Top Tech Tools for Your Freelance Business
Published: 2021-03-23 21:44:17

<p><a href="https://weareindy.com">Indy</a> Keeping a healthy and productive freelance business running is a challenge, even if your overall reputation and services are well-established. Freelancing requires top-tier time management, networking, and communication skills that aren&rsquo;t necessary for a traditional job. Instead of trying to do everything the traditional way, you can take advantage of apps and other technology to make most tasks easier.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Your needs will vary depending on where and how you do the bulk of your freelancing and if you need access to templates for proposals, contracts, and invoices. Indy is a hub for all your freelancing needs, whether you&rsquo;re posting your profile to look for work or using a PayPal calculator to determine how much to charge your clients.</p>
<p><br />If you&rsquo;re frequently on the move, you may need even more tech than what&rsquo;s listed here. Here are the top tech tools you can use to work more efficiently and streamline your client interactions.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />1. Productivity Plug-ins<br />Distractions abound, especially if you have to do a lot of your freelance work or communications online. Depending on what web browser you use, there are likely multiple plug-ins available to help block out social media, news websites, and other unnecessary distractions for a customizable period. Once the timer runs out, you can take a quick break and then get right back to work.</p>
<p><br />Firefox and Google Chrome both have multiple free plug-in options available, including Strict Workflow, BlockSite, and LeechBlock NG. The latest iPhone versions also include screen time limiting features, including options for blocking individual apps.</p>
<p><br />2. Canva<br />Depending on the type of freelancing you do and how you market your services, you will likely find yourself occasionally needing professional-looking banners and graphics for your social media profiles. Canva offers simple yet attractive templates for fitting text and images together for infographics, profile banners, charts, and much more.</p>
<p><br />Although Canva&rsquo;s best features require a paid subscription, they have a surprising amount available for free. The system is intuitive and includes some clip art shapes and images for you to use. They have a mobile app for even easier image creation.</p>
<p><br />3. TextExpander<br />If you work in a field with a lot of technical jargon or use the same phrases frequently, it&rsquo;s nice to have keyboard shortcuts to streamline your typing. TextExpander lets you use short text strings to automatically insert commonly-used phrases, sentences, and even multiple paragraphs of text.</p>
<p><br />The beauty of TextExpander is that it works with a huge range of applications, so you don&rsquo;t have to worry about using a different plugin for each app. Try their free trial to see how easy it is to use.</p>
<p><br />4. Oh, Don&rsquo;t Forget&hellip;<br />There are tons of reminder and calendar apps out there, but it&rsquo;s too easy to ignore push notifications from them. Oh, Don&rsquo;t Forget&hellip; sends you customized reminders via text message, which makes them much harder to ignore. You can also use it to send reminders to clients or collaborators as well.</p>
<p><br />There is a small fee of 1-3 cents per message sent, but it&rsquo;s well worth the peace of mind for important meetings with clients. Since it doesn&rsquo;t require a monthly subscription, it&rsquo;s great for freelancers who are generally well-organized but need an extra nudge for important events that fall at unusual times or require additional preparation.</p>
<p><br />5. Mobile Hotspot<br />Working from home, a library, or a coffee shop is an excellent idea for making your routine consistent. However, sometimes you need to work from someplace else, or your Wi-Fi router doesn&rsquo;t reach key corners of your home. A mobile hotspot is an excellent option for getting internet from almost anywhere using cellular 4G service, so you won&rsquo;t have to bother clients for their internet password or stay close to a building with free Wi-Fi.</p>
<p><br />These days, many smartphones include a mobile hotspot tethering option that allows your laptop to connect to the internet via your phone using USB or Bluetooth. However, both these options can drain your phone battery quickly. Your cellular provider likely has mobile Wi-Fi hotspots available for rent for a small monthly fee, and they&rsquo;re just as fast as your cellular connection.</p>
<p><br />6. Indy<br />Indy is a leading contract, invoice, and payment management system specifically designed for freelancers. Instead of juggling different documents across multiple platforms, you can keep everything in one place so you can serve your clients without missing any critical details.</p>
<p><br />Indy allows you to collect prospective clients&rsquo; information, store and share files, track your hours with a time card calculator, and much more.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Seizing Every Opportunity<br />Freelancing isn&rsquo;t a 9 to 5 job, and it requires some creativity and careful planning to make the most of your time. Familiarize yourself with tech tools to help you tackle any challenge your clients throw at you. You&rsquo;ll find that modern software and web apps are more powerful and intuitive than ever, with a minimal learning curve despite their full suite of functions.</p>
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