10 Must-Have Tools for Every Freelancer
As the gig economy continues to grow in popularity, more and more businesses and other professionals are searching for freelancers to assist them with their respective projects. It is possible to have a wide range of demand expertise, ranging from content writing to developing websites from the ground up.
However, in addition to delivering high-quality work on time, freelancers must demonstrate their ability to manage their time by completing assignments on schedule. Without proper documentation, it can be harmful to your reputation and raise the likelihood of losing clients to competitors.
One strategy to deal with this issue is to employ tools to assist you in managing your workload. For those looking for essential tools for independent contractors, you’ve come to the correct place.
This post will discuss ways for increasing productivity, managing funds, communicating with others, project managing, and designing. Learn more about them by continuing to read this article.
Productivity Tools
Independent contractors can save time and money by using productivity tools to organize and manage their work more efficiently. In the same way that WordPress hosting services are tailored to meet the needs of WordPress users, productivity tools are focused on assisting you in becoming more productive in your profession.
1. Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a time management tool that helps freelancers organize their time and arrange their jobs. It assists in the creation of appointments, tasks, and reminders.
Intuitive and simple to use, this tool provides intelligent suggestions for event titles, participants, and locations. When scheduling a meeting with a client, you can enter the meeting location, and it will instantly sync with Google Maps on your computer.
Also feasible are noted, attachments of papers and the incorporation of hyperlinks to ensure that the invitee is fully informed about an event.
Another effective habit is time blocking, which is the act of physically reserving a period on the calendar for a specific job. Freelancers can use this method to remain on top of their job and know what they can expect daily. Furthermore, users can choose from a variety of views, ranging from daily to weekly to monthly.
2. Toggl
Toggle is a time-tracking program designed to assist freelancers in determining how long projects take to complete.
It keeps track of the hours worked and converts them into invoice-ready data, allowing you to save time on producing invoices for your clients. In addition, you have the option of filtering and sorting the information you want to share. Additionally, the files are available in either.CSV or.PDF format.
This utility is available on all of your devices and will sync with them all automatically! You can track time using a browser extension, a desktop, a web browser, or a mobile application. As an added convenience, you may start the timer directly from integrated applications such as Google Docs, GitHub, and Visual Studio.
Instruments de gestion financière
Aside from handling invoicing and billing, financial tools can also help you reach a wider audience by offering a variety of currency possibilities. The following are two financial instruments that every freelancer should have.
3. PayPal
PayPal is a well-known online payment mechanism that is ideal for independent contractors. It has partnered with well-known freelance markets such as Upwork, Fiverr, and 99designs to provide its services.
Additionally, because PayPal is accepted in over 200 marketplaces around the world, freelancers can promote their work to a global audience as well.
This service is also adaptable, as it offers over 100 currencies in more than 200 countries, making it a versatile option. Customers who do not have a PayPal account can make payments using debit or credit cards, as well as regional payment options.
This mode of payment also assists in increasing sales. A business that accepts PayPal has a 54 percent higher chance of attracting customers, and 59 percent of PayPal users have abandoned a transaction because the payment method wasn’t available.
4. FreshBooks
FreshBooks is accounting software that makes it easy to invoice and receive payments. In addition, it provides services such as automated payment reminders and recurring invoicing.
When dealing with customer-related matters such as proposals, estimates, and client account statements, the interface is straightforward. It also has a time-tracking feature to guarantee that billing is accurate.
FreshBooks interacts with over 100 third-party applications to help you automate your job. For example, you can sync Shopify clients and orders with QuickBooks Online to ensure that all accounting activities are recorded in a single location.
This service can also assist with tax preparation. This software keeps track of all of your payments, mileage, and expenses all year long so that you can spend more time accomplishing jobs and less time calculating taxes.
Tools for Project Management
Project management tools may help you with everything from time management to communication. Here are some solutions to consider to make your job more efficient.
5. Trello
Trello is a project management software that has features that are straightforward to use. It is organized with the use of a Kanban-style system that looks like a whiteboard with movable post-it cards.
Trello allows users to create several boards for different tasks, which is beneficial if you are working on multiple projects at the same time. A fantastic suggestion is to color-code each board to make it easier to distinguish between different projects.
Users can also add members to projects and assign them tasks through the project management system. They can then cross tasks off of their lists as they are accomplished. Users will be able to collaborate more effectively and streamline the process as a result.
Members can also upload files from their desktops or cloud-based services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
Also included in Trello is a filter option, which may be used to identify cards more quickly based on their due dates, their members, or their labels.
6. Asana
Asana is a project management software that allows you to plan, organize, and manage work with teams in one place. Users can collaborate on tasks, allowing users to communicate feedback, files, and status updates with one another.
It includes a progress monitoring tool that allows you to see updates and reports in real-time. As a result, you can deal with any issues that arise before they spiral out of hand.
Additionally, the UI is excellent for streamlining communication. It keeps track of all of your communications with coworkers, clients, and vendors in a single spot.
It is also feasible to work on several projects at the same time. You can build several distinct projects and invite other teams to work on them one at a time as needed. It is therefore appropriate for independent contractors who are active in several different projects at the same time.
Communication Tools
Google Meet and Twist, among other communication tools, can help you better connect with your clients and team members. This section will go through their features in detail so that you can determine which program is the best fit for you.
7. Google Meet
Google Meet is an audio and video conferencing service that allows users to hold real-time meetings through a web browser or a mobile application on their mobile device. Customers and colleagues can view and hear your video presentations as well as your computer’s desktop and presentation.
The fact that it is a part of the Google Workspace suite means that it interfaces with other Google applications such as Slides and Docs, making it simple to collaborate on papers and presentations.
Meetings are also integrated with real-time messaging, which allows participants to share files, links, and other information.
Anyone with a Google Account can host an online meeting with up to 100 people for free, with each meeting having a one-hour duration limit per participant. Having said that, you are free to hold as many meetings as you want to make up for the time restriction.
8. Twist
A twist is a communication tool designed to make it easier for distant professionals to interact effectively. It places a high value on maintaining a well-organized and distraction-free atmosphere so that team members can access and share information with ease.
Using threads, the software keeps conversations sorted by topic so that they may be accessed at a later time — whether it’s hours, days, or even weeks – without having to start over from the beginning.
If you’re working with a large group, this is especially valuable because there can be hundreds of conversations taking place at the same time, and it’s easy for important information to get missed.
Twist eliminates the need for online/offline indications, allowing employees to work without feeling obligated to stay connected all day and reply instantly. Instead, you can concentrate on your work and provide a report later.
Integrations can also be used to enhance the functionality of the system. It integrates with a variety of programs, including Asana, Google Calendar, and Trello.
Tools for the Design Process
To succeed as a freelancer, they require tools to assist them in creating designs for proposals, social media postings, and PowerPoint presentations. Let’s look into the resources that can assist.
9. Canva
Canva is one of the most versatile design tools available to independent contractors. It provides templates for a wide range of uses, ranging from presentations to social media platforms. In addition, each template is precisely scaled to fit its intended use.
Freelancers can also work in teams with other people. Invite clients to make edits, or set up a system for your entire staff to provide comments and receive approvals.
Text, backgrounds, and elements are all included in the editor’s built-in elements library. However, it also provides the option to submit your photographs, allowing you to create a truly unique design.
The style element is another distinguishing aspect. You can use it to quickly switch various color schemes to see which one works best for your design project. Additionally, you can choose from over a dozen other font combinations to complete the appearance.
Using this application, you may export images in a variety of formats, including.png, pdf,.jpg, and.gif, which can be beneficial for a variety of purposes.
10. Adobe InDesign
Page layouts for print and digital media can be created using Adobe InDesign, which is a design software package developed by Adobe. It includes tools for creating and publishing books, digital magazines, eBooks, posters, and interactive PDFs, among other types of content.
Additionally, the software includes graphic designs, fonts, and photography from Adobe Stock to assist users in creating visually appealing presentations.
Beyond that, Adobe InDesign is designed to be used in a collaborative environment. InDesign allows you to publish designs on the web and manage feedback all from within the program. Reviewers can pick text for commenting, replace text, and highlight and strikethrough text.
The software also connects with Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Experience Manager, allowing users to easily share information, fonts, and images across several projects and platforms.
Conclusion
As a freelancer, it is critical to meet deadlines while producing high-quality work. In any other case, these blunders might be damaging to your professional reputation.
A quick rundown of ten must-have tools that can help you streamline your work is below:
Google Calendar is a web-based calendaring service. A time management and project scheduling application that helps you get more done in less time.
Toggle. A time-tracking tool that assists with the conversion of reports into invoices.
PayPal. An online payment system that integrates with prominent freelancing markets and other third-party applications.
FreshBooks. Accounting software is used to expedite the payment process.
Trello. Individuals and teams can benefit from this user-friendly project management application.
Asana. An all-in-one project management software for planning, managing, and collaborating on projects of any size or complexity.
Google Meetup is a gathering of Google employees. An audio and video conferencing service that allows users to participate in real-time online meetings.
Twist. A communication tool for remote cooperation that allows for real-time conversation.
