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10+ Top Helpful Tools for Freelancers

by MyFreelancingLife
written by MyFreelancingLife

People choose to freelance for a number of reasons—but most often, it is because they desire freedom:

  • The freedom to do what they love and what they’re good at

  • The freedom to work with the clients they choose

  • The freedom to work at their own pace and schedule

Freelancing, on the other hand, is not a bed of roses. Those who operate as freelancers are responsible for managing their own finances (including taxes), finding and closing their own projects (since their income is dependent on having enough work), and prioritizing their time appropriately. Being a successful freelancer, you must wear multiple hats. This can entail recruiting and managing others.

Today’s employment includes a growing number of freelancers. According to an Upwork estimate from 2018, 56.7 million Americans worked as independent contractors. About one-third of the workforce is represented by this group. Fortunately,   the industry has responded by offering powerful tools that freelancers can utilize to increase their productivity.

Most of our top recommendations for the finest tools for freelancers integrate with other well-known tools for freelancers, understanding the value of information available regardless of the tool you are currently using.

1. Google Calendar

Many consumers purchase a variety of Apple goods in order to take advantage of the seamless syncing between them. Google Calendar is the gold standard for calendar management for freelancers, especially now that they’ve released new features focused on business use cases, as most people have a Google account.

Google Calendar:

  • Alerts you before your appointment (you can choose how many minutes before)

  • Allows you to input the location and other relevant details of your meeting

  • Allows for rich formatting and hyperlinking so that you can share notes and presentations before the meeting

It is possible to view and manage many calendars simultaneously if you work as a virtual assistant for many clients using Google Calendar events that are shared with other team members.

2. Dropbox

Dropbox is a cloud storage software that is free to use with a set storage limit. You can invite more people to use Dropbox and install it on numerous devices to get more monthly storage space. You can also exchange files with your buddies. Depending on your specific requirements, you may also want to invest in more storage capacity.

Dropbox may be used on your computer as well as within its apps. By doing this, your online files will be immediately synced to your computer, allowing you to access them from anywhere.

3. Boomerang

When it comes to email management, Boomerang is a lifesaver. This program’s key selling point is its capacity to send emails at the most optimal times of the day. Weekends can be productive, but you don’t want your customers to expect a response from you in your “free” time. Instead, use Boomerang to write pending responses and send them at a later time.

As an added bonus, Boomerang lets you know if your emails have been opened, read, or clicked on while also setting up follow-ups that are automated. Boomerang has both free and premium versions, so you may choose what works best for you.

4. LegalZoom

When it comes to generating legal documents, engaging an attorney who is familiar with both your business and the local regulations is preferable than starting from scratch with free legal document templates (or bronze, perhaps).

LegalZoom charges $7.99/month for access to a template library. For an additional $31.25 each month, you can get attorney support, which comes in handy if you run into problems filling out LegalZoom’s templates. If your firm is brand new, LegalZoom can also assist with the creation of your company (and serve as your registered agent).

5. Canva

Canva is an easy-to-use graphic design tool that allows you to quickly create stunning designs. The best part about this program is that it doesn’t require any PC setup. Visit Canva to get started.

You can also use the Canva mobile app as an alternative. However, if you want to design quickly and easily, I recommend using it on a PC. Using the Canva mobile app for rapid designs will become second nature once you get used to it.

It’s completely free to use. However, Canva Pro, the premium edition, is available for a fee. It’s evident that Canva Pro offers more functionality than Canva for free. However, I can assure you that even with the free version of this software, you can create stunning graphics.

Canva has become linked with the concept of making stunning visuals without a background in graphic design because of social media influencer Guy Kawasaki’s investment in the firm.

6. PayPal

Getting paid via bank transfer can be expensive for freelancers who have clients in other countries, and the money may take a long time to arrive.

Most freelancers want to be paid via PayPal because it is the most convenient payment method. More than 200 countries accept it, 25 currencies can be stored on it, and it’s considered to be quite safe. PayPal is also incredibly adaptable: many online merchants accept it as a payment method.

However, as most freelancers are well aware, PayPal levies a hefty transaction fee as a cost of doing business, which may be quite discouraging. What’s the good news, though? These charges are deductible from your taxable income as a business expense!

7. Asana

Asana is a well-designed project management tool that comes packed with numerous functionalities to the point that it can be overwhelming at times. As a result, it’s best suited to smaller projects requiring teamwork (or when a client adds you to their instance of Asana). When it comes to managing your own projects, you’ll most likely want to utilize something else.

8. 1Password

Keeping track of all the websites and accounts you have might be a daunting task, but 1Password makes it simple by securely storing all your logins for the websites and services on this list of the best tools for freelancers. One further benefit of utilizing 1Password is that when you’re ready to utilize a given username/password combination, it will immediately bring it up in 1Password for you.

9. Proposify

With Proposify’s enormous library of gorgeous templates, you can produce amazing proposals in half the time it normally takes. With Proposify’s tools, you have full control over the typography and layout of your proposals, as well as the ability to add snippets that you may reuse over and over again.

Proposals created using this software are responsive, meaning they look good on a variety of devices. Make your proposal more appealing by include video. Proposify integrates with a slew of other great tools for freelancers, including those on this list. It also tells you whether or not your proposal was accepted by the client and for how long they looked at it.

10. Grammarly

Grammarly is the most cost-effective grammar checker on the market. Even if you’re not a writer, you still want to make sure that you come across as articulate in client emails, personal social media, your freelance portfolio website, and so on, so it’s difficult to imagine a freelancer who wouldn’t benefit from using Grammarly.

Correcting grammatical problems like subject-verb agreement, punctuation, and modifier placement is easy with Grammarly, which can even identify correctly spelled words when they are used incorrectly. When you use Grammarly, you’ll never be left in the dark regarding why a correction was made, which will help you improve your writing skills over time.

If you’re working with other writers, it also has a plagiarism checking tool that may come in handy.

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FeaturedStart

How To Launch Your Freelance Career

by MyFreelancingLife
written by MyFreelancingLife

Freelancing has been my most consistent side business to date and one of the best entrepreneurial decisions I’ve made. Co-Fiverr, the app with which I began my freelancing career, is the one I continue to use today (full disclosure: it became my client).

One of the best ways to get your name known in your field is to start a freelance business that associates your name with the work you can do for a variety of clients. You must create an online portfolio of your work before starting a freelance business. Starting to pitch customers will necessitate creating project proposals, templates, samples, and quotations.

It is essential to be able to sell your skills and services to potential clients if you are a freelance writer, quantitative analyst, or scientist. Then check out these eight pointers on how to get started as a freelancer if that sounds appealing to you.

To many freelancers’ surprise, pitching is as, if not more, important than doing anything else to get your freelancing business off to a strong start. You will improve your skills by doing this work, but you won’t be able to find a sideline or client without making a pitch first.

Focus on overcoming these challenges and you will be equipped with the resources, self-confidence, and courage needed to begin your full-time freelance career. Don’t leave your day job until your full-time freelance business is fully funded.

Allow us to be by your side as you embark on this new chapter in your life and lay the groundwork for your eventual independence. To begin a freelance business, you must first realize that you are constantly working to improve your skills and provide your clients with worthwhile experiences.

Selecting freelance clients before working full-time gives you the added benefit of being able to be pickier. In the early stages of your freelance career, it’s okay to get lucky and land a few extra clients.

More and more people are considering going freelance or going it alone as a result of the rise in long-distance work. Part-time freelance work can help you decide if it’s the right path for you. The best decision I’ve ever made for my freelance business was to become a Content Marketing Consultant instead of hiring a general digital marketer, according to my personal experience.

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FeaturedTools

5 Marketing Tools To Boost Your Business

by MyFreelancingLife
written by MyFreelancingLife

What to look for in a great small business marketing tool

This depends on your freelance’s needs and marketing procedure, not on the marketing tool itself.

Every marketing team needs a great product that is easy to use and gives them back time with automation. Having a growing staff means you’ll need a “great” marketing solution that offers better automation, connects across marketing channels, and is scalable.

Honesty is the best policy, both with yourself and with the companies you demo with. Stick to your budget, especially if it includes free marketing resources. Be honest with yourself about your current situation and your expectations for the next six months, a year, or even two years.

Embrace humility when it comes to your technological prowess and the amount of time you have to learn new applications. Also, be certain of your approach, whether it’s event-based marketing, inbound marketing, or something else.

If you want to get the most out of your marketing investments, you need to know your situation and seek advice on digital marketing best practices and ideas.

 

1. HubSpot Marketing Hub

From a solopreneur using their free option to an international company, HubSpot Marketing Hub can lead you there. This rich feature set combines the best of HubSpot CRM and HubSpot Marketing Automation into one package.

In addition to email and social marketing, this powerhouse combination also integrates contact and sales management as well as workflow automation.

HubSpot is a terrific marketing platform that checks all the criteria. To move leads through your marketing funnel, you can use automation to tailor outreach to your contacts and create specific nurturing programs. It’s not difficult to grow. And it’s all wrapped up in a slick, user-friendly solution.

Basic email marketing, contact management, ad management and numerous other CRM software capabilities such as marketing, sales and service tools are all included in HubSpot’s free service offering.

A powerful free alternative that becomes exponentially more powerful when you unlock the paid choices, which range from $50/month to $3200/month depending on contacts and features, is available to you right now.

2. Freshmarketer

Freshmarketer is a scaling marketing tool juggernaut, much like HubSpot. With its marketing automation capabilities, it may be used on its own or as part of the larger Freshworks ecosystem, which includes over 10 other products.

The Freshworks CRM platform has the best marketing connectivity with Freshmarketer. These tools, when used in conjunction, may fuel marketing and lead generating efforts at the enterprise level.

Freshmarketer is a useful tool in and of itself. You’ll be able to manage leads, send emails, create custom forms and landing pages, and use other tools along the way. Freshmarketer bridges the gap between sales and marketing requirements even without the Freshworks CRM integration.

In comparison to HubSpot’s free option, Freshmarketer’s supports up to 500 connections. With Freshmarketer, you have two subscription versions, ranging from $309/month to $539/month, which offer more contacts and more advanced capabilities.

3. Zoho Campaigns

This ecosystem’s last marketing product is called Zoho Campaigns. It can be used as a stand-alone marketing tool or as part of a larger platform.

Other Zoho features consist of productivity tools, customer experience monitoring, human resources, and reporting and analytics. Zoho.

There are a variety of ways to market with Zoho’s email features, including pre-built email templates, tools for automating outreach, personalization, and segmentation, as well as comprehensive reporting.

Creating landing pages and forms, as well as capturing and managing contacts, will help you convert more leads into sales.

If you’re just starting out, Zoho Campaigns offers a robust free solution that lets you send 12,000 emails every month to 2,000 different contacts to get your marketing off the ground quickly. Zoho Campaigns, in contrast to other well-known marketing tools, is quite reasonably priced.

For one-off campaigns, you can buy email contact credits to gain limited access to the platform. This can cost as little as $6 for 250 contacts and as much as $80 for 5,000. Their two standard plans, which cost $32 a year or $54 annually, offer a superior value.

4. Mailchimp

When it comes to email marketing software, Mailchimp is unbeatable. Unlike HubSpot and Zoho, it does not integrate into any broader “Primate” platform. When it comes to creating and sending email campaigns, Mailchimp has all the tools you need, including useful automation.

Mailchimp’s email marketing capabilities may not be able to cover your complete marketing life cycle, but they will get you a long way.

It also meets the other two criteria for an effective marketing tool: simple navigation and features that are easy to use. Drip mailings, cart abandonment emails, and more are all supported by behavior-based automation.

There is a free version of Mailchimp with restricted functionality. There are three paid options, with monthly fees ranging from $10 to $15 to $300. As you progress through the payment options, your contacts, tailored audiences, and skills will grow.

5. Sprout Social

As with Mailchimp, Sprout Social focuses solely on one type of marketing. Centralizing capabilities such as post creation and publication, KPI monitoring, social listening, and other research tools are some of the features of this social media solution.

No matter how small or large your social media marketing team gets, you can still use Sprout across all of them. Workflows and team management capabilities are included in the social tool to help manage user access, design editing, and publication procedures.

It’s simple to use and was designed from the ground up with running campaigns in mind.

Even if Sprout Social doesn’t offer a free option that lasts indefinitely, you can try it out risk-free for a period of 30 days. After that, there are three paid options with monthly fees of $99, $149, and $249 for each user.

Because of the cost of adding additional users, the workflow and collaboration tools in Sprout are best used when a team is comprised of several people.

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FeaturedStart

How To Earn $1000 In Your First Month

by MyFreelancingLife
written by MyFreelancingLife

Blogging is a great way to supplement your income as a side hustle, and the earning potential is virtually limitless. Blogging is the best way to make an extra $1000 per month if you follow a set system. I think it’s a great way to make money, and it’s changed my own life, so I strongly recommend it.

Because I’m a blogger who writes about everything, this will be the first thing on my list of ways to make an extra $1,000 a month. rather, I made a blunder when I became enamored with the prospect of earning more money at the expense of doing the work required to obtain it.

Working as a freelance or private counselor is a great way to supplement your income. To learn how to make $100,000 a month, check out this Monthly Income Blogging Report.

One of the best things about working from home or as a freelance counselor is that you only need one or two clients to start earning extra money. Because I’ve discovered that making more money doesn’t necessitate going into extreme poverty, I enjoy talking about sideshows and other unconventional methods of generating income.

Spending less than you earn is a great way to pay off debt, start investing and saving, and give up your full-time job so you can stay at home with your children.

If you’re looking for ways to earn an extra $1,000 a month while working from home, consider these suggestions :

                                      1. DropShipping

                                      2. Cryptocurrency

                                      3. Fiverr/ Upwork

                                      4. Youtube

                                      5.  Affiliate Marketing

Now is the time to start a blog project, but you can also earn money quickly by contributing to an already existing blog. Starting a blog is much more affordable if you use a low-cost hosting service like Bluehost, which costs $3.95 USD per month.

This is a good way to earn money if you don’t mind sharing your content with other websites. This blog, for example, earns money from advertisements, affiliate sales, and paid posts.

The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Starting a Blog and Earning Money from Home may be of interest to you. Starting a blog is a great idea if you have a long-term focus and can work without having to earn money right away for a few months.

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FeaturedGuide & Tips

5 Negotiation Skills To Manage Clients

by MyFreelancingLife
written by MyFreelancingLife

The ability to negotiate is critical because it emphasizes the company’s end result and its commitment to the customer.

Good negotiators are good communicators who can manage conflict well, work well in a team, and have a thorough understanding of the issues at hand. Often, this is self-evident, but there are times when negotiations are necessary, such as when negotiating payment terms with a customer or the terms of a new job contract.

Despite the fact that negotiations over contracts and prices are the most obvious situations requiring skilled negotiators, there are numerous instances throughout the project lifecycle where good negotiating skills, both subtle and open, will be required.

We discussed the significance of negotiations for project managers, the tools they should use, the negotiating skills they should master, and a few pointers to help them along the way. The program helps seminar participants discover their innate negotiating style.

You benefit from the presence of several issues in inclusive negotiations because each party gets more of what it wants. In order to get the most out of inclusive negotiations, you should ask a lot of questions, each of which has a useful answer.

Secondly, we’ve discussed the significance of entering negotiations that serve as a cornerstone of the CNS’s negotiating strategy.

 

What are negotiation skills?

Exchange abilities are characteristics that permit at least two sides to arrive at a trade-off. These are frequently delicate abilities like correspondence, influence, arranging, planning and coordinating. Understanding these abilities is the initial step to turning into a more grounded moderator.

 

12 important negotiation skills to have

The abilities you’ll require rely upon your current circumstance, your expected result and individuals or organizations included. The following are a few key exchange abilities that apply to numerous circumstances:

1. Correspondence

Fundamental relational abilities incorporate distinguishing nonverbal signals and verbal abilities to communicate your thoughts engagingly. Talented moderators can change their correspondence styles to address the audience’s issues. By setting up clear correspondence, you can stay away from false impressions that could keep you from arriving at a trade-off.

2. Undivided attention

Undivided attention abilities are additionally vital for understanding one more’s perspective in the arrangement. In contrast to detached tuning in, which is the demonstration of hearing a speaker without holding their message, undivided attention guarantees you’re ready to draw in and later review explicit subtleties without requiring data rehashed.

3. Enthusiastic insight

Enthusiastic insight is the capacity to control your own feelings and perceive others’ sentiments. Being aware of the enthusiastic elements during the arrangement can permit you to stay cool and zeroed in on the central issues. In case you’re unsatisfied with the current arrangement, express the requirement for a break so you and the other party can return later with invigorated viewpoints.

4. Assumption the board

Similarly, as you ought to enter an arrangement with a reasonable objective, the opposite side likewise possibly has its own characterized assumptions. If you accept you probably won’t have the option to consent to one another’s terms, you could have a go at changing your assumptions. Gifted assumption the board includes keeping harmony between being a firm mediator and a cooperative one.

5. Persistence

A few arrangements can consume most of the day to finish, once in a while including renegotiation and counteroffers. Rather than looking for a speedy end, mediators regularly practice tolerance to appropriately evaluate a circumstance and arrive at the best resolution for their customers.

6. Flexibility

Flexibility is a crucial expertise for an effective arrangement. Every exchange is interesting, and the circumstance inside a particular arrangement might change starting with one day then onto the next. For instance, an elaborate party might change their requests unexpectedly. While it’s hard to anticipate each conceivable circumstance, a decent mediator can adjust rapidly and decide another arrangement, if necessary.

7. Influence

The capacity to impact others is significant expertise of arrangement. It can assist you with characterizing why your proposed arrangement is helpful to all gatherings and urge others to help your perspective. As well as being powerful, arbitrators ought to be self-assured when vital. Confidence permits you to offer your viewpoints while regarding the opposite side’s points of view.

8. Arranging

Arrangement expects intending to assist you with figuring out what you need. You ought to think about what’s the most ideal result, what’s your most un-adequate proposition and what you will do if an arrangement isn’t reached. The capacity to get ready, plan and think ahead is significant to an effective arrangement. Arranging abilities are important for the exchange cycle as well as for concluding how the terms will be completed.

The best moderators enter a conversation with something like one reinforcement plan, however frequently more. Think about every single imaginable result, and be ready for every one of these situations. For moderators, this is known as the “best option in contrast to an arranged understanding” (BATNA).

9. Respectability

Respectability, or having solid moral and moral standards, is a fundamental ability for dealings. Being insightful, conscious and legit permits the opposite side to believe what you say. As a moderator, you ought to have the option to finish with responsibilities. To show dependability, abstain from over-promising.

10. Compatibility building

The capacity to assemble compatibility allows you to build up associations with others where the two sides feel upheld and comprehended. Building compatibility requires you adequately convey your objectives yet additionally comprehend the opposite side’s needs and needs. Affinity helps ease pressures, advances joint effort and improves the probability of agreeing. To construct compatibility, extending appreciation and utilizing undivided attention abilities are basic.

11. Critical thinking

Exchange requires the capacity to see the issue and track down an answer. If a cost is excessively high, how might it be brought down? If an asset is hard to find, how can be dealt with increment? Having the option to observe interesting answers for issues might be the deciding variable in compromise.

12. Direction

Great arbitrators can act unequivocally during an exchange. It could be important to consent to a trade-off during a dealing plan. You should have the option to respond conclusively. Remember that your choices might effectively affect yourself or your organization. Thoroughly consider your choices cautiously without overthinking your choice. Alternating between your choices without an unmistakable response may bring pointless pressure.

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FeaturedGuide & Tips

The Challenges of Being A Freelancer

by MyFreelancingLife
written by MyFreelancingLife

Despite the drawbacks of freelancing, it offers many advantages, such as complete flexibility in terms of when and where you work. Working on projects that you enjoy while also building a strong portfolio is possible.

Owning your own business has many benefits, such as the freedom to pursue your hobbies and interests while still working, but freelance life comes with its share of hardships. Additionally, you’ll have some peace of mind knowing that you’ll be required to sign a freelance contract outlining payment terms and delivery dates.

Decoupling between the principal and the contractor in terms of work scope and deliveries is the most common cause of default. Setting out the details in writing and getting the customer to sign a freelance contract before you begin work is one area where it can save headaches and heartache.

If you want to work with free customers, your best bet is for them to approach you with offers. Use your contacts and free forums to find out what other people have to say about their own experiences and those of their customers.

When it comes to freelancing, most people consider freelancers to be independent contractors who are responsible for declaring their earnings and taking time off from work. Your paycheck will be reduced by payroll tax if you work as a freelancer under a contract.

The market interest freelancers receive for their work is often not paid by clients, making it easy for them to find new clients. If the freelancer isn’t given specific instructions, the project may be completed in a different way than the client anticipated.

In companies that have never worked with freelancers before, this is a common issue. Here are seven of the most common problems that freelancers face, along with advice on how to overcome them and achieve their full potential as independent contractors.

Freelancers often worry about having enough work to keep them busy. If you want to be taken seriously by clients or editors, you’ll need at least a few good writing samples to show off your abilities.

Finding enough work to make a living as a freelance writer is one of the most difficult tasks.

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