With more of us turning freelance than ever before, it’s worth knowing which software solutions could make your working life much easier this year. Below we round up the pick of the 2022 bunch – incorporate these tools into your business today to help with productivity, time management and to ensure compliance.
Copyscape
A vital addition to your toolbox, Copyscape will help to ensure that all the content you produce is original and prevent incidences of accidental plagiarism. The software uses AI to scan the internet, looking for instances of identical phrasing and then alerting the user if there are partial matches so that content can be amended.
For freelancers who provide content to their clients, Copyscape is a powerful solution – many clients may stipulate that work is run through this software before it can be accepted, and doing so is considered good practice in general.
In terms of pricing, Copyscape charges $0.03 per search for articles or posts up to two-hundred words and $0.01 for every additional word, so it is a cost-effective way to guarantee your content is original.
Freshbooks
This software integrates both project management and accounting tools to make for a seamless, easy-to-use package that is perfect for freelancers. Have a look at this review of Freshbooks for more information on the benefits it offers; these include the facility to generate invoices automatically from the time tracking tool, activity tracking, and an intuitive drag and drop interface.
Freshbooks also features a range of tools to enhance effective collaboration, such as allowing freelancers to easily share files with clients, and ‘review’ and ‘discuss’ options can be used to further manage communication and disseminate information.
The software has several tiers of paid options for users to choose from: the Lite package is most suitable for freelancers and is charged at just $13.50 a month – this is for those who have up to five billable clients on their books. A free trial is available for this package,
UberConference
As a freelancer, budgetary considerations may well be particularly high on your agenda. If you need a conference call facility, UberConference is a great choice: it offers a high-quality solution and is free to use if you will be conferencing with no more than ten participants at a time.
This software is eminently easy to use and allows the user to join conferences via phone, mobile app, or web browser; collaborative features include built-in chat, screen sharing, and file sharing, making for meetings that are more productive and run as smoothly as possible.
If in the future, your business grows and you regularly require the facility to a conference call with more than ten participants, then UberConference also offers the opportunity to upgrade to a business package that costs $15 a month and allows access to up to one hundred members per meeting – discounts are available for customers wishing to make a full yearly payment.
Evernote
Evernote is a cloud-based note-taking solution that can help freelancers to organize information and plans. Notes can be created in the form of images, text, web pages, audio files, and more; the software can be used to, for example, set meeting agendas and reminders or to more easily collaborate with clients or partners. A handy web clipping tool is featured, too, along with excellent search functionality.
As Evernote is cloud-based, your stored information can be accessed and worked on wherever you happen to be via a range of desktop, iOS, or Android apps. The software offers a free basic package, or a premium plan is charged at $7.99 a month – a free trial is available too so that you can make sure it’s suitable for you before committing.
TimeCamp
This time-tracking tool is web-based and can help with planning assignments and creating budget projections, as well as monitoring how much time is spent on various tasks. TimeCamp is a great option for freelancers: it is both easy to use and intuitive and integrates with a range of other widely-used tools, such as Asana and Trello.
Timecamp is useful for managing projects as it enables users to see at a glance where time and resources are being expended so that adjustments can be made as necessary; it also allows users to generate budget estimates for upcoming projects.
The software has a free option that offers basic time-tracking tools for a single user, or there are several paid options; the price varies depending on the features that you require.
SyncBackFree
The mere thought of losing your data, or an important file, will likely send shivers down your back, especially if you’re a freelancer and may not have access to the sort of IT resources that a larger business has. SyncBackFree offers file management and synchronization tools, as well as the facility to restore files should the worst happen.
This software is free to use, automatically schedules backups to protect your work, and offers a simple or advanced mode. SyncBackFree has an extensive Help forum and Knowledge Base for its users that features a range of guides, technical reports, and tips on how to get the most out of this tool.
