The modern age has made beautiful gains in our pursuit of independence. Now, it’s possible for an independent professional to make a living from the comfort of their home. A lot of that is down to software, the virtual superpowers that make for heroic freelance work.
As more people turn to contracting and freelancing, you may be wondering what software is helping them do so. Ponder no longer, as we run through those must-have platforms for the self-employed.
Toggl
Working for yourself means shouldering more responsibility. In real terms, much of your considerations boil down to the time you spend on each project, meeting or admin task. Dumping your concentration into one facet of the business for too long can throw off your sense of what’s productive and what isn’t.
Since every minute counts, Toggl has arisen to track your schedule: it acts like a virtual stopwatch as you take on one thing after another. Even if your time management is fairly strong, Toggl might surprise you, as it compiles weekly summations of how many hours a client has taken up.
Contactually
Success as a freelancer, to a large degree, depends on how you approach people. An incredibly prompt and creative worker will not be able to prove they’re the cream of the crop if they can’t network well, and keep on top of their contacts. To this end, Contactually is an utter blessing, streamlining social agendas with a masterful organisation.
Every client interaction is part of a sales pipeline – Contractually lasers in on where revenue comes from, who’s influenced it, and what’s interaction is scheduled to happen next. You can manage social media posts and email templates, integrating with relevant plug-ins like Microsoft Outlook.
Skwish
Contractors have the benefit of latching on to one project for (potentially) months at a time, but freelancers often deal with multiple clients at once, hitting several deadlines a week. Project management tools like Skwish are built to simplify a hectic work calendar, showing what assignments are due for completion.
You, your client and any team members can collaborate at every stage of a project, uploading files, assigning tasks and providing feedback in one place. It cuts out any chance for misconstrued information, letting you see what’s due without worrying a task isn’t up to the right standard.
FreeAgent
Of course, aside from concerns about logistics and time, the self-employed are responsible for being financially bullet-proof. Taking care of your books is a prime ingredient for making the leap into freelancing or contracting worthwhile. Otherwise, you may be losing cash without even realising it.
FreeAgent acts as the go-between for freelancers and their accountants. It presents an up-to-date view of your incomings and outgoings for both parties to see, making it easy to send invoices and store receipts digitally. Invoice reminders, too, can be sent out automatically, taking the hassle out of what you’re owed.
For the complete bookkeeping package, we recommend FreeAgent without hesitation. Contractors and freelancers should take succour in all of the great software made just for them, with FreeAgent being the soundest tool for control of your coffers.
Along with hiring Bright Ideas, it’ll ensure you never get caught out for tax assessment mistakes, or let any extra pennies slip away unnoticed. For more information, call 0161 669 4221 or email Info@biaccountancy.com today
