Freelancing comes with many benefits, which to many, makes it a very interesting and appealing career prospect. However, it often means working long hours because of the added administration tasks that are usually outside of your professional remit. The use of a computer usually allows you to automate many of the mundane tasks that eat in to your time and with the increase in online tools designed to attract the professional, we have become inundated with options. It helps to know which tools will help you save the most time and money and are easy to set up and use with minimal time and effort. Each of these tools applies itself to making your day-to-day tasks easier to accommodate.
Here are some of the best tools available and the ones that many freelancers will use on a daily basis:
EFax
This is a great email-to-fax tool that saves having to write a fax, print it out and then wait while your fax machine to send it through to your corporate dinosaur clients who insist on signing work off in hardcopy format. Instead, just fax straight from your email.
SiteKreator
If you need a website, but have no idea about coding and don't want to pay someone to create an online presence, SiteKreator allows you to customise hundreds of designs to create a bespoke website that is a professional work of art. Adding text and graphics is easy and it saves you the time of getting to grips with the most popular ways of handling your online content such as ftp or WordPress.
GoToMeeting
This handy conferencing software allows you to set up virtual meetings, webinars or training sessions with clients or potential customers. Now you can showcase your freelancing skills to numerous customers from the comfort of your office without the need to create elaborate seminars. This is ideal for developers who would usually need to visit clients on-site for training days.
ProjectStat.us
This is one of the best tools for collaboration across multiple teams and with numerous freelancers. The online project management software provides information to stakeholders and project teams at every stage of the operation and it even offers time monitoring for billing purposes. This software removes the need for project meetings and minimised contact as much of the information is shared through the suite of online tools.
QuickBooks Online
This accounting software is a one-stop shop for freelancers through to SMEs with payroll requirements. QuickBooks Online offers several levels of accounting so freelancers never pay for anything unnecessary and the real-time updating of accounts enables you to know instantly the status of your business. Many of the hours we spend outside of our remit is on invoicing and this is why QuickBooks Online is worth every penny especially as it is cheaper than a traditional accountant.
StayFocusd
If your work demands you spend a lot of time using the Internet, you can use a Chrome browser plugin called Stayfocusd to limit the amount of time you can spend on distracting sites each day. You can set up your own list and the amount of time you allow yourself for some personal surfing. This plugin undoubtedly increases productivity when distraction is your worst enemy.
LastPass
LastPass is a secure password storage and form filler that has plugins for all of the most popular browsers. Admittedly, those of us who use Google Sync already have this built in, but it is helpful when you don't want to sync work data with your personal profile and of course, you can use it with all browsers not just chrome. This is an amazing tool for web developers who will test their coding in multiple browsers.
About The Author: JonJon Yeung is a freelance writer where he provides great tips for small businesses.
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If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.
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Until my next post on Monday on how Facebook and Twitter can help you reach your target audience, have a wonderful and relaxing weekend!
© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.
Here are some of the best tools available and the ones that many freelancers will use on a daily basis:
EFax
This is a great email-to-fax tool that saves having to write a fax, print it out and then wait while your fax machine to send it through to your corporate dinosaur clients who insist on signing work off in hardcopy format. Instead, just fax straight from your email.
SiteKreator
If you need a website, but have no idea about coding and don't want to pay someone to create an online presence, SiteKreator allows you to customise hundreds of designs to create a bespoke website that is a professional work of art. Adding text and graphics is easy and it saves you the time of getting to grips with the most popular ways of handling your online content such as ftp or WordPress.
GoToMeeting
This handy conferencing software allows you to set up virtual meetings, webinars or training sessions with clients or potential customers. Now you can showcase your freelancing skills to numerous customers from the comfort of your office without the need to create elaborate seminars. This is ideal for developers who would usually need to visit clients on-site for training days.
ProjectStat.us
This is one of the best tools for collaboration across multiple teams and with numerous freelancers. The online project management software provides information to stakeholders and project teams at every stage of the operation and it even offers time monitoring for billing purposes. This software removes the need for project meetings and minimised contact as much of the information is shared through the suite of online tools.
QuickBooks Online
This accounting software is a one-stop shop for freelancers through to SMEs with payroll requirements. QuickBooks Online offers several levels of accounting so freelancers never pay for anything unnecessary and the real-time updating of accounts enables you to know instantly the status of your business. Many of the hours we spend outside of our remit is on invoicing and this is why QuickBooks Online is worth every penny especially as it is cheaper than a traditional accountant.
StayFocusd
If your work demands you spend a lot of time using the Internet, you can use a Chrome browser plugin called Stayfocusd to limit the amount of time you can spend on distracting sites each day. You can set up your own list and the amount of time you allow yourself for some personal surfing. This plugin undoubtedly increases productivity when distraction is your worst enemy.
LastPass
LastPass is a secure password storage and form filler that has plugins for all of the most popular browsers. Admittedly, those of us who use Google Sync already have this built in, but it is helpful when you don't want to sync work data with your personal profile and of course, you can use it with all browsers not just chrome. This is an amazing tool for web developers who will test their coding in multiple browsers.
About The Author: JonJon Yeung is a freelance writer where he provides great tips for small businesses.
Did you find this article helpful? Please let JonJon and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.
Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.
As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog
You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
https://plus.google.com/104849975941505117776
Until my next post on Monday on how Facebook and Twitter can help you reach your target audience, have a wonderful and relaxing weekend!
© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.
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