Studio Blog
Welcome to the Demand Studios Blog – a resource for writers, contributors and freelancers alike! Come here for answers to your questions, Studio news, writing tips and more.
Five Web/Mobile Apps to Improve Your Freelance Life
Five Web/Mobile Apps to Improve Your Freelance Life
Posted by JoshWriter | June 24, 2010 | Comments (3)
Editors Note: Josh is a member of our Studio community as well as a writer and journalist for various print and online publications. Knowing how much he does in his freelance work, we were curious to see how he balances all of it. We went to Josh and asked him to spill his secrets.
I'm a busy guy, and I’m constantly looking for different approaches to boost my productivity, streamline my freelancing work and squeeze every profitable penny out of my day. For better or for worse, the Internet and mobile phones seem to be everywhere these days and give me all kinds of new ways to stay connected to my work. Several specific web-based and mobile apps have helped me get the most out of my work, whether I need scheduling help or tools that help me better research a story.
EverNote
I’ve ditched carrying around my spiral bound notepad for EverNote, which lets me jot down story ideas or business plans on my computer or on my mobile phone. It then automatically syncs the note across my account so I see the same thing whether I’m on my phone or sitting at my laptop. And it’s not just for taking notes. For example, I can take photos on my phone’s camera or screenshots of my browser for future reference while writing a story. It’s available on Windows and PC computers, as well as on the Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and other mobile operating systems.
FreshBooks
Time is money, and FreshBooks allows me to keep track of both. The web-based app helps me stay on schedule with timers that record how much time I spend writing for each of my clients. It also lets me generate and send out invoices, because freelancing is only profitable when my clients actually pay me the money they owe. For mobile tracking, FreshBooks offers an app for the iPhone with all the same features.
Fring
A lot of my clients stay in touch using Skype and instant messaging programs, but it can be troublesome to run several IM software programs at the same time. Fring solves that. It works on every major mobile platform, including the iPhone and the Android, and connects to most major IM platforms to let me chat and make free phone and video calls from a single interface. I can even follow my favorite Twitter users or chat with friends on Facebook—which might not be a good thing.
Mint
I love budgeting. It lets me see exactly where my freelance income is going, and helps me identify areas where I can save money. My favorite budgeting app is Mint, the online budgeting tool from Intuit, because it works in any browser. It also runs on the Android and the iPhone. I can stay on top of my bills and check when a client has deposited money in my bank accounts. I can also tag different deposits with custom categories, quickly allowing me to segregate my freelancing income.
Google Mobile
Google Mobile packs up all the important features of Google that I need and lets me take it with me on my phone. It works on numerous phone platforms, including BlackBerries. I can read the news, check my email, search the web and use Google Maps in a simple interface. It’s helped me when I’ve needed help finding my way to a client’s office, or when I’ve been trying to track updates on a news story that I’m covering.
I'm a busy guy, and I’m constantly looking for different approaches to boost my productivity, streamline my freelancing work and squeeze every profitable penny out of my day. For better or for worse, the Internet and mobile phones seem to be everywhere these days and give me all kinds of new ways to stay connected to my work. Several specific web-based and mobile apps have helped me get the most out of my work, whether I need scheduling help or tools that help me better research a story.
EverNote
I’ve ditched carrying around my spiral bound notepad for EverNote, which lets me jot down story ideas or business plans on my computer or on my mobile phone. It then automatically syncs the note across my account so I see the same thing whether I’m on my phone or sitting at my laptop. And it’s not just for taking notes. For example, I can take photos on my phone’s camera or screenshots of my browser for future reference while writing a story. It’s available on Windows and PC computers, as well as on the Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and other mobile operating systems.
FreshBooks
Time is money, and FreshBooks allows me to keep track of both. The web-based app helps me stay on schedule with timers that record how much time I spend writing for each of my clients. It also lets me generate and send out invoices, because freelancing is only profitable when my clients actually pay me the money they owe. For mobile tracking, FreshBooks offers an app for the iPhone with all the same features.
Fring
A lot of my clients stay in touch using Skype and instant messaging programs, but it can be troublesome to run several IM software programs at the same time. Fring solves that. It works on every major mobile platform, including the iPhone and the Android, and connects to most major IM platforms to let me chat and make free phone and video calls from a single interface. I can even follow my favorite Twitter users or chat with friends on Facebook—which might not be a good thing.
Mint
I love budgeting. It lets me see exactly where my freelance income is going, and helps me identify areas where I can save money. My favorite budgeting app is Mint, the online budgeting tool from Intuit, because it works in any browser. It also runs on the Android and the iPhone. I can stay on top of my bills and check when a client has deposited money in my bank accounts. I can also tag different deposits with custom categories, quickly allowing me to segregate my freelancing income.
Google Mobile
Google Mobile packs up all the important features of Google that I need and lets me take it with me on my phone. It works on numerous phone platforms, including BlackBerries. I can read the news, check my email, search the web and use Google Maps in a simple interface. It’s helped me when I’ve needed help finding my way to a client’s office, or when I’ve been trying to track updates on a news story that I’m covering.
ShariC
Jun 24, 2:10 PM
For access to files on the go, I found another site called Dropbox yesterday. It gives you 2 GB of free storage & 250 MB of bonus space if you use my link (I am not making money here, just trying to help): https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTg0MDU3MTM5?f=0.
Report Abuse
Robyn
Jun 24, 5:09 PM
Report Abuse
Celia
Jul 26, 1:04 AM
Report Abuse