for Online Service Providers
The right resources can save you time, reduce chaos, and help you step fully into your CEO role.
On this page, I’ve gathered the books and tools I regularly recommend to clients and Small Business CEO Society members—resources designed to help you:
- Simplify your business operations
- Build confidence as a leader and business owner
- Lay a stronger foundation for growth
These are just a few suggested tools based on experience please choose what aligns best with your needs, budget, and comfort. MPC is not responsible for third-party performance or outcomes.
Books for Strategy, Systems, and Leadership
Recommended Books
Curated titles to sharpen your thinking, strengthen leadership
and equip you with practical frameworks for growth.
Prayer - Faith-Based Leadership
- 40 Days of Prayer for My Business: Think Big, Pray Hard and Wait Expectantly — Becky A. Davis
A devotional-style guide equipping entrepreneurs to align their business vision with faith. View Book - Believe Bigger: Discover the Path to Your Life Purpose — Marshawn Evans Daniels
Discover how to move beyond setbacks and step into your God-given purpose with clarity and boldness. View Book - Doing Business God’s Way: The Kingdom’s Driven Entrepreneur’s Guide — Shae Bynes
Run your business in alignment with Kingdom principles to grow with integrity and impact. View Book - Grace Over Grind: How Grace Will Take Your Business Where Grinding Can’t — Shae Bynes
Challenge the hustle culture and learn how God’s grace—not endless grinding—creates sustainable success. View Book
Productivity - Strategy & Growth
- 3 Feet from Gold: Turn Your Obstacles into Opportunities — Sharon Lechter & Dr. Greg Reid
An inspiring reminder that success may be closer than you think—persevere through obstacles. View Book - The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level — Gay Hendricks
Overcome hidden fears that limit success and step into your highest potential. View Book - Building a Brand Story: Clarify Your Message so Customers Will Listen — Donald Miller
Simplify your message, clarify your brand, and communicate in a way that customers connect with instantly. View Book - The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t work and What to Do About It — Michael Gerber
Shift from working in your business to working on it, with systems that support scalable growth. View Book - Get Different: Marketing That Cannot Be Ignored — Mike Michalowicz
Stand out with creative, practical marketing strategies that attract attention and drive results. View Book - The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life & Business — Charles Duhigg Leverage the science of habits to improve productivity, leadership, and long-term success. View Book
Profit - Financial Growth
- Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine — Mike Michalowicz
Flip your financial system—pay yourself first, manage cash flow, and ensure built-in profit. View Book - Think and Grow Rich — Napoleon Hill
Harness focus, persistence, and mindset principles to achieve extraordinary success. View Book
Want to go deeper?
Combine these insights with the right systems and support for your business.
Back-Office Systems
Smart systems and software can save you hours, reduce stress, and keep your business organized.
These are the starter tools I recommend to help streamline operations, manage clients and teams, and free up your time. There are countless options out there, but the real key is choosing what fits your current budget, stage of business, and goals. No system is one-size-fits-all—so start where you are, use what works now, and upgrade as your business grows. Think of this list as a helpful starting point to point you in the right direction.
Calendar Scheduling
Calendly
Stress-Free Scheduling
- Best For: Business owners who want an easier way to manage appointments
- Focus: Appointment booking, rescheduling, and reminders
- Monthly Price Range: Free–$15
Why Choose It:
Calendly takes the back-and-forth out of scheduling. Instead of endless emails trying to find a time, clients simply pick from your available slots. It automatically sends confirmations and reminders, syncs with your calendar, and protects your time—so you stay organized and show up prepared.
ChatGPT (Artificial Intelligence (A.I.))
ChatGPT (Artificial Intelligence)
Your On-Demand Creative Assistant
- Best For: Business owners who want help creating content, answering questions, and brainstorming ideas
- Focus: Content creation, problem-solving, and idea generation
- Monthly Price Range: Free–$20
Why Choose It:
ChatGPT is like having a brainstorming partner and copy assistant on call 24/7. Whether you need help drafting emails, creating social media content, organizing ideas, or answering quick business questions, ChatGPT speeds up the process and saves you hours. It’s not a replacement for your voice or expertise—but it helps you work smarter, not harder.
Client Management & CRM Tools (Business Management)
DigiMarket Suite (DMS)
Scale with Marketing Power
- Best For: Established businesses ready to grow and scale
- Focus: CRM, marketing funnels, lead generation, and client communication
- Monthly Price Range: $197–$297*
Why Choose It:
When you’re ready to move beyond the basics, DMS gives you a complete growth platform. Think of it as your business command center—manage leads, build websites, create funnels, send automated texts/emails, and track everything from one dashboard. It’s designed for scaling, not just staying organized.
*MPC Small Business CEO Society members save $100 off monthly price.
Dubsado
Start Smart with Client Management
- Best For: Newer or growing service-based businesses
- Focus: Streamlining proposals, contracts, invoicing, and client communication
- Monthly Price Range: $20–$70
Why Choose It:
If you’re just getting started with automation, Dubsado is like your professional assistant. It helps you send polished proposals, collect signatures, and manage invoices with ease—so clients get a smooth, professional experience without you spending hours on admin.
Email Marketing
MailerLite
Simple, Smart Email Marketing
- Best For: Business owners ready to grow their audience and stay connected with clients
- Focus: Email marketing, automation, and audience growth
- Monthly Price Range: Free–$50
Why Choose It:
MailerLite makes email marketing easy without overwhelming you with tech. You can design professional newsletters, set up automated sequences, and track performance—all in a clean, intuitive platform. It keeps your marketing consistent and helps you build relationships with your audience, even while you’re focused on running the rest of your business.
Finance & Reporting
QuickBooks Online
Stay on Top of Your Money
- Best For: Small business owners who need simple, reliable financial tracking
- Focus: Bookkeeping, accounting, and financial management
- Monthly Price Range: $15–$100
Why Choose It:
Think of QuickBooks as your business’s financial dashboard. It keeps all your money matters in one place—tracking income and expenses, creating and sending invoices, managing bills, and even generating tax-ready reports. Instead of stressing over spreadsheets, you’ll have clear numbers that show where your business stands and help you make confident financial decisions.
Graphics
Canva
Design Made Simple
- Best For: Business owners who want professional-looking graphics without hiring a designer
- Focus: Social media posts, presentations, marketing materials, and branding assets
- Monthly Price Range: Free–$15
Why Choose It:
Canva gives you the power to create polished, on-brand visuals in minutes. With drag-and-drop templates for everything from Instagram posts to business cards, it eliminates the stress of design work. You don’t need advanced skills—just your ideas. Canva helps you show up consistently online with graphics that look professional and match your brand.
Payment Processor
PayPal, Stripe, Square
Get Paid with Ease
- Best For: Any business owner who needs to accept payments online
- Focus: Secure payment processing for services, products, or subscriptions
- Monthly Price Range: Free setup (transaction fees apply, rates vary by provider)
Why Choose It:
A reliable payment processor is essential for doing business online. Tools like PayPal, Stripe, and Square make it easy to accept credit card payments, send invoices, and manage transactions securely. Each option has slightly different fees and features, but they all give your clients a fast, professional way to pay you—so you can focus on delivery, not chasing payments.
Need help choosing or setting up the right systems?
Let’s design a streamlined back-office that supports your business growth.
Want Even More?
What you see here is just a sample of my favorite, tried and true systems. Inside The Small Business CEO Society, members get access to:
- My complete back-office systems guide with affiliate links, tutorials, and insider tips
- Our quarterly Reading Group, where we read and implement the learnings, growing our businesses together
- Accountability, frameworks, and a community of peers to keep you consistent and supported
If you’re ready to go deeper, get plugged into the community that’s helping small business owners simplify, scale, and succeed.
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through them—at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools and resources I personally use or trust.