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Discover the 7 essential business apps we use every day to run Launch Kit, a $52K/month marketing agency. Real tools, real examples, no fluff - built for small business owners.
If you’re a small business owner who feels buried under a mountain of software options, I’ve been there.
You're trying to figure out which tools to use for what. You finally find something that works, and then your business grows - and suddenly, that tool doesn’t work anymore. It’s like solving one problem just unlocks another round of chaos.
That’s exactly why I made this article.
Because it’s honestly exhausting. If you’ve ever found yourself spending more time researching apps than actually getting work done, you’re not alone. I’ve been in that spiral - testing, comparing, tweaking - and getting nowhere fast.
Eventually, I realized it’s not about finding the perfect tool. It’s about picking the right tool for your business and putting it to work.
So today, I’m giving you the exact tech stack we use every single day to run Launch Kit, our full-time marketing agency in Grand Rapids, Michigan. No fluff. No random tools we don’t actually use. Just the 7 real apps that keep our business running clean, clear, and profitable.
My name is Kevin Kamis. I started Launch Kit about four years ago and have been building it from scratch since day one.
Right now, we’ve got:
The tools I’m about to walk you through are the exact apps we use every day to communicate, stay organized, manage our team, track leads, handle finances, and make room for growth.
Let’s get into it.
If I don’t write it down, it doesn’t happen. That’s why I start with Things 3.
This app is my go-to for capturing tasks and ideas the moment they hit. It’s synced across my iPhone, Mac, and iPad - so no matter where I’m at, I can drop something into the inbox and revisit it when it’s time to act.
Real-life example:
I was at Run Club Monday night, chatting with my friend Austin about the upcoming Bridge Run. I realized I hadn’t signed up yet, so mid-run, I pulled out my phone, hit the plus button in Things 3, and voice-dictated “sign up for Bridge Run.” Done. Back to the convo. Didn’t miss a stride.
Austin looks over and goes, “Did you just write that down?”
Yup. And now it’s out of my head.
Things 3 is clean, powerful, and distraction-free. It’s what keeps me from living in that “organized chaos” mode.
Want to see my exact setup? I’ve got a full video walkthrough on my YouTube channel that breaks it all down step by step.
ClickUp is the heartbeat of Launch Kit. We’ve used other tools like Monday.com before, but once we switched to ClickUp, we never looked back.
What makes ClickUp special is that it’s a blank canvas. You can build it out to match exactly how your business operates.
Here’s how we use it at Launch Kit:
ClickUp gives me space to stop thinking about logistics and focus on what matters most - creating, leading, and growing the business.
CRM is one of those tools I spent way too much time trying to figure out.
We used HubSpot for a while, but most of the features I wanted were locked behind their higher-tier plans. The onboarding fee, the long-term contract - it didn’t feel right at the time for where we were as a business.
Then I found Go High Level.
For $297/month, we get access to the entire platform - no upsells, no hidden features. And because it’s fully customizable, we’ve been able to tailor it to exactly how our sales and lead process works.
Favorite automation:
When someone fills out the contact form on our website, Go High Level:
So I’ll come out of a meeting, check my phone, and see someone filled out the form — and already booked a call. All on autopilot.
This automation was inspired by Alex Hormozi, who talks about how fast follow-up increases your close rate. Speed wins.
Bonus: As a marketing agency, we now offer Go High Level to our clients. If you work with us for website or marketing, we’ll set up your CRM for you - and we’ll even do live 1-on-1 support to build out automations or pipelines with you in real time.
QuickBooks has been with us since day one — and while I’m not a “finance guy,” this tool makes things manageable.
Once things are categorized, our P&L statement is clean and accurate.
Guideline plugs directly into QuickBooks. Team members set their contributions, and Launch Kit automatically matches 5%. It all runs on autopilot once it’s set up.
Our CPA has access to everything, so aside from staying on top of transaction tags, I don’t have to think about it.
If ClickUp is where the business lives, Notion is where my brain lives.
Separating business from personal has helped me find balance, and Notion gives me the space to capture ideas and stay organized on a more personal level.
It’s a simple system, but it’s changed the way I think and plan.
We use Google Workspace for everything:
If you’re still running your business off a personal @gmail.com, now’s the time to upgrade. It’s worth it for professionalism alone.
My favorite part of Google Drive:
Everything is shareable with a link. No downloads, no email attachments — just clean collaboration.
When I wrote all this out, I realized how much software is running quietly in the background at Launch Kit.
But here’s the thing — this is what it takes to build something that runs smoothly without you being in the middle of everything.
One of my favorite quotes from the book Great CEOs Are Lazy is:
“Elevate and delegate.”
That means building systems and processes that give you leverage — so you can get more done without working more hours.
If you’re not sure where to start? Start with Things 3. It’s the one tool that changed the game for me. I’ve got a full video tutorial that shows you how I use it. Go check it out now — it’s linked on our YouTube channel.
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