Are you a freelancer, digital nomad, remote worker, or just newly responsible for keeping track of various projects and deadlines, and looking for some solutions? There has never been a better time to have a full plate, professionally speaking, as the technology is finally at a place where you can keep track of all you have to do without resorting to dozens of sticky notes all over your computer, or a dog-eared Moleskine covered in coffee rings and ink smears.
Read on for a very high-level overview of three of the most widely-used business applications.
First up is ASANA.
Originally designed for teams, it is also perfect for a company of one needing to keep track of multiple projects for clients with different deadlines, and different requirements. Asana lets you set notifications, upload attachments, include links, color code and customize categories, and see your day’s agenda at a glance.
You can share any of these with as many or as few people as you like, and you can access your workspace on desktop or mobile. You can even plan and create social media posts, and upload the exact content onto the calendar, so your clients and collaborators can see what’s on tap and approve their posts before they go live.
Asana is Enterprise-grade software, so your clients will likely already be familiar with it, either because they are now using it, or they used it in a previous job.
Slack is a communication tool that brings your team together on a platform that is more flexible and private than using a group text. You set up different groups, or “channels”, perhaps one for each client, that allows you to reach out at a moment's notice, without anyone having to give up their personal information, like phone numbers or email addresses. You could ostensibly set up one channel per client, and link them to the appropriate Asana content as needed, plus bring in any team members or contractors, and keep everyone on the same page.
Google Drive allows you to create documents and spreadsheets and share them with anyone at any time using their email address. Unlike a Word document or Excel sheet, your edits show up in real time, so there is never a worry that someone is on the wrong version. You can allow anyone to edit your docs or sheets, or set each to "read only". Readers can share notes without altering the original, so clients or contractors can make any rquested changes without worrying your work will be obliterated.
Each of these are cost-effective for small companies, with fees usually charged per user. Always check with a tax professional first, but in many cases, these costs can be deducted as a normal cost of doing business.
If you're looking for more resources for freelancers, check some of our other blog posts for resources on finding a remote job, or how to know your company has outgrown the kitchen table.
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