5 essential tools for a freelance career
In January 2021 when I first started Fullwonder, I spent the majority of my time getting systems in place for success. I’m not really a list-maker or note-taker in my daily life, for some wild reason, my mind is able to organize most things. However, I knew this strategy wouldn’t last long for building a business.
As I was starting the process, I knew I wanted to keep a few things crystal clear - both for my clients and for myself. These things were: ease of communication, simple sharing, and user-friendly tech. As a consumer myself, these things matter to me and I wanted to model my deliverables in a similar fashion.
In this blog, I’ll share some of my favorite and most used tools in my business. Keep in mind, I’m a small-scale freelance creative that works totally independently, so some of these things may not be the best fit if you’ve got staff or a large-scale client base. Here we go!
Google Workspace
My absolute most-used tool is Google Workspace. With a gazillion (okay not that many, but a lot) of different applications and incredibly easy sharability, it definitely keeps my communication and all things in-sync. I pay $7 a month (!!) for all this plus extra cloud storage. I’m in here every day typing my copy, sharing files, and organizing my email and calendar. There are a lot of different systems out there (Microsoft, etc), but for me, Google Workspace is a 10/10 win.
2. Hello Bonsai
Finding the perfect Client Management Service (CMS) can be TOUGH. There are so many great tools out there, but I was finding that many of them were over-complicated or too expensive for my needs. My main concerns with finding the right CMS were: ease for clients, strong profit/loss/expenses tool, and in-app communication. Bonsai does all of this, and more. Using has been super easy and their customer service has been stellar (SO important!). If you’re a small-scale independent freelance business, I’d reccomend Bonsai over some of the bigger named applications, simply for its ease and clean userface. Want a free month to try it? Use this code!
3. Flodesk
I’ve got a huge crush on Flodesk. As someone who loves beautiful design, but isn’t a trained graphic designer, Flodesk offers an incredible library of straight-up BEAUTIFUL and engaging email templates that match my brand seamlessly. I tried the popular others (Mail Chimp, Constant Contact, Squarespace Marketing) but none of them gave me the simplistic and beautiful design I was looking for. Again, I really strive for the less is more strategy when it comes to my buisness tools, and Flodesk really hit it out of the park. However, you’ll pay for it. I got in on a deal at $19/month, and they occassionally offer deals. But usually the standard monthly price will run you $38/month… yikes. However - if you’re tired of dealing with the hassle and mess of other email management platforms, you’ll take a big sigh of relief with Flodesk.
4. Adobe Creative Cloud and/or Canva
For hardcore, long-time industry professionals - don’t @ me! This debate between creatives gets real spicy and heated among many. However, I’m explaining my favorite tools for my business and BOTH of these options are on my taskbar. I use both, like both, and will cheer on anyone who uses both. Please keep in mind, the majority of my work is writing and minimal design/layouts, so hardcore large-scale professional features are not much use for me. But, there have been instances where Adobe just simply is better. But price? There’s no comparison that Canva is more accessible to the first-time entrepreneur and getting your feet wet with digital creative projects. I could go on forever about the love-hate relationship of these tools. But in summary, they’re both great for different things. Get both if you can. If you’re just starting, Canva is more than wonderful.
5. Honorable Mentions
Here are some other tools I use on the regular that deserve a shout-out:
Spotify Premium: I’ve got beats goin’ all day every day. No commercials, just the sweet sweet sounds of my current favorite mix
Grammarly: Because sometimes spell-check just isn’t enough as a copywriter. Use this high-tech tool for suggestions on tone, clarity, and even better-suggested ways for your writing.
Google Tasks/Taskboard: The desktop app saves me from all the post-its on my desk. It jives seamlessly with my email and calendar and I’m a sucker for custom color-coding options.
Productivity Timer: Like most of us millennials, we work great under pressure. I’m not a fan of the traditional Pomodoro method, but I do take the approach of chunking my work with my breaks.
