Cost-Saving Tips for Solo and Firm Owners

As the owner of a search firm, I understand how quickly expenses can add up with all the latest sales tools, prospecting resources, and CRM or ATS systems coming out. Here are a couple of valuable resources that could help you save some money.

1. AppSumo
AppSumo is a fantastic platform for startups and emerging companies looking to showcase their software. Most of the offerings are lifetime deals, meaning you pay a one-time fee and gain permanent access to the software.

One of the best features is their 60-day money-back guarantee—if you’re not satisfied after 59 days, you can get a full refund, no questions asked.

Here are some successful purchases I’ve made:
ChatScribePro: Converts audio files to text effortlessly.
Kanbox: LinkedIn automation tool.
Sociamonial: A social media management tool for scheduling posts across LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and more.

A couple of tools that were decent but require improvement:
useArtemis and Cloudora: Both function as CRM campaign tools, with Cloudora offering decent sourcing features, including search filters and company org charts. They also provide email and phone lookups, generating around 6000 results each.

A big disappointment:
ClickReach: I expected this CRM/email campaign tool to perform like UpTicks (which I love), but it hasn’t seen any updates since my purchase, leaving it a total dud.

2. TypingMind
TypingMind allows you to access multiple LLMs (Large Language Models) like Chat (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), and Gemini (Google) at a pay-as-you-go rate using API keys. I put $10 each on all three two months ago and had to add another $10 to OpenAI, but I still have funds left for the other two. Everything you can do on the LLM websites or apps is available on TypingMind. If you’re passionate about AI and prompts but want to avoid hefty subscription fees, I highly recommend it.

So there you have it—some tips to help you save a bit of money for that well-deserved treat until your next commission check rolls in. Feel free to reach out or connect with me on LinkedIn at in/thomasalascio.

Keep smiling and dialing!