Best Online Tools For Freelancers
Easy-to-Use Online Tools for Freelancers
I have now worked with clients around the world as a freelancer for his 4 years, of which his 2 years have been full time. Here are the essential tools for freelancers (or at least working people like me)…
1. Tools To Get Paid:
This is really the first thing you should do.
Since I started my own business, I can accept payments in whatever form my clients want to pay.
The first thing I did was get a separate business checking account. I have mine through a local credit union. With it, you could accept cash or traditional checks from your customers and clients.
The bigger the company, the more likely it is that they want to "write the check" after sending the bill.
I also set up an account with PayPal (get a business account) and Wave Apps, where I also do my billing.
Both are free, PayPal allows you to accept payments from anyone in the world, Plus, it has a built-in billing tool.
Wave Apps is also free and has a built-in billing tool. This allows me to accept credit or debit cards from my clients. It will then be transferred to my bank account within 2 business days.
Between PayPal, Wave, and my business checking account, it's set up to accept payments, but my client wants to pay.
Best Online Tools For Freelancer
2. Tools for Communication/Collaboration:
Second, communication is essential. I use G Suite, which gives me a hosted Gmail account (for $5/month), tons of cloud storage space in Google Drive, and my most frequently used documents and spreadsheets.
Gmail is my default communication tool. In documents and spreadsheets, we often collaborate with clients while working with them, also using the commenting feature.
3. Tools To Track Time:
Third, track your time. The same is true for projects that are not billed by the hour. That way, you can track your profitability and effort.
We find that some clients spend more time with us than others. When I see that trend, I try to replace a client in need with a better client.
I use both Toggl and a free Chrome extension called Gmail Time Tracker for this.
What Online Tools Do Freelancers Really Need?
Toggl is a simple "on and off" timer. Gmail Time Tracker is made by a company I work with frequently and have great respect for.
It's fully automated and works in the background of your email. Track time spent reading and writing emails to individual clients.
4. Tools Of The Trade:
Finally, get the best trading tools you can. I'm a writer, so tools like:
Hemingway
Grammatically
Google Docs
Different tools are available depending on what you do as a freelancer. But my recommendation is to get the best you can. This is your work we are talking about.
For me, having the tools to get the job done faster, better, faster is worth it.
Hope it helps. Good luck freelance..
