For the sake of this post, information will be short and to the point. But a future post will be provided on my blog, discussing how to be successful as a freelancer.
Becoming a freelancer is something that many individuals who are interested in being an entrepreneur venture into because it allows for them to experience being their own boss. Unfortunately, for the many people who try to succeed at freelancing, only a very small percentage of people actually end up being successful. The reason for this small percentage of success is because people do not realize that freelancing requires you to treat yourself as an actual business. This is not just a hobby you get paid from doing. This is your livelihood which is effected by your work ethic and ability to keep your clients continuously happy. This means you have to have the proper tools and processes in place which enable you to be productive, grow and prosper.
Having the right tools as a freelancer is very important because disciplined time management, excellent documentation and great communication are the three criteria that separate successful freelancers from struggling freelancers.
If you are currently a freelancer or thinking about becoming a freelancer, let me give you a list of tools that will allow you to actually develop a business around your freelancing skill-sets.
Project Management: Evernote
Evernote is a great tool to have for all of the notes and information related to your project(s). When I am on the move and think of a great blog topic or am meeting with someone to discuss working with them, I can pull up this information management tool to jot down my ideas or keep track of important details from the conversation we are having. This allows for me to keep track of everything that is needed for me successfully complete the many initiatives within a project.
Time Management: Google Calendar
I'll admit it, as a freelance writer, I can be very bad with time management. And I hate feeling pressured because of the fact that I wasted my time away and the due date for a client's article or blog is the next day. I have begun to use Google Calendar so that I can stay on track by being constantly reminded that I have clients' work to complete. The constant reminder to do work is greatly needed when consistently trying to acquire more clients because you are fearful of going through a drought of no work. Even though you need to build up a good roster of clients, you must remember to complete the work of the existing clients that you have at the moment.
Proposals: Bidsketch
I am paid to write content for people . Writing great proposals for potential clients is a factor towards me acquiring a paying client but all proposals are not accepted. Many proposals may be rejected so that means I can't spend hours on proposals that are not guaranteed to produce a client. To cut down the time on proposal writing, I use this proposal template service because it allows for me to put together a great proposal, without me spending half my day working on the proposal. This allows for me to send out more proposals during the week, increasing my chances of securing more clients to work with.
Documentation: Docs.zone
As a freelancer, it is a must to have documentation that can easily be shared with a client no matter if they are a PC user or Mac user. PDF files are the universal files that deliver that needed compatibility, plus they cannot be altered without your consent. I have begun to use this online PDF converter so that I can share articles and agreements with clients, without them being tampered with and changed to say something completely different from what I have written.
Promotion: Mailchimp
When you are a freelancer, you have to keep your pipeline full or you starve. Having a great email system in place that gives you the ability to stay in contact with past clients and current clients allows for you to stay in their minds and be called upon when your services are needed. The sales process never ends so your communication with clients should be constant and effective.
The tools listed here are just a few amongst the many that can be used as a freelancer. Do a Google search about freelancing tools in order to become aware of all the great tools available to you, that will help you succeed as a freelancer.