There’s never been a better time to be a freelancer. The internet has made it possible to create visibility for yourself, get in contact with clients, and sustain a work life that is entirely under your own control. Many people dream of the day when they don’t have to report to a boss, and the lucrative life of a freelancer can make this dream a reality.
Still, for all the real glamour, freelancing is a lot of hard work. Working for yourself can be a dream, but in making that leap you also accept full responsibility for your financial fate. That’s a big commitment, and something that should be considered carefully before setting off to work for yourself. Many freelancers start freelancing as a side hustle in order to see if it’s a viable, sustainable way to support their life.
If you’re one of the many million who have decided to take the plunge, it’s important to make sure that you have the right tech tools at your disposal. With only yourself to report to, it’s important to have a streamlined workflow and the ability to manage all of the vital material related to your business.
Google Drive
Google Drive is ideal for freelancers. It’s a free service that allows you to compile all of your documents in one place, both the ones you create yourself and the ones that you receive from clients. Being a freelancer requires that you have an organized workspace—if you don’t have one, you’ll quickly feel overwhelmed and lose track of what you need to do. With Google Drive, all of the essential documents you need are available in one condensed space.
Google Drive also makes it easier to share files with other Gmail users. Most offices and businesses use Gmail as the base of their email operation, and exporting to other Google users is made simpler with Google Drive.
Rescue Time
Part of the beauty of freelancing is that you get to create your own hours. If you’re a morning person you don’t have to be in the office bright and early and can instead chose to work later. However, the downside of this is that the luxury of freedom makes it easy to lose track of time.
The goal of every freelancer is to work as efficiently as possible, because freelancers typically don’t get paid by the hour. Usually, pay is project based, and RescueTime keeps tracks of the hours you spend clicking around an HP ENVY laptop review or on a gaming forum instead of focusing on the work you need to get done. It’s a great way to keep yourself in check, and to ensure that you’re being as productive as possible.
Rocket Lawyer
When you’re a freelancer and your work is not being overseen by a larger structure, it’s important to make sure that your legal documents are all accounted for. That’s where Rocket Lawyer comes it. Just like every must-have service, a good lawyer is going to make sure that you don’t get taken advantage of. For those who haven’t gone to law school, navigating complicated legalese by yourself can lead to trouble, and with Rocket Lawyer you’re given access to consulting services which can end up saving you a lot of money and grief.
FreshBooks
For most people, accounting is dreadful. It’s a complicated mess of very important numbers that need to be sorted out—but how? If you don’t have a background in finance it can be difficult to ensure that you’re not skipping a step when organizing your finances. FreshBooks is a great software system that keeps track of invoices, billable hours, and helps with all other expense-tracking needs.
Trello
Wherever freelancers decide to work, the space often becomes a mess of yellow sticky notes and bits of paper reminding them that they need to do X, Y, and Z. Trello takes that mess, digitizes it, and organizes it. It creates a Pinterest-like whiteboard that allows you to organize your daily to-dos and long-term goals into a visual chart. It’s helpful for freelancers who want to make sure that they stay on top of their tasks and keep everything documented.
Using tech tools like these will turn a freelance operation that is unsustainable into a streamlined and lucrative process. If you decide to take the leap of faith and become your own boss, make sure you have the right tech to back you.
Posts by SpeakBindas Editorial Team.