Getting organized is one of the most important aspects of running a freelance business and is a critical factor in determining how working time can be dedicated to income-generating activities.
Achieving optimal productivity and efficacy are important aspects for any freelancer who wants to earn his rate without spending ridiculous hours. However organization is a key to this. Freelance designers have many different aspects in the life and work that must be well organized, so we’ll point out some helpful resources to help them get organized.
1. Inspiration organization
Inspiration can help designers to achieve the best practical results with their work. This include as online inspiration (web design galleries or design blogs from other websites), either offline (nature, magazines, newspapers, brochures, photographs and else). It is easy to experience ‘’inspiration overload’’ with the amount of online inspiration.
Escaping from inspiration overload requires some organization, and the willingness to limit your helpful and productive sources of inspiration.
a. Evernote
Evernote is great resource that allows you to capture everything, organize them, and find everything fast. In this way you are able to organize your inspiration by grabbing screen shots by using tags or notebooks.
2. Communication organization
The communication with clients is also extremely important for freelance writers. If you are cooperating with other designers, developers, or teams, your communication will quickly become an even bigger issue, because, most of the communication will be from a distance in order to challenge to communicate factually and to stay organized.
a. Skype
Skype is very popular communication resource for designers and others who work using Internet.
b. Vyew
Vyew is also a popular resource for communicating and cooperating with clients and team members. It allows you to give presentations, host webinars, and conduct meetings. You are also able to upload content for collaborating with your customers, which includes teleconferencing, voice over IP, and webcam video conferencing. A free version is available for you, and it contains some advertising. Using other plans you will have to pay for $6.95 or $13.95 per month.
3. Email organization
Any freelance designer sends and receives a considerable amount of email each day, which is practically a necessary part of the job. Most email programs like Outlook include the ability to flag messages and mark certain ones as urgent or for follow up. Whatever other email program do you use, you need to get to know it well and set up a system to keep your inbox cleaner and avoid being late with answers.
Mozilla’s Thunderbird is also excellent option for controlling your email. Thunderbird has many great things such as the number of quality available add-ones, which include some that can have a big influence on your organization
4. File organization
Freelance designers deal with a lot of files on their computer, so it is very important to keep everything organized and dependable. Having an organized system for keeping your system backed up your time wouldn’t be wasted for searching through various folders looking for right file.
a. Dropbox
Dropbox is used for syncing files between computers (for example your desktop and a laptop), sharing files with others, online backups and other functions. For free plan you can offer 2GB of storage, or pay $9.99 per month for 50 GB or $19.99 for 100 GB.
b. Mozy
Mozy is a convenient solution for backing up your hard drive. It has a free account with 2 GB of storage, or Pro plan pricing starts at $3.95 per month plus $0.50 per GB.
5. Time organization
As a freelancer taking control of your time is essential in order to be successful. Setting a daily schedule and following through by completing necessary tasks are important daily activities for freelancers.
a. Remember the Milk
Remember the Milk is an online to-do list manager that helps you to keep track of what you have to do each day and what you have already finished. It allows you to set your task lists, get reminders by email, share your task list with others, and also integrate maps with your tasks. Remember the Milk is a really free service and is easy to integrate with an Gmail, Twitter, Blackberry, Android and iPhone.
b. Tracking time
Tracking time is a great resource that allows you to easily track your time, set estimates for your projects, run your reports, and more. Time Tracking is offering free access.
6. Project/client organization
Staying organized with your clients and projects will guard you from wasting time to find clients response and redo the work for a client that winds-up needing it to be done.
a. Bidsketch
Bidsketch helps you to stay organized with proposals and quotes that are sent to your customers. It allows you to manage your prospective clients and proposals, to see what is working and what is not in track results, and customize things that aren’t meet your needs. Bidsketch service is free for a limited plan and for getting unlimited access you need for $19 per month.
b. Jumpchart
This is useful for planning websites with clients or teammates. Using Jumpchart you will improve your communication with other designers or developers and also the way you will be able to get feedback on your work. Jumpchart has free service for one project with other limitations, and paid plans range from $5-$50 per month.
c. ProofHQ
ProofHQ is another way for getting feedback organizing your communication with your costumers. Create a proof, choose with whom you want to share it, and they will comment and mark-up your proof. It is only 14 day trial period free in ProofeHQ and plans range from $17 to $499 per month.
d. Huddle
Huddle is a collaboration tool between you and your clients. It allows you to share files, get approval from clients, keep track of your projects’ progress. Huddle offers a limited free plan and paid plans ranging from $20 to $ 98 per month
7. Financial organization
Keeping track of finances and controlling money is an area of the business that often gets neglected and doesn’t receive the suitable attention. Organizing and managing money is an important part of the business in order to stay in action.
a. Less accounting
Less accounting is specialized accounting software. It allows you to send invoices and proposals, see who owes you money, track expenses, import your bank data, and provide access for your accountant. A limited free account is available in Less Accounting and paid plans range from $12- $24 per month.
b. Free Agent
Free Agent is online accounting specifically created for freelancers and small businesses. You can use this to manage your projects and the time you spend on them, track expenses, and produce invoices and more. The cost of Free Agent service is $20 per month.
c. Fanurio
Fanurio is time tracking and invoicing software that allows you to manage your billing and receivables. You are able to manage an unlimited number of clients, projects and an unlimited number of invoices. Fanurio requires a one-time cost of $59 with a free trial available.
d. Time59
Time59 is also time tracking and invoicing software. It is easy to track the time, bill an hourly or flat rate in Time59. Also you are able to enter expenses you incur for clients and include them on invoices. Time59 provides an unlimited number of clients, projects and invoices and requires $49.95 per year.
e. Pulse
Pulse is useful for small business to cash flow management. You can use it to track your income and expenses from any given time frame, at a look, or by project. Your all needed reportong capabilities are included in Pulse to help you in easier way.
8. Collaboration organization
Many freelancers deal with other designers, developers and agencies from time-to-time or on regular basis. More of them this is the case, because this communication and the related projects require additional organization.
a. Backpack
Backpack provides a number features from 37 signals that allow you to cooperate and communicate in an organized and effectual manner. You can share notes with team members, messages and feedback, set reminders and use calendars to organize schedules. Backpack requires prices range from $24- $149 per month, depending on the number of user, pages and the amount of storage.
b. ZCOPE
ZCOPE provides a central working space for your clients and team members. ZCOPE allows you to manage and assign tasks, set your schedule and requires prices range from €19 – €199 per month depending on your needs.
9. General organization resources’
The following resources could fall in to more than one of the categories of getting organized
a. Subernova
Subernova provides both some project management, and some financial management features. Subernova allows you to track your projects’ deadlines, the time that you are working on a client’s project, payments and more. Subernova costs $5.99 per month.
b. Work Etc.
Work Etc. includes CRM, project and billing features. Using Work Etc. you can manage projects, bill customers, offer support and customer service, and also more services. The freelancer package costs $29.95 per month.
c. Projectivity
Projectivity is an open source enterprise management platform. It includes a number of features for portfolio management, project management, knowledge management, and collaboration.
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Thanks for including Time59 on your list. I would just like to mention that Time59 is now fully compatible with the Mobile Safari browser on the iPhone and iPod Touch.