If you want to quit your 9 – 5 job and start a career as a freelancer, you should make sure you know all about the freelancing tools listed in this article to help you grow your business. Despite millions of people globally being full-time freelancers. For a beginner, managing a freelancing career can be intimidating.
A freelancer wears a lot of hats, handling everything from bookkeeping and invoicing to time-tracking and project proposals. To make it easy for freelancers, luckily, there are several useful tools available out there to hang up a few of their hats, such as:
Communication Tools
Communication is considered the most important part of the freelancing business. Whether you are targeting a new client or closing a deal, staying in touch with your clients and partners is important. If you are bad in communication, your client will go dark or feel ghosted.
Take a look at our top picks when it comes to the best communication tools for freelancers:
Checc
Checc is useful to improve your communication with your clients. Its main claim to fame is its ability to track issues, update logs, and a shared calendar – everything you need to manage a project, all in one place. In addition, you don’t need to train your clients or team; this one is quite easy to use and has an excellent user-friendly interface.
On top of that, you can use this platform as your primary communication channel because it is always available. You don’t even have to download Checc; simply open your browser, sign up, and start a communication with your client.
Slack
Slack is one of the most popular communication tools used all around the world. It would be quite a challenge to find a company that is not using slack as an internal communication channel. Though you may not get much use out of it as a freelancer, you may find yourself added to your client’s slack channels every now and then.. It helps you organize your communication and provide a simple response – where a long email might be annoying or too bulky.
Voila Norbert
According to Ahrefs, Voila Norbert is one of the most accurate email finders available out there. Plus, this software also includes an email verification tool, allowing you to upload a bunch of emails and get results in no time. Whether you are building market connections or reaching potential recruits or influencers, Voila Norbert is for you.
Financial Tools
The main purpose of freelancing is to earn money. To earn money, it is essential you know how to maintain your finances: from receiving payments to managing your budgets to dealing with your taxes. To manage your finances effectively, there are some tools you can use, such as:
PayPal
As a freelancer, you’ll be dealing with people all around the globe, which means your clients need to transfer funds in your local bank account that will charge a lot of fees and will take a lot of time. To resolve this issue, we recommend selecting PayPal. PayPal is one of the most convenient ways to get paid. It is available in more than 200 countries and supports up to 25 different currencies.
In addition, this financial tool is quite secure and flexible: accepted as a valid payment method by several online merchants. Remember that PayPal charges some extra fees, but you can deduct these charges from your taxes as an expense of doing business.
Mint
If you feel you don’t know where your money is going, Mint is for you. Mint is considered the best budgeting application out there. It is easy to use and comprehensive. Plus, this app gathers your full financial information and accounts in one dashboard, making it easy to manage your finance.
Mint helps you track your investments, budget, and bills which allows you to analyze your complete financial picture. To use this more software effectively, we recommend implementing a system that includes a savings account, checking account, and separate business cards.
Gusto
If your freelancing business is up and rising, you probably need to adjust your accounting practices. For tax benefits, many freelancers try to develop their business as an S-Corp. This may save them several bucks, but it isn’t very easy in terms of payroll. To avoid these day-to-day financials, you can use a done-for-you financial tool, such as Gusto.
Cloud Storage Tools
There are several cloud storages tools available out there. These tools have made it easier to share, access, store and even work together on a file in real-time. Because of these handy features, cloud storage is a must-have tool for a freelancer who collaborates with contractors and clients from all around the globe.
Here are some of the best cloud storage tools available out there:
Google Drive
Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage software available out there. This one is popular because of how easy it is to use; all you have to do is create a Google account, and you are good to go. Google Drive also provides access to various Google products, such as Slides, Sheets, and Docs. It comes with a limited storage space of 15GB, along with several purchasing options. This tool allows you to sync your data from one device to another.
Spin Backup
Creating a back is always a good idea. If your work depends upon several google products, such as Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and more, you can use Spin Backup to back up your data offsite. Google data is already backed up, so why do you need a separate tool? Well, what if your account got hacked? This software protects your data in case hackers, or cybercriminals have compromised your original account.
Calendar Tools
One of the worst and best things about a freelancing business is that every single day is unique and different. There are no patterns, which is great for those who hate routine work but is not so ideal for those who are not self-disciplined enough to keep track of appointments and deadlines. To help you out with scheduling meetings and appointments, we suggest using the following calendar tools:
Calendly
If you are one of those people who hate finding a perfect meeting time that will suit both parties, Calendly is a perfect choice for you. Calendly makes this process quite simple – simply send your clients a scheduling link that includes multiple meeting options according to your availability.
This app allows you to schedule group or one-on-one meetings, integrating with iCloud, Office 365, Outlook, and Google Calendar, as well as some other apps like MailChimp, Slack, Zapier, and Salesforce.
Google Calendar
In terms of Calendar Management, Google Calendar is one of the best software available out there. Google Calendar offers multiple features, such as:
- Hyperlinking and rich formatting
- Input meeting details and location
- Alert before an appointment
In addition, you can also share your meeting times with your team members. This feature comes in handy if you are a virtual assistant for multiple clients; you can manage and view multiple calendars simultaneously.
Design Tools
As a freelancer who offers marketing services, you need to know the basics about graphic designing, even if it’s your forte! There are hundreds of affordable and free tools available out there that a freelancer can use to create unique visual content, such as:
Adobe Creative Cloud
When it comes to creativity, Adobe Creative Cloud is the most popular subscription service. This service provides you complete access to Adobe’s design tools, such as InDesign, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Acrobat, Illustrator, and Photoshop. You can select a specific plan according to your needs and save a lot of money.
Canva
If you are just starting a career as a freelancer and don’t want to buy Adobe Creative Cloud, you can go with Canva. This platform has become so famous in the creative designing world, even without a background in creative graphic design. It is easy to use, has professional layouts and drag and drop feature to create consistently stunning graphics.
Legal Paperwork and Contracting Tool
No matter what type of business you have, it’s always good to have legal paperwork and contracts. Several freelancers start working without proper terms and agreements or a contract. As a result, often, they end up in an endless cycle of revisions or lose their money. A written agreement represents you as an expert and professional, as well as protects your interests.
here are our top legal paperwork and contracting tools for freelancers,
Bonsai
Bonsai is an invoicing and contract creation software that makes it convenient for freelancers to draw, create, review and e-sign legal contracts when you and your clients are ready. It is less confusing and easier than creating a separate contract.
LegalZoom
Hiring an attorney for your business who knows local and business law is the best decision. However, you can also get templates of legal documents to create your own legal contract. To get templates of legal documents, we recommend getting a subscription to LegalZoom. This platform offers a library of legal documents for only $8 per month, which is quite affordable.
Final Verdict
Quitting your 9 – 5 job is quite intimidating, but starting a career as a freelancer is quite rewarding. This business has an unlimited number of clients and lets you grow both professionally and personally. However, to be a successful freelancer, you need some external tools for a smooth working experience. We hope the above guide helps you in your journey and your business thrive. Good Luck!
