When you begin your freelance journey, having access to certain software tools and apps will make your life easier. These tools are for things like time management, obtaining e-signatures or even social media creation. Having some of these apps can make your ability to manage your workload even easier. Here at Afrofreelancer, we compiled several apps and systems that no matter your industry will help you in your everyday life as a business owner.
#1: Slack
Use: Messaging
Slack is an app that it so much easier to communicate with other team members and makes group communication much more organized than having to sift through your email threads. You can set up group chats based on certain projects or departments, share documents and/or attachments or instantly loop other team members on your chat thread.
#2: Canva
Use: Social media content creation
Do you ever look at certain social media platforms and fall in love with their aesthetic? Well, Canva is most likely what they use. Canva is a platform that provides templates for everything from social media posts to marketing proposals. Canva makes it easy to design premium social media content and gives your material a high-quality look.
#3: Mail Chimp
Use: Email marketing & Newsletters
If your business finds itself wanting to communicate with its audience on a regular basis then Mailchimp is the service for you. Mail chimp allows you to create email lists, newsletters and other built in marketing tools for your business. Mail Chimp is an amazing tool to keep track of your audience and gives both business owner and customer access to each other through other tools like online appointment booking.
#4: HelloSign
Use: E-Signature Solution
Your days of stressing on how to get that contract signed are over. HelloSign is an app that allows you to send PDF documents to clients’ email and they can electronically sign a document. Once the document is signed, it is automatically in your possession. This eliminates the hassle of printing and sending out important documents and instead of needing to wait days for signatures, you can now get them within minutes.
#5: Google Workspace
Use: Google products for business owners
When google expanded on their Gmail by creating Google Workspace, they really embodied everything freelancers would need on their freelance journey. Google Docs makes it easier to collaborate on a project by giving a team of people access to create, edit and send documents without the hassle of email individual attachments to each person. Google Calendar allows users to properly track their appointments and manage their day-to-day day duties. Google Workspace has a plethora of products that are guaranteed to make your business handlings a breeze.
#6: Calendly
Use: Time Keeping
Calendly is a one stop shop for managing all your different calendars and schedules. Calendly allows others to see your availability and make appointments to schedule you. You have the ability to cancel, reschedule or confirm the appointment on the app. Calendly makes it easier for the business owner that is constantly on the go and always has so much to juggle.
#7: Afrofreelancer
Use: Acquiring new Jobs
Afrofreelancer is the newest way to market yourself to other businesses or clients who can use your services. Users get to sign up and create a top tier profile that markets their skills and services. This is low cost to freelancers and is a great way to know that potential clients are serious about hiring you.
