The Chic CEO
The CEO Toolkit
Every tool a creative founder needs - curated, tested, and organized so you stop wasting time searching and start building.
✦ Design & Branding
Look Iconic
Canva
The go-to design tool for non-designers. Create social media graphics, logos, presentations, and brand materials with ease. Free plan is incredibly generous.
Adobe Express
Quick branded graphics, short videos, and social content powered by Adobe. Great for Reels, Stories, and on-brand content creation. Integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud.
Looka
AI-powered logo maker that generates professional logo options based on your brand preferences. Great for new founders who need a polished logo fast without hiring a designer.
✦ Website & E-Commerce
Your Digital Home
Shopify
The gold standard for product-based businesses. Built for selling - inventory, payments, shipping, and digital downloads all in one place. Scales with your business.
Squarespace
Beautiful drag-and-drop websites with stunning templates. No coding required. Perfect for service businesses, creatives, and portfolios. All-in-one hosting and domain management.
Stan Store
A simple link-in-bio storefront built for digital product creators. Sell guides, courses, and downloads directly from your Instagram bio. Quick to set up and easy to use.
✦ Email Marketing
Own Your Audience
Mailchimp
The most popular email marketing platform for beginners. Free up to 500 subscribers with beautiful templates, automation, and analytics. Easy to use from day one.
Klaviyo
The best email platform for Shopify stores. Powerful automation, segmentation, and flows built specifically for e-commerce. Abandoned cart emails and post-purchase sequences made easy.
ConvertKit
Built for digital product creators and newsletter writers. Simple, clean, and powerful. Great for selling guides and building an audience that trusts you. Formerly known as Kit.
✦ Finance & Accounting
Know Your Numbers
Wave
Completely free invoicing, accounting, and bookkeeping for small businesses. No subscription required. Connects to your bank account and generates financial reports automatically.
QuickBooks
The industry standard for small business accounting. Tracks income and expenses, generates tax reports, manages payroll, and integrates with hundreds of business tools.
Stripe
The easiest way to accept payments online. No monthly fee - only pay when you make a sale. Trusted by millions of businesses worldwide and integrates with almost everything.
✦ Productivity & Organization
Work Smarter
Notion
All-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, databases, and planning. Build your entire CEO operating system in one place. Great for content planning, SOPs, and business documentation.
Trello
Visual project management with drag-and-drop boards, lists, and cards. Perfect for managing product launches, content calendars, and business tasks. Free plan is very capable.
Google Workspace
Professional Gmail with your own domain, plus Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, and Meet. Your business email address instantly makes you look more professional to customers.
✦ Social Media & Content
Show Up Consistently
Later
Schedule Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and Facebook posts in advance. Visual content calendar so you can plan your feed, batch create content, and never miss a post.
Planoly
Visual Instagram and Pinterest planner that lets you see exactly how your feed will look before you post. Drag, drop, and rearrange until your grid looks exactly right.
CapCut
The best free video editing app for Reels and TikTok. Auto-captions, trending templates, music, effects, and transitions all in one app. No video editing experience needed.
✦ Legal & Contracts
Protect Yourself
Bonsai
Contracts, proposals, invoices, and time tracking built for small business owners. Send professional contracts in minutes, get them signed digitally, and get paid faster.
HelloSign
Simple and legally binding electronic signatures for contracts and agreements. Send documents for signature in minutes without printing anything. Free plan includes 3 signatures per month.
IRS EIN Application
Apply for your Employer Identification Number directly on the IRS website. Completely free, takes 10 minutes, and you get your EIN immediately. Required to open a business bank account.
✦ Shipping & Fulfillment
Ship It Right
Pirate Ship
Get the deepest discounts on USPS and UPS shipping with zero monthly fees. Save up to 89% off retail shipping rates. The best kept secret for small product-based businesses.
ShipStation
Multi-carrier shipping management platform for growing product businesses. Integrates with Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, and more. Automate your fulfillment process as your orders scale.
These tools are recommendations based on what we believe serves creative and product-based business owners well. Pricing and features may change - always check each tool's website for the most current information. Some links may be affiliate links.