The Freelancer’s iPhone
Posted June 10, 2010 in Productivity, Tools/Resources 42 Comments »
Freelancers can never totally disconnect. We’ve got to be around for client emergencies, constantly keep up on social networking and email, and get some work done while away from the computer.
There’s no better portable tool for handling all these things than my beloved iPhone. I would sooner leave the house without pants than without my iPhone, and it’s become one of the most important tools in my arsenal for productivity and efficiency.
In this post, I’ll share some of my favorite iPhone apps that help to make my iPhone so important to my freelance work. I’ll give you the chance to share your favorite apps too.
My Favorite iPhone Apps
Below are the list of apps that I could not live without on my iPhone.
- Billings –Amber mentioned Billings desktop in her article on apps that every freelancer needs. I also use Billings to keep track of clients and projects, and Billings Touch allows me to keep all my invoices, clients and more in my pocket, all the time. There’s also handy ways to track mileage, create and send invoices while on location, and more. While the app is free, if you want to be able to wirelessly synch to the desktop client, that functionality will set you back about $14.99.
- 1Password–As a web designer and developer, I have many, many passwords to keep track of. I just counted 14 separate GoDaddy logins that I maintain for my clients. I use the desktop version of 1Password to keep track of my various logins to various websites, and the iPhone version allows you to take all those logins with you to use at any computer or on the iPhone itself. The standard version is $6.99, or get the Pro version for 14.99.
- Evernote–This is a free app, both the desktop and iPhone version, and has become an invaluable part of my workflow. You can take photo notes, typed notes or voice notes that are synced to your desktop wirelessly. If you’re as forgetful as I am, this app will change your life and make you much more efficient.
- Dropbox–Similar to Evernote, this app is free on the desktop and iPhone and allows access to all those important files that you need. Although viewing files is limited to just images, PDFs and text documents, other types of documents can be emailed to contacts. It also allows uploading photos or movies to your Dropbox account to be accessed at your computer.
- Analytics Lite–I have set up my Google Analytics account to track all my websites traffic. This free app will let me access that directly and see how much traffic I’m getting, where its coming from and more. While not as full-featured as the Analytics website itself, it gives great information for you to take with you on the go. I can also whip out my iPhone at client meetings and show them traffic and sample reports as a sales tool, to show them how valuable and important a website is.
- Twitter for iPhone –Formally a paid app named Tweetie, Twitter bought the app and is now distributing it for free. I’ve tried nearly all the Twitter apps, and this one is the best, by far. Don’t cut off your social media marketing just because you’re away from the computer.
- Calendar –I use MobileMe synching to wirelessly update my calendar on my computer and my iPhone, but even without the synching the calendar is invaluable for keeping track of meetings and deadlines. This is a free app on a stock iPhone.
- Maps–This freebie app is installed on every iPhone. Use if it you get lost on your way to an important client meeting, or figure out how long it will take to get there. First impressions count, so be on time!
Need to find more iPhone apps? Here are 25 more.
What About You?
I know many freelancers rely on their iPhones to keep them in touch with the world while they’re away from the computer. What apps do you use to stay productive and efficient while away?
Do you use another type of smart phone such as the Droid? Feel free to share your favorite apps for that here as well.
Image by William Hook
About the author: Tim Wasson a freelance website design and developer based in Peoria, Illinois. He serves clients large and small through his company, TJ Dub Web Design. You can see his personal site at timwasson.com, or follow him on twitter @timwasson.
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42 Comments
jv
June 10th, 2010 at 8:33 amWhat about things.. http://culturedcode.com/things/iphone/
Paul Millar
June 10th, 2010 at 8:40 amPretty big fan of the mediatemple app :P
Jordan Walker
June 10th, 2010 at 8:47 amThanks for sharing which applications you use on your smart phone. I have had a lot of success using the operating system released by Google – Android.
Silvan
June 10th, 2010 at 8:47 am+ Skype
+ Wordpress.. for bloggers.
;)
Sponsi
June 10th, 2010 at 9:06 amNot in a thousand years! Maybe HTC (but without Android) or something on Symbian or Windows Mobile 7.. but NEVER this over-marketed piece of shiny “something”.. no no no to Apple and iPod, iPhone and iPad. It’s not worth even 50 per cent of its price.
Cory
June 10th, 2010 at 10:10 amI agree….Without my iPhone, I would be totally lost!
There are many good apps out there for freelance people and here a couple that I use quite often…..
Chieftent- a mobile Basecamp client. Great app, but doesn’t offer access to Writeboards. Other than that, the best mobile Basecamp client for iPhone IMO. App is $9.99 if I remember correctly.
Boxcar- offers better PUSH notifications. Excellent for keeping up with Twitter, Facebook, etc. and needing to be notified of certain things happening. App is free but cost a little extra for multiple services.
Wi-Fi Finder- Really good app for finding local wi-fi hotspots! Every iPhone should have a wi-fi finder app!
Nico Mombaerts
June 10th, 2010 at 10:37 amadobe ideas – ps mobile – project – x-ref – web dev suite
Laira
June 10th, 2010 at 11:24 amThanks list. Thanks for sharing..
I would add Fring to this list..
Josh Arguello
June 10th, 2010 at 12:00 pmI love AroundMe – only thing that would make it better is if it had the function to find free wifi… but it will help you locate bars, restaurants, gas stations etc plus it has a “street” view by using the camera.
It is free, and has saved me a couple times by helping me locate gas stations nearby. I also use it to find addresses more frequently than I use Google Maps (though it uses Google Maps to find addresses for you), it is a little easier to use.
Lorraine
June 10th, 2010 at 12:02 pmAgree. The iPhone is sooo much more than a phone. It’s a browser, an organizer, my best friend–oops, I go too far.
(Before I bought the iPhone, one of my kids remarked, “Mom, you think the iPhone will make your life perfect. But it WON’T.”)
My iPhone, however, IS indispensable to me. I use many of the apps you mention and also find the following very useful: Twitpic, FourSqaure, NYArtBeat, Flickr.
I use Tweetdeck, but will check out Twitter for iPhone, as per your recommendation.
Thanks for this helpful post.
Dr. Freelance
June 10th, 2010 at 12:28 pmMy wife has had an iPhone through work for about 2 years and loves it (and I’ve been wickedly jealous). Unfortunately, I’m committed to Verizon for my cell phone — AT&T service is pretty weak in our area. But the day that iPhone comes to Verizon, I’m on it like white on rice!
mike ilsley
June 10th, 2010 at 12:41 pm@Sponsi
What an ignorant statement. I’ve had an iPod nano that I’ve used almost daily for the last 5 years. I paid $199 for it. You’re saying it’s not worth half of that cost??
What about the iPhone, it cost me like 2 or 300 bucks with a contract. I use it daily for a million different things; and as a designer it greatly improves my productivity.
I think you’re confusing good design and usability with “shiny”.
Clifford
June 10th, 2010 at 12:57 pm+1 Things. It’s great for keeping me on track.
Tess
June 10th, 2010 at 2:37 pmThanks for sharing this list.
I cannot live without tweetdeck, and free wi-fi finder and as a freelance translator the iTranslate and Dictionary are fun addditions.
Gregor
June 10th, 2010 at 2:43 pmMy favorite iPhone app would be the flashplayer, and I won’t buy any apple product until they change their restrictive policies.
Nicolas Miranda
June 10th, 2010 at 3:12 pm• billings
• tweetdeck
• air sharing pro
• mindnode
• omni invoice
these are just a few that i use for business. i love my iphone.
Chris Mower
June 10th, 2010 at 4:24 pmI used and loved Credit Card Terminal: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/credit-card-terminal/id290137919?mt=8
I don’t have an iPhone (or any cell phone) anymore though. I use Google Voice and link it to the office and home phones. The iPhone, although it had some great apps on it, was harming my productivity. It was too easy to play on it, so I got rid of it.
I imagine I might get one again someday; I’m not anti-cell phone. For now though, I’m pretty content being cellphone free!
Dutch Designer
June 10th, 2010 at 4:59 pmA must-have for your tasks and projects is 2Do. I really love it and use it instead of Things. Great UI design(!) and very functional.
latteperday
June 10th, 2010 at 8:54 pmThe Paypal app has improved as well as Skype.
I second Evernote though. Great to have your notes and memos with you on the road and syncing across machines too.
Jean-Francois Arseneault
June 10th, 2010 at 11:46 pmI run my business on Daylite and having Daylite touch on the iPhone, connecting to Daylite server back home through 3G just rocks. My wife also uses Daylite touch so we can better plan family activities by always knowing each other schedules, projects, etc.
Byline (or netnewswire) are also essential to me, to catch RSS feeds.
Erik Walsh
June 11th, 2010 at 7:28 amGreat apps!!! I haven’t tried them all and I can’t wait to do it. I believe that the iPhone is a great tool and it can certainly be of much help for the people involved in the freelance activity.
Thank you for sharing.
Cesare
June 11th, 2010 at 7:40 amAn rss reader. Recently I am using mobilerss reader.
Jay B.
June 11th, 2010 at 2:54 pmMaps, maps, maps! Having several dozens of listings, running around with GPS and laptop used to be annoying, now it’s a completely different song. However, I find iPad a bit too teenage-oriented for a middle-aged professional, I prefer HTC.
TheAL
June 11th, 2010 at 11:05 pmKinda feel like I’ll be the nagging neddy per usual; however, while I agree this list is very helpful and informative, I find it a bit concerning that so many design/development/tech/phone places the web over are always so iPhone-centric. In the case of app-related articles, it’s kinda hard not to be. No other phone has soooooooo many apps (though I would contend that many are novelty “crap” apps and that quantity doesn’t always mean quality). But the iPhone isn’t the only smartphone out there that provides a wealth of convenient, on-the-go productivity. At this point I’d even settle for most articles being mostly about iPhones if they all at least still mentioned other phones and always referred to themselves as just smartphone resources.
I know a lot of people who have iPhones aren’t techies, and they went from flippers to iPhones, so of course they’re enamored to the point where they think nothing compares, but all these “magical” things exist on smartphones the industry over. The iPhone was not the first smartphone, and hopefully it won’t go down as the last.
Sorry about the rant. Just speaking my mind. As someone who doesn’t like the iPhone and is a bit of a supporter of other phones, having to always pass up articles on my fav sites because of iPhone tunnel vision is a bit of an ongoing bummer.
Doug
June 12th, 2010 at 3:39 am@the al
They don’t write articles about the other phones because they suck and they do not have the wide range of apps available that is on the iPhone.
Liz
June 13th, 2010 at 6:05 pmI use Billing Boss from Sage to keep track of my billings (http://www.billingboss.com). I use it to create invoices while i’m on the road with my phone and keep track of payments. I also use it to process payments when I have the client’s credit card in front of me, so I can immediately inform the client if the payment information is not valid.
All payments and invoices are integrated with their web-based invoicing manager, so I can reference all invoices when I’m on my desktop (Windows or Mac). I personally like it because my accountant/bookkeeper has access to all my invoices and payments at any time, saving me time at the end of the month to send them files, etc.
Full Disclosure: This author has been compensated by Sage. I am their Social Media Consultant but I was using their product well before they contracted me. They found me when I sent them an email giving suggestions about Billing Boss!
Ron
June 13th, 2010 at 10:51 pm@TheAL I would say two things.
one it’ss hard to write about phones you don’t own… so it makes sense to read lots of iphone only articles if thats what people have. If people want learn about non iphone apps just read some non-iphone app articles… if there are non then write one.
and dos, the iphone is very smooth and easy to use and there really are some great apps the ones listed above are legit, and helpful.
thanks for the post that’s my 2 cents
Steven Wilson
June 14th, 2010 at 7:39 amSkype, Mailchimp, Wordpress, Flickr and Linkedin
Jen
June 14th, 2010 at 12:01 pmAwesome Note is probably my most used app to date. Passwords, to do lists, calendar & important notes are all in one place. Plus it can backup my notes in Google Docs.
Ron
June 14th, 2010 at 12:32 pmevernote can back up your google docs??! i use evernote for a ton of stuff didn’t know it could do that!
Ron
June 14th, 2010 at 12:44 pmedit:never mind my last Q just saw awesome note is not a cool name for evernote a whole different app!!! awesome :)
BORA
June 14th, 2010 at 9:30 pmGreat list! I will definately check some of them out!
Best wishes
spiros
June 15th, 2010 at 12:32 pmno foursquare? no beejive?
Jared Redick
July 29th, 2010 at 1:47 amEvernote, Box.net, Pocket Informant, PayPal, LinkedIn, My Lists (for pure simplicity), Constant Contact, AroundMe, KAYAK M13, Currency, HBR Today, NPR Addict, MProfs, My TSA, Bump….
Maybe I should stop. iPhone has truly, truly optimized my productivity.
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