If you are wondering how to boost a freelancer daily work, keep reading, I have made a quick list of tools you don’t want to miss out!
As the freelancing trend continues to grow, more and more people are giving up their stable 9-to-5 jobs to become digital nomads. This is great news for those who have been itching to ditch office life and work on their own terms. If you’re thinking of becoming a freelancer, here is a useful list of tools that can make your new job much smoother. Working as a freelancer has its own pros and cons. On one hand, you get to set your own working hours and maintain complete control over your projects – but on the other hand, it’s much harder to find new clients and nail down consistent work (and pay). As most freelancers will tell you, it’s not so much about the money as it is about finding a happy medium between client work and networking that also makes financial sense in the long run. Here are some tools that can help you succeed in your new career:
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Sliced Invoices for WordPress
If your clients are based in the USA or are running their businesses in the USA, you’ll have to send them an invoice at the end of every month. This invoice should include all the information they need to get their payment to you in a timely manner. To avoid using a spreadsheet and creating an invoice manually, we recommend using a software designed specifically for creating and managing your invoices. Sliced Invoices for WordPress is a great option for freelancers because it offers a wide range of customization, including adding your logo and branding to the invoice itself. You can also add any information you want your clients to see, such as a breakdown of hours spent on each project. The invoice also features a tracking section, where you can add new tasks to your clients’ projects. Sliced Invoices is compatible with both Mac and PC, as it is a plugin you can install to your WordPress website and therefore runs on your browser (non need to install to your PC) . Once you’ve completed an invoice, you can send it directly from the software. You can also store all your clients’ information in the software, including their contact details and payment history, which can come in handy when you want to send a new invoice. Another great feature is the reminder system, which you can use to remind your clients when the invoice is due.
You can find Sliced Invoices at this URL: https://wordpress.org/plugins/sliced-invoices/
Time Tracking Software
When you’re working on projects for clients, it’s important to know how much time each project is taking so you can charge your clients accordingly. It’s also important to track your time so you can use that information to increase your rates as your skills and expertise grow. To track your time and see how much time each client project is taking, you can use software designed specifically for time tracking. Time tracking software works as a virtual stopwatch that keeps track of the time you spend on different tasks throughout your workday. Many freelancers like to use the Pomodoro Technique for time management. With this method, you break down your day into 25-minute blocks of focused work followed by a 5-minute break. The idea behind it is that allowing your brain a short break after 25 minutes will help you stay focused for longer periods of time. Time tracking software is great for freelancers looking to use the Pomodoro Technique, as it can track your work and provide you with a detailed break-down of how you spent your day.
You can find the Pomodoro timer at this URL: https://pomofocus.io/
Freelance Writing Tool
If you’re planning to become a content creator or a freelance writer, you can use a cloud-based tool like Grammarly to make editing and proofreading your articles simpler. Grammarly is a grammar correction software that can make your articles look more professional. It can also help you avoid plagiarism by highlighting sections that appear similar to other pieces of content. If you plan to write content for clients, you’ll also need to keep track of your hours spent writing. Instead of using a spreadsheet to track your hours, use a project management tool designed for freelancers to help you manage your time more effectively. You can also use these tools to accept payment for your work, send your articles to clients, and track your progress.
You can find Grammarly at this URL: https://www.grammarly.com/
Google Docs
If you’re a freelancer, you’re probably already familiar with this one. Google Docs is a great tool for all kinds of projects, whether you’re collaborating with your team or working on personal projects. If you’re collaborating with other people, you can invite them to edit the document by sharing it with them over email. You can also add comments to each section of the document and create separate tabs for each person working on the document. If you’re working on a solo project, you can use Google Docs to create a table of contents and then use the replace feature to replace all instances of one word with another word. For example, you can create a table of contents, replace all instances of “Introduction” with “Thesis,” and then replace “Thesis” with “Conclusion.” This will help you keep track of your writing progress. You can also use Google Docs as a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool. If you have multiple clients, you can create separate tabs for each client and track their progress in the same document. This will help you stay organized and on top of your daily tasks.
You can find Google Docs at this URL: https://docs.google.com/
Dropbox and Google Drive
Dropbox and Google Drive are great tools for freelancers, especially if you work on multiple devices. You can create a folder for each client and upload all their files in that folder, which allows you to access them from any device. This way, you won’t lose any files, even if your computer crashes or gets stolen. You can also use these tools to store your own files and documents. If you have multiple clients, you can add a label to each folder to quickly see which client the files are for. This can come in handy when you’re looking for a certain file. You can also use these tools to share files with clients, which can come in handy if you’re working with remote teams. You can create a shared folder for each client and invite them to view and add files to the folder. This way, everyone is on the same page and can see all the progress being made by the team members.
You can find Dropbox at this URL: https://www.dropbox.com/ and Google drive at this one: https://drive.google.com/
Skype and Zoom for Remote Meetings
If you’re meeting with your clients in person or on the phone, you can use the Skype chat feature to keep track of conversations. This way, you’ll have a record of the conversation and you can easily find that information when you need it again. If your clients are based in another city or country, you can use a video conferencing tool, such as Skype or Zoom, to meet with them remotely. This way, you can avoid costly and time-consuming travel, and clients will appreciate your efforts to save them time and money. If your clients are based in a different country, you can also use a translation tool, such as Google Translate, to help you understand their instructions better.
You can find Skype at this URL: https://www.skype.com/en/ and Zoom at this one: https://zoom.us/
Toggl for time-tracking and invoicing
If you work on hourly-based projects and charge your clients for your time, you can use a time-tracking tool to keep track of your hours. Toggl is one of the most popular time-tracking tools available. It has a free plan and a pro plan that costs $9 per month. The pro plan offers more features, such as goal tracking, project management, and more customization. You can use Toggl to track your hours and then create an invoice based on that information. It also has integrations with several other services, such as Zapier, Google Calendar, and many other software. This way, you can keep track of all your projects in one place.
The mentioned software does not promote, are not directly linked with, maintains, authorize, or sponsors this website. All company and product names are registered trademarks of their respective owners. The use of any trade name or trademark is solely for identification and reference reasons, and it implies no affiliation with the trademark proprietor of their product brand.
The reason these software are mentioned on my list is because I use them every day in my work and am quite satisfied. If you want to use them too you should try them first and see if they are good for you too. My suggestions are not for profit, (I am not affiliated with them) and should be taken for what they are, “suggestions”.
Digital Designer, blog writer and also a tech enthusiast.
He loves to write content for blogs, podcasts, design websites, logos, brochures, banners and anything that sends a message to an audience.
You can contact Daniele at the link below:
