The Jackal's Toolkit — Best UK Business Tools
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Categories
| Category | What’s here |
|---|---|
| Tools | Software stack + desk overview — this page |
| Desk hardware | Hub, stand, webcam, headphones |
| Filing kit | Folders, labels, scanner |
Desk kit (Amazon UK)
This is the desk kit the rest of Jackals refers to. Buy software subscriptions directly from the vendor's own site, where the plans and cancellation terms are clearest.
| Item | Why | Search |
|---|---|---|
| A5 hardcover notebook | Discovery notes, not Slack archaeology | A5 dotted notebook. Several versions are sold, so compare sizes and finishes before choosing. |
| Noise-cancelling headphones | Deep work blocks | Headphones |
| USB-C hub | Client site days, one dongle | USB-C hub |
| Laptop stand | Height without a new desk | Laptop stand |
| Portable document scanner | Receipts for bookkeeping | Document scanner |
| A4 lever arch file | Paper backup for invoices | Lever arch file |
| Label maker | Tabs for tax year piles | Label maker |
| 1080p webcam | Calls that do not look like 2014 | Webcam |
| Analogue timer | Focus blocks without a phone | Kitchen timer |
| A4 presentation folder | When a client still wants paper | Presentation folder |
Accounting Software
FreeAgent ⭐ Good default for sole traders
Pricing: Monthly subscription, but included free with some business bank accounts, including NatWest, RBS and Mettle; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: UK sole traders and small limited companies
The best UK-specific accounting software. Built for British tax rules from the ground up. Handles Self Assessment, Corporation Tax estimates, VAT returns, CIS, payroll, and bank reconciliation. The tax timeline shows you exactly what you owe and when.
Strengths: Automatic bank feeds, intuitive invoicing, excellent Self Assessment filing, beautiful dashboard
Weaknesses: Not ideal for businesses with complex inventory or multiple currencies
MTD compatible: Yes
Business notebooks if you still think on paper.
Xero
Pricing: Tiered monthly plans from a basic starter plan upwards; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Growing businesses, multi-currency, larger teams
The heavyweight. Xero does everything — invoicing, expenses, payroll, inventory, project tracking, purchase orders, multi-currency, and 1,000+ app integrations. It's not cheap, but for businesses with complexity, it's the platform to be on.
Strengths: Enormous app marketplace, excellent multi-currency support, scales well
Weaknesses: Can feel overwhelming for simple businesses, UK tax features are less intuitive than FreeAgent's
MTD compatible: Yes
QuickBooks
Pricing: Tiered monthly plans, with frequent introductory discounts; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Simple invoicing and expense tracking
Solid, no-frills accounting. Good for businesses that need basic bookkeeping, invoicing, and expense tracking without the complexity of Xero. The mobile app is particularly good.
Strengths: Clean interface, good mobile experience, competitive pricing
Weaknesses: Less powerful than Xero for complex needs, fewer UK-specific features than FreeAgent
MTD compatible: Yes
Business Banking
Starling Business ⭐ Good default for banking
Pricing: No monthly fee on the standard sole trader and limited company accounts, according to Starling; optional paid add-ons
Best for: Overall best UK business bank account
Instant notifications, free UK transfers, excellent app, and direct feeds into FreeAgent, Xero and QuickBooks. It holds a UK banking licence, so deposits are FSCS-protected up to £120,000. Savings Spaces let you ring-fence money for tax. No monthly fees for basic accounts.
Euro and USD accounts available for international businesses.
Tide
Pricing: Free basic plan plus paid plans with extra features such as cashback and more free transfers; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Invoice management and sole traders
Tide's invoicing features are built directly into the banking app — create, send, and track invoices without separate software. The free account is genuinely free, with charges only on specific transactions.
Monzo Business
Pricing: Free basic plan and a paid plan with tax pots and accounting integrations; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Familiar interface, tax pots
If you already use Monzo personally, the business account feels like home. The tax pot automatically sweeps a percentage of incoming payments into a ring-fenced tax pot. Simple and effective.
Revolut Business
Pricing: Free basic plan and paid plans aimed at larger teams and heavier multi-currency use; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: International payments and multi-currency
If you invoice in multiple currencies or make international transfers frequently, Revolut offers the best exchange rates and lowest international fees. Less polished for domestic-only businesses.
Invoicing
If your accounting software handles invoicing (FreeAgent, Xero, and QuickBooks all do), you don't need a separate tool. If you want something standalone:
Tide (built-in)
Free with Tide business account. Create and send invoices, track payment status, send automatic reminders.
Invoice Ninja
Pricing: Free if you host it yourself; paid hosted plans otherwise; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Open-source invoicing with surprisingly powerful features — recurring invoices, time tracking, expense management, and client portals.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
HubSpot Free CRM ⭐ Good default for client tracking
Pricing: The core CRM is free; paid tiers add automation and reporting; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Most small businesses
The free tier is genuinely generous — unlimited contacts, deal pipeline, email tracking, meeting scheduling, and basic reporting. You'll only need to upgrade when you want marketing automation or advanced sales tools.
Pipedrive
Pricing: Paid monthly plans per user, with a free trial; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Sales-focused businesses
If your business lives and dies on deals in the pipeline, Pipedrive's visual deal board is excellent. More focused than HubSpot, less cluttered, and purpose-built for sales tracking.
Legal and Contracts
Docusign
Pricing: Personal and business plans, priced per user; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Electronic signatures
The industry standard for e-signatures. Send contracts, get them signed, store them securely. Legally binding in the UK under the Electronic Communications Act 2000.
Rocket Lawyer UK
Pricing: Monthly membership that includes document templates and some legal questions; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: DIY legal documents
Templates for employment contracts, NDAs, terms and conditions, shareholder agreements, and more — all reviewed by UK solicitors. Cheaper than a solicitor for standard documents, but consult a professional for anything complex.
Simply-Docs
Pricing: Pay per document or buy an annual subscription for full access; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Document templates on a budget
A vast library of UK-legal document templates. Less polish than Rocket Lawyer, but significantly cheaper for businesses that need occasional documents rather than ongoing legal support.
Productivity and Communication
Slack
Pricing: Free plan with limited message history, then paid per-user plans; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Team communication
The default for business messaging. Channels, threads, integrations with almost everything. The free tier limits message history — upgrade to Pro if you need searchable archives.
Notion
Pricing: Free personal plan, then paid per-user plans for teams; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Documentation, wikis, project notes
Endlessly flexible — notes, databases, projects, wikis, meeting notes. Use it for your business operating manual, client notes, or project management. The learning curve is worth the investment.
Google Workspace
Pricing: Per-user monthly plans, cheaper on annual billing; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Professional email + collaboration
Gmail on your domain ([email protected]), Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Meet, Calendar — all in one package. The professional email alone justifies the cost.
Website and Online Presence
Squarespace
Pricing: Monthly or annual website plans, with e-commerce on higher tiers; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Beautiful sites with minimal effort
The best website builder for non-technical users who care about design. Templates are stunning, hosting is included, and the editor is genuinely intuitive.
Shopify
Pricing: Monthly plans plus card-processing fees on each sale; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: E-commerce
- Document scanner app alternatives / portable scanner
- USB-C hub for laptop
- Business notebooks & planners on Amazon UK
If you're selling physical products, Shopify is the platform. UK payment processing built in (Shopify Payments), inventory management, shipping integrations, and a massive app ecosystem.
Carrd
Pricing: Free for basic pages; a low-cost annual Pro plan adds custom domains and forms; check the current price on the provider's UK site, as it changes
Best for: Simple one-page sites
If you just need a landing page — a clean, professional single-pager with your services, contact details, and maybe a booking link — Carrd does it for £19 a year. Remarkable value.
The Honest Assessment
You don't need all of these. A typical UK small business needs:
- Accounting: FreeAgent or Xero
- Banking: Starling or Tide
- Email: Google Workspace
- CRM: HubSpot Free (if you have clients to manage)
- Website: Squarespace or Carrd
Several of these have free tiers, and FreeAgent is free with some business bank accounts, so a sole trader can often run this stack for the cost of email and a domain. Add the rest only when a real task demands it.
Tool notes are based on published features and pricing models, not hands-on testing, and prices are left off because they change often. Prefer official SaaS sites for software subscriptions (Xero, FreeAgent, etc.).