Small Business Tech Stack Solutions: How to Finally Make Peace with Your Marketing Tools.
Dana wasn’t new to business.
She’d been running her coaching practice for years, working with clients all over the country. She had referrals coming in, a steady book of business, and plenty of ideas for growth. But every time she tried to launch something new, her tools got in the way.
Kajabi for courses. Mailchimp for email. Calendly for booking. Trello for projects. Slack for team messages. Google Drive for client files.
All useful on their own. Together? A disjointed mess.
Leads were slipping through the cracks. Follow-ups weren’t happening on time. Sometimes she’d discover an unread message buried in one of her platforms weeks after it came in.
The worst part? She was spending more time trying to manage her tools than actually working with her clients.
One Thursday night, with twelve tabs open and zero energy left, Dana realized she was losing more than time. She was losing opportunities.
“I just want it all to work,” she muttered, staring at her notifications.
That’s when she decided something had to change.
The Hidden Cost of a Messy Tech Stack
Dana’s situation is more common than most small business owners admit.
When you start your business, you add tools as you need them: a booking platform here, a payment processor there, maybe a new email platform when you outgrow the free version you started with.
It feels harmless — even smart — in the moment. But years later, you’re paying for a pile of tools that don’t talk to each other, don’t track your full customer journey, and require you to be the glue holding everything together.
This comes with a hidden cost:
- Time lost switching between systems.
- Opportunities missed because a lead didn’t get a follow-up.
- Money wasted on duplicate features across different tools.
And there’s an emotional cost, too. The constant tech stress steals your energy, leaving you too drained to focus on growth.
The Real Problem Isn’t the Tech
Dana thought her problem was a tech problem. In reality, it was a system problem.
The issue wasn’t that she didn’t have enough tools. It was that she had too many, with no central structure holding them together.
That’s when she started looking for a solution — not a new tool to add to the pile, but a way to consolidate everything into one place.
Discovering an All-in-One Approach
Through a colleague, Dana found a coach who specialized in helping small business owners consolidate their tech stacks using GoHighLevel (GHL).
The goal wasn’t to learn “another new thing.” It was to:
- Map out what she actually needed to run her business.
- Cut the tools that were duplicating effort.
- Move as much as possible into one system.
Her wish list looked like this:
- Send emails and texts from the same place.
- Book calls without having to jump between platforms.
- Track every lead from the moment they opted in until they became a client.
- Automate follow-ups so no one slipped through the cracks.
By the end of the transition, Dana had gone from six tools to one.
The Moment It Clicked
Two weeks later, she decided to test the new system with a small lead magnet: a free PDF checklist for new clients.
Inside GHL, she built the landing page, set up the opt-in form, connected it to an automated thank-you email, and linked her booking calendar — all without leaving the platform.
When her first lead opted in and booked a call within 15 minutes, Dana laughed out loud.
“I didn’t need more tech,” she realized. “I needed the right tech.”
Why Tech Stack Overwhelm Happens
Most small business owners aren’t lazy or tech-averse. They’re resourceful. But that resourcefulness often leads to tool overload.
It happens when:
- You hear about a “must-have” app in a Facebook group.
- You grab a Black Friday deal on a new software platform “just in case.”
- You add a tool to solve a single problem without thinking about how it fits into your bigger system.
The result? Overlap, confusion, and a customer experience that’s inconsistent at best.
What Making Peace With Your Tech Stack Looks Like
Making peace with your tech stack isn’t about throwing out everything you’ve built. It’s about simplifying so your tools actually serve your business.
A healthy, streamlined tech stack:
- Handles multiple functions in one place.
- Reduces the number of logins you need to remember.
- Makes it easy to track a client’s journey from start to finish.
- Gives you automation without hiring a tech team.
When you consolidate, you:
- Spend less time troubleshooting.
- Give your clients a smoother experience.
- Make better business decisions because all your data is in one place.
How GHL Fits Into the Picture
GoHighLevel is more than just another software platform. It’s a central hub for:
- Building websites and landing pages.
- Sending email and text campaigns.
- Automating follow-ups based on lead behavior.
- Tracking conversations and sales pipelines.
- Managing your calendar and bookings.
- Hosting courses or memberships.
For service-based businesses, it’s the difference between juggling tools and managing one connected system.
Why Consolidation Is a Growth Strategy
Some people think simplifying their tech stack is just about saving time. And yes, that’s part of it. But it’s also a growth move.
When you centralize your tools:
- You can respond to leads faster.
- You can launch offers without rebuilding your funnel from scratch.
- You reduce the mental friction that slows down your marketing.
The financial impact is real, too. Many business owners cut their monthly software costs in half after consolidating.
A Roadmap for Simplifying Your Tech
If you feel like Dana did before her shift, here’s how to get started:
Step 1: Audit Your Tools
Write down every platform you’re paying for and what you actually use it for.
Step 2: Spot the Overlap
Highlight any tools that duplicate the same function.
Step 3: Decide What’s Essential
Define the non-negotiable features your business needs.
Step 4: Choose a Primary System
Look for a platform that can handle at least 80% of your needs (for many service businesses, that’s GHL).
Step 5: Transition in Phases
Move one function at a time to avoid overwhelm.
Real Wins From Simplifying
I’ve worked with small business owners who have:
- Gone from three-month follow-up delays to same-day responses.
- Doubled their consult bookings just by integrating their booking link into their funnel.
- Saved $400/month by canceling redundant software.
The common thread? They stopped being tool collectors and started being system owners.
The Mindset Shift
The biggest barrier isn’t the tech — it’s the habit of thinking a new problem needs a new tool.
Once you start asking, “How can I do this inside my current system?” instead of “What new tool should I buy?” everything changes.
Final Word: Your Business Deserves Ease
If your marketing tools feel like a second full-time job, it’s time to rethink your approach.
Follow Dana’s example. Stop stacking tools. Start building a system. When everything works together, you get to focus on serving clients, growing your business, and enjoying the freedom you started it all for in the first place.
Explore Coaching with Lisa Benson
Book a Clarity Call
Start with the 9-Line Business Roadmap
