and more complicated) plugins.
Customer Feedback
Square Feedback
"When this feature is enabled in your Square account, your customers will automatically receive a “How’d we do?” message in their digital receipts with a 🙂 and a 🙁 as options.
If you’re not a Square user, consider how you might replicate this feature within your own Marketing Stack."
GatherUp TextBack
TextBack is an invitation to your customer to provide (trackable, reusable) feedback via simple text message.
Email Marketing
BuiltWith
BuiltWith can detect what Email Service Provider you’re using--if you have an email signup form on your website.
Mailchimp
The easiest Email Service Provider to get started with. Integrates with thousands of other software programs, including every major Content Management System. Includes spam compliance features, email analytics, list management, and more.
Mailchimp Subscribe App
The Mailchimp Subscribe App is a great option for businesses that do a lot of in-person events. It’s a great way to eliminate the dreaded pen and paper sign up sheet. All you need is a MailChimp account and a tablet. It allows you to host a subscription form on your tablet, and even if the event doesn’t have wi-fi, any customers who signed up for your list will sync to your account once your tablet has an internet connection.
Connect Mailchimp to Squarespace
Connecting Mailchimp to Squarespace is done on a per-form or per-block basis. See the steps in the article above to connect your accounts once you’re logged in to Squarespace. Although Squarespace has a built-in email marketing service. MailChimp is more robust and the preferred solution.
Connect Mailchimp to Shopify
"Log in to your Mailchimp account, click your profile name, and choose Connected Sites.
Click Shopify in the list of logos and click Connect. Click Shopify in the list of logos and click Connect. On the Shopify installation screen, click Add app .Enter the domain name for your Shopify store, and click Log in. Enter your Shopify login credentials, then click Log in again. Click Connect existing account. Choose a Mailchimp list to connect to your store, and click Connect List."
Connect Mailchimp to Wordpress
"Install the Mailchimp for Wordpress Plugin from Ibericode. Once installed, go to MailChimp for WP > Forms. Select at least one list to subscribe people to.
Embed a sign-up form in pages or posts using the [mc4wp_form] shortcode, or show a sign-up form in your widget areas using the “MailChimp Sign-Up Form” widget."
emailmarketing_privy
Privy helps you capture the email addresses of potential customers when they land on or leave your site.
Configure for Shopify at https://apps.shopify.com/privy
Email Analytics
Mailchimp Industry Benchmarks
See how your metrics compare to other companies in your industry.
Local Profiles
Google My Business
Google’s free tool offers a wide range of features for free visibility when someone searches for you on Google.
Yelp for Business Owners
Yelp’s equivalent of Google My Business offers similar features.
Local Analytics
Google My Business Insights
See how many times your Profile appears in Google Search and Maps, including how many actions customers are taking.
Social Profiles
Namechk
This tool is actually for looking up domain names (also an important consideration when choosing a name). If many popular domain extensions (such as .com and .net) are taken, it can provide an extra indication of how crowded your namespace is. Check the availability of your preferred business social handle across multiple social platforms.
Facebook
Create a business page on Facebook.
Instagram
Create an account on Instagram.
Pinterest
Create a business account on Pinterest.
Twitter
Create an account on Twitter.
LinkedIn
Create a company page on LInkedIn.
YouTube
Create a channel on YouTube.
Community
Google Site Search
“site:” shows all results for a specific keyword from a specific website. Use this search on the websites of community organizations with which you're involved.
NextDoor
Add your business to the growing community social network.
Reviews & Testimonials
Whitespark Google Review Link Generator
Google encourages you to share links to review your business with your customers, but because of the way Google is coded, it’s difficult to find the exact link to share with them. Use this free tool from Whitespark to get the direct link to share with your customers.
SEO
Google Site Search
Use the site: Google search to see all of your Title Tags at a glance.
Google Trends
A free tool that shows the relative search volume of any keyword.
Yoast
A free plugin that allows you to easily edit the Title Tag of any page on your Wordpress website.
Social Media
Buffer
Buffer enables you schedule and cross-promote your content on multiple social media platforms. The Awesome Plan is $10/mo.
Trademark
TESS from USPTO
Search the US Patent and Trademark Office to see if there are similarly-named companies already operating in your industry.
Accounting & Bookkeeping
Quickbooks Online
Straightforward cloud accounting software.
Xero
Straightforward cloud accounting software.
Automate.io
Connect Quickbooks Online or Xero Accounting to Mailchimp or Google Sheets with just a couple of clicks.
Payments & Point of Sale
Shopify Point of Sale
The best choice if you want to sell online and offline equally.
Square
The best POS choice if you expect to sell primarily offline.
Scheduling & Booking
Reserve with Google
Make sure your scheduling & booking vendor’s logo appears somewhere on this page of Reserve with Google partners: