Showing all posts tagged freelancer

In Business & Blogging, Geeky Stuff, Planners / Organisers

Top Tools and Apps for Business

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on

We all have such a lot to get done, especially those running our own businesses. I came across a really interesting thread on a Facebook group I belong to about what tools people recommend for getting things done, and efficiency. It made me think about what tools I currently use.

Apps and tools are great for helping get things done and I have worked my way through a great number of them over the past ten years. There are no wrong tools, it’s all about what works best for you and this is my current collection. It might alter slightly as time goes on.

CANVA
I use Canva for images/headers and all things social media related. The phone app is rubbish (right now) so don’t base your opinions on that, stick to the web version which is excellent. 95% of the things I create on Canva are free however occasionally I will buy credits so that I may use specific premium images that are perfect for what I’m working on.

A quickly put together image for a client’s Facebook page using Canva.

BUFFER
I use Buffer (paid) for all of my social media/client accounts. I’ve used Tweetdeck, Hootsuite (hated it) and various other scheduling apps and sites and have found Buffer to be the best one for me by far. We just clicked Buffer and I.  This is one of the few things I pay for (I don’t pay for anything unless I need to) and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Buffer run a Twitter chat weekly which I find great fun for hints and tips, and brushing up on certain areas (as well as meeting some great freelancers and what not). These chats are found via the #bufferchat hashtag and a recap each week will fill you in on what you missed if you couldn’t make it. There’s also a #bufferchat Slack that some find useful. 

RANDROP.IO
I use Raindrop.io on phone and web for resource collation/bookmarking. I’ve used Evernote web clipper and Pocket before now, however, find this the smoothest one for me. Even better, I have it installed on my Kindle Fire tablet so when I have some time I can catch up easily on everything in my “Read Me” collection that isn’t urgent or client related yet interesting, business-wise or not.

OUTLOOK
What can I say, I’m an Outlook girl, using outlook.com as my main email and my calendar. The desktop Outlook 2016 and I are having some syncing issues right now so I’ve moved back to the web-based version as part of Office365. The Outlook calendar I love. I don’t keep a paper schedule/date book etc anymore as this has taken over, and of course, syncs brilliantly with my phone. 

DROPBOX
Again, I’ve used other cloud-based programmes but always come back to Dropbox for safe storage/file sharing.

ZOHO
I use Zoho invoicing (free) and find it very user-friendly. Their customer service is also excellent! If you have a query there is a web chat function and if mid conversation your chat disconnects (for example if like me you forgot to plug the laptop back in) they email you to make sure you receive the answers you need. 

OTHER TOOLS
I use Asana for some web-based info storage (lists and what not I don’t need daily) and KanbanFlow for the Pomodoro timer. If you haven’t used the Pomodoro system before now it is well worth looking up. Highly motivating, great for productivity, especially if you’re having one of those days where you’re easily distracted.

TO DO LISTS
There are so many online/mobile apps and sites for to do lists, task management, planning and more. I’ve stepped away from all of these and instead my task lists/schedules/get stuff done has reverted back to paper via the Action Day 2017 planner. There’s just something unrivalled about putting pen to paper.


 

What are your must-have tools, apps, websites and systems for getting things done?

*Please note that this post contains an affiliate link to a product I value.

In Business & Blogging, Food, General, Reviews / Sponsored, Women's Interest

The Lifeblood of a Freelancer

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on

Do you know what keeps the majority of freelancers / self-employed people going? Is it a pretty office, a popular brand diary/planner or a fancy app? No, the lifeblood of a freelancer is coffee.

If you’ve worked for yourself and are reading this now (whether you are a coffee fan or not) you’ll most likely be nodding your head. There are certainly pros and cons to being self-employed, for example:

The Good Stuff

  • You choose who you work for
  • You choose where you work
  • You choose when you work – You have a certain amount of flexibility (important when you’re juggling the work/home/family combo)

The Not-So Good Stuff

  • Invoice chasing (believe it or not, not everyone has the same ethical standards as you when it comes to paying people what they are owed)
  • Flexible working – If you need to move your hours around to suit children or other obligations, being self-employed can see you working at 11pm at night or 4am in the morning. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword this one!
  • Staying motivated – You’ve no boss breathing down your neck, why not take a well-deserved hour out to watch your latest Netflix fave? Of course three episodes in you realise you probably should have just kept working…

To be honest, if I was to write a full list of the ups and downs of being a freelancer, for me, freelancing comes top every time over being employed.

The Freelancer’s Coffee

Log onto Instagram and you’ll see a variety of coffee mug and desk shots from people working from home. Is coffee magical? Does it mysteriously manage to push deadlines back a few hour, days or weeks? No of course not (although if you think you have a magic brew that does do that, please get in touch).

After collaborating with the lovelies at Gourmesso.co.uk (we’ve had a good natter about all things coffee-related and how we feel the world couldn’t possibly keep rotating with it) I wanted to write a little more about my love for coffee.

Freelancer’s Coffee is not a brew designed to give you a caffeine hit that will have you typing like the wind. It isn’t something that magically keeps you going either. Yes, caffeine is a stimulant but let’s face it, you’d need a fair bit of caffeine to keep us all going like we do. For me, Freelancer’s Coffee is me taking time out of a busy day to not work, not answer emails, not rush around; to just relax.

A decent cup of coffee can be incredibly tasty and this enjoyment is one of the many little enjoyments and distractions I, and many freelancers enjoy as part of the daily grind that is our work. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do but it is work at the end of the day (I don’t sit and grin at a laptop all day). I get tired, cranky, pee’d off sometimes and I need a break.

A Freelancer’s Coffee is also quite sociable. Many, indeed most freelancers work alone, often in an office at home or similar. I don’t see anyone from the minute I start to the minute I finish. It’s nice therefore to grab a brew and “talk” to friends and other freelancers online (there are even chatrooms and similar for freelancers). This is a break, it’s refreshing and it breaks up the day. I might have a brew and have a text conversation or similar before getting back to work. Coffee is important people!

To be fair I’m as much of a tea tart as I am a coffee tart and so when coffee isn’t exactly what I need I switch over to something fresh, citrus, minty or herbal. Never let it be said that I’m stuck in my ways!

Do you work for yourself? Would your day be less bright without your favourite tea or coffee? Mine certainly would be. Coupled with my favourite mug it gets me going and keeps me going all day.

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