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12+ Helpful Productivity Tools for Busy Freelancers

Posted November 28, 2012 in Productivity

Productivity means money for freelancers. The more productive you are, the more you can earn. It’s just that simple.

Getting things done on time is one of the ongoing challenges of a freelancer. There are so many things that can slow you down.

Part of being productive is knowing the right tools to use and using them. That’s why I created this post.

In this post, I share over 12 productivity tools that can help you to get more done. If you like this post, you may also like 5 Productivity Tools To Boost Creativity.

Helpful Productivity Tools

You know that you need tools to help you become more productive, but what tools should you use?

I went looking for tools to help and I found over a dozen productivity apps that you could use to get more done. Many of these are free or have a demo version available.

In alphabetical order, here are the tools I found:

  1. Asana. This handy app lets you share your task list with others. If you’re on a freelance team or delegate work, this can help you coordinate the project. The tool supports iPhone and Android devices. (Price varies, free version available)
  2. Bento. Use this handy tool on your mobile device (iPhone or iPad) or Mac to create a customized database. Use it to keep track of clients, meetings, projects, or whatever else you need to track. (Price varies)
  3. Box. This great tool lets you share and organize information online securely. If you ever share files online, you’ll want this tool. It’s great for remote work too. The business feature also lets you track versions. (Price varies, free version available)
  4. CardMunch. This LinkedIn plugin lets you use your iPhone to connect with people who give you their business card. If you do any face-to-face networking, this could be a huge timesaver. You’ll never lose another business card. (Free)
  5. Clear. Just when you think you’ve seen enough To-Do list applications, Clear comes along and shows you what a To-Do list can be. It’s got a great, colorful interface. Your list is stored in iCloud. Clear works with your Mac or iPhone. (Price varies)
  6. Engagio. How many social profiles do you have? Social media networking can be a lot to keep up with. Well, online networking just got easier. This is also great for tracking trends across several social media sites. You can respond from within the app. Pinterest and Quora are not currently included. (Free)
  7. iDoneThis. You get more done than you realize. Track your finished tasks with this easy to use tool. The tool reminds you daily to record your accomplishments. Use it for project management too. This tool can also help you keep up with a team of freelancers. (Price varies)
  8. Paperless. This is another helpful tool that lets you organize tasks or take notes with your iPhone, iPod, or iPad. You can also share lists through email, or duplicate lists. Use it for personal and freelance chores. (Price varies, free version available)
  9. Photosynth. This app from Microsoft turns your iPhone, iPod, or iPad camera into a panoramic camera by letting you stitch shots together. This app lets you present the whole picture. (Free)
  10. Pocket Informant GO!. It’s time to replace your paper calendar. With this app, you’ll get all the visual ease of a paper calendar right on your iPad or iPhone. You get the comfort of a familiar calendar interface with the convenience of an app. ($4.99)
  11. Priorities. What should you do first? With this great tool for your iPad, iPod, or iPhone you can stop wondering what to do first and start doing it. You can integrate the tasks with your calendar. It features a priorities page that lists all high priority tasks in one place. ($2.99)
  12. Pulse. It can be tough to keep up with the news and with all your favorite blogs. This app lets you see blogs, and online news at a glance with its visual interface. Just tap anything that interest you and read. This is available for a wide variety of devices including the iPhone, iPad, Android, and Kindle. (Free)
  13. Bonus tool: Zotero. This invaluable research tool should be invaluable for anyone who writes or blogs. Collect and organize your information in one place. This Firefox plugin also helps you to cite sources accurately. (Free)

Note: The prices listed were current at the time the article was written, but may change over time.

Your Turn

What is your favorite productivity tool?

Share your answers in the comments.

Image by avrene

Related posts:

  1. 5 Productivity Tools To Boost Creativity
  2. 10 Brand New Productivity Tools You Probably Missed
  3. 7 Productivity Tools I Couldn’t Live Without
  4. 20+ CRM Tools for Freelancers
  5. 12 Tools That Enhance Productivity

About the author: Laura Spencer is a freelance writer from North Central Texas with over 20 years of professional business writing experience. If you liked this post, then you may also enjoy Laura’s blog about her freelance writing experiences, WritingThoughts. Laura is also on Google+.



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21 Comments
  • User Gravatar
    Tony Nguyen
    November 28th, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    Ha ha, this is definitely what I’m searching for. I will try all of those, one by one.

    At this time, the essential tools for me are Evernote, Dropbox and Wunderlist.

    Thanks

  • User Gravatar
    Laura Spencer
    November 28th, 2012 at 1:13 pm

    Tony Nguyen

    Thanks for sharing your list of tools. I liked the apps on my list so well that I am using most of them. :)

  • User Gravatar
    William Mougayar
    November 28th, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    Thank you Laura for including Engagio on this great list. Incidentally, we’ve just launched today new capabilities relating to Search, Discovery and Email Alerts. So, you can monitor/track keywords, people, topics etc…

  • User Gravatar
    Laura Spencer
    November 28th, 2012 at 7:32 pm

    William Mougayar,

    Thanks for the update on Engagio’s new capabilities.

  • User Gravatar
    Martin E
    November 28th, 2012 at 10:18 pm

    Thanks for sharing the blog article Laura (got here from StumbleUpon).

    On an aside, can you recommend social media tools? I’ve used Hoot Suite … I need to pare down Twitter users that are not following me back.

  • User Gravatar
    James Flynn
    November 29th, 2012 at 1:38 am

    Favorite app is Mobileday. I use my cell phone instead of a land line which has its pros and cons. I am on conference phone calls with clients at least 10 times/week. It is an app that is like makes these calls bearable. i only have to tap the screen once to join the calls when i am ready to join. No dialing and I get there on time. I will never go back!

  • User Gravatar
    Phil Williams
    November 29th, 2012 at 5:17 am

    I don’t use a lot of tools (aside from smatterings of WordPress plugins), but Tweetdeck certainly upped my productivity a lot. By scheduling advanced tweets, and easily using multiple accounts at the same time, I could actually start using Twitter to chat with people a bit more spontaneously instead of spending all my time on it managing accounts!

  • User Gravatar
    Christiano
    November 29th, 2012 at 5:23 am

    Another list of productivity tools. OMG! If reading wasn’t part of my scheduled tasks, I would be really unproductive going through it all. Using the tool matters more than the tool itself.

  • User Gravatar
    Laura Spencer
    November 29th, 2012 at 8:57 am

    Martin E

    Thanks for your comment Martin E. It’s been a while since we looked at Twitter apps, but you may want to review this post: http://freelancefolder.com/20-more-helpful-twitter-apps-for-freelancers/

  • User Gravatar
    Laura Spencer
    November 29th, 2012 at 8:58 am

    James and Phil–Thanks for sharing your favorite tools. :)

    Christiano, It’s true. You have to use a tool to see a benefit from it.

  • User Gravatar
    Martin E
    November 29th, 2012 at 9:08 am

    Thanks Laura, I will check that post out.

    On another note: I see Twitter users that have a handful of tweets, and thousands of followers. Obviously they are using automated software to follow people. Would you recommend this?

    I manually follow other Twitter users. While this makes sure I have relevant follows and followers, it does take awhile to build up a following.

  • User Gravatar
    Laura Spencer
    November 29th, 2012 at 9:16 am

    Martin E
    Personally, I believe that organic growth is best.

    But in some cases, for example if someone is a celebrity, they may attract thousands of followers without tweeting much.

  • User Gravatar
    Peggy Wainscott
    November 29th, 2012 at 12:31 pm

    Great list! I’ll have to try some of these. Also love the online timetracking tool toggl. Helps keep track of time spent on different customer projects. http://www.toggl.com

  • User Gravatar
    Laura Spencer
    November 29th, 2012 at 1:20 pm

    Peggy Wainscott,

    Thanks for sharing your favorite tool. Glad you liked the post.

  • User Gravatar
    Buzz Bruggeman
    November 29th, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    Hi Laura:

    Great post. I would hope for your next post on this topic you might consider our product, e.g., http://www.activewords.com/ .

    Our latest reviews are here:

    http://zd.net/VOAVVD and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG4YtdmhIws&feature=youtu.be

    We give you back the only thing you can’t buy, e.g., time.

  • User Gravatar
    Laura Spencer
    November 29th, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    Buzz Bruggeman,

    Thanks for your comment.

  • User Gravatar
    Manjinder Singh
    December 7th, 2012 at 3:11 am

    Thanks Laura, for these application … great help for newbie freelancers like us…

  • User Gravatar
    Web Design Houston
    December 7th, 2012 at 7:30 am

    http://www.espumadesign.com is best graphic design company in Houston TX.

  • User Gravatar
    David
    February 1st, 2013 at 10:42 am

    We use http://projectsputnik.com I could recommend this time tracking system due to great usability and clear reports on time spent. Project management features are flexible and also has outstanding usability.

  • User Gravatar
    Nha khoa
    March 4th, 2013 at 1:58 am

    New tools, good tools, Greate Tools for me ! ha ha ha … Thank for your sharing !

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