I\’ve been building things on the internet since 1995. Websites, ebooks, podcasts, courses, apps — you name it, I\’ve probably shipped it. But this latest project is different. It\’s not something I\’m selling. It\’s something I\’m giving away. At least for early users.
Over the past few months, I\’ve been quietly building GrowingProfits.com — a collection of free business calculators and AI-powered tools for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and anyone trying to make smarter money decisions. No sign-up. No paywall. No \”enter your email to see your results.\” Just tools that work.
As of today, there are 49 of them. Here\’s why I built them, and which ones I think you\’ll find most useful.
The Problem With Most \”Free\” Tools
You\’ve seen the pattern. You Google \”profit margin calculator,\” land on some site, plug in your numbers, and then — surprise — they want your email before showing results. Or the tool is so basic it\’s useless. Or it\’s really just a lead magnet disguised as a calculator.
I wanted something better. Tools that actually help you think through real business decisions, with enough depth to be genuinely useful, and zero friction to use them.
The Tools I Wish I Had When I Started
When I launched WorldVillage.com thirty years ago, I was figuring everything out by trial and error. Pricing? I guessed. Break-even point? No idea. Whether my margins were healthy? Couldn\’t tell you. I made it work through persistence, but I made a lot of expensive mistakes that simple math could have prevented.
That\’s the gap GrowingProfits fills. Here are the tools I use most and recommend to anyone building a business:
Side Hustle Evaluator — Before you invest time and money into an idea, this scores it across multiple dimensions so you can see if it\’s worth pursuing. I wish someone had forced me to do this exercise before a few of my less successful ventures.
Break-Even Calculator — Tells you exactly how many units you need to sell or how much revenue you need before you stop losing money. This is the number every business owner should know and most don\’t.
Profit Margin Calculator — Shows you gross, net, and operating margins side by side. If you\’re confusing gross margin with actual profit — and a lot of people do — this will be an eye-opener.
Freelancer Rate Calculator — If you freelance or consult, this helps you figure out what to charge based on your expenses, desired income, and billable hours. Most freelancers undercharge. This tool shows you by how much.
AI-Powered Tools That Do the Thinking For You
Four of the tools on GrowingProfits are powered by AI, and they\’re some of the most popular:
Business Plan Generator — Describe your business idea and get a structured one-page business plan in seconds. It\’s not going to replace a 40-page investor deck, but it gives you a clear starting framework that\’s better than a blank page.
Business Name Generator — Tell it your industry and vibe, and it brainstorms names for you. I\’ve seen people spend weeks stuck on naming. This gets you unstuck in minutes.
Elevator Pitch Writer — Helps you articulate what your business does in a way that actually lands. If you can\’t explain it in 30 seconds, this tool will help you get there.
Cold Email Writer — Generates outreach emails that sound human, not spammy. Useful for sales, partnerships, or pitching yourself for opportunities.
For the Investors and Retirement Planners
I\’ve spent the last few years building an investment portfolio. That process taught me a lot about evaluating numbers, which led me to build tools for personal finance and investing too:
Compound Interest Visualizer — The most powerful force in finance, visualized. Seeing the hockey stick curve with your own numbers is more motivating than any article about compound interest.
FIRE Calculator — For anyone dreaming about early retirement, this shows you exactly what it takes based on your savings rate, current investments, and spending.
Rent vs Buy Calculator — The honest math behind this decision, including the costs people forget when buying and the investment returns people forget when renting.
Social Security Estimator — Shows your estimated benefits at ages 62, 67, and 70, with break-even analysis so you can see when delaying actually pays off.
Why Free?
GrowingProfits is supported by advertising, and if the tools drive enough traffic, that model works fine. But the real motivation is simpler: I like building things that help people, and I\’ve learned that the best way to build an audience is to give genuine value first.
I\’m also not done. The roadmap goes to 99 tools, each paired with a deep-dive article explaining the concepts behind the calculator. Think of it as a free MBA in practical business math, one tool at a time.
Go Play With the Tools
Head over to GrowingProfits.com and poke around. Every tool works instantly — no account needed. If you find one that saves you time or helps you think through a decision, that\’s exactly why I built it.
And if you have an idea for a tool I haven\’t built yet, hit me up. I\’m listening.