by constructaquote - 4 July 2017
On a daily basis, we see the web changing and gaining new tools to support us in work and play. It’s opened a world of possibilities when working as a freelance consultant. With the introduction of new websites, apps, social media and cloud storage, it has enabled a user-friendly and simple way of completing consultancy tasks.
With cloud-based project management as an option now, you can keep all of it in one place and even have relevant people attached to different projects if that is required. Products like Basecamp, Bitrix24 and Freedcamp even offer app versions for Android and iOS enabling even further portability without sacrificing quality. Keeping your files tidy, your meetings in one place and no sticky notes on you monitor reminding you to go to meetings.
Branding yourself is an important thing to do both in the real world and online. Using NameChk.com in order to find a suitable branding name that nobody else is using will help you stick out.
Facebook even offers a review service which is important as 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. [1] It also allows a direct way for people to communicate with you through Facebook messenger. It’s more social, personal and professional to have an instant reply, adding a personal touch to your service. [2]
Setting up a LinkedIn profile is a great way to network. Most people do find themselves signing up to LinkedIn looking for a job, only to find it is quite a full of others doing the same. It is also an amazing tool to find recommendations, if you ask for recommendations on LinkedIn you will more than likely get a strong and helpful response. Yet, a lot of professionals find it a great place to network for future use and is a great tool for freelancers. [3]
Different kinds of social media can help your Small Business in different ways, see which ones would suit you best on a post we wrote previously. [4]
As mentioned in Social Media, use NameChk.com in order to see if the website you would want is available. Make sure to have testimonials on the website along with posts about your work. You can get embeds of Feefo or TrustPilot reviews onto your website. These are considered reliable sources for consumers as they come from a verified user. 80% of people use search engines to find local product products and service information, so you’re going to want to feature high on there. [5] Websites like WordPress and Squarespace will make this process easy.
RescueTime/ManicTime apply a little bit of pressure to you, as there is no-one on your back telling you to work. They both look at what you are spending your time on and lets you know by percentage what you are doing with your time, setting in that little bit of pressure some need to keep working.
Quickbooks/FreshBooks: With this service, you can create professionally designed invoices complete with your own logo. When you need to bill your client, it’ll send your invoice via email. After that, the system takes care of the rest, giving you in-depth data analysis on your spending.
Google Drive is a fantastic tool to keep backups of your files which is supported on a wide arrange of devices and has a great share function on documents. Google even offers an easy way to share multiple videos on the drive platform as well.
Mailchimp: Direct Marketing is simple, yet a very powerful tool. Mailchimp allows up to 2,000 subscribers on your mailing list, and to send 12,000 emails a month for free, so unless you need more than that, it’s a serious way to market.
Hybrid Laptop/Tablet: Devices like the Microsoft Surface Pro, HP Spectre and Lenovo Yoga offer a touch screen device with a lot of speed but in a lightweight fashion. These hybrids are incredible for portability and usability, meaning you don’t have to cart around a lot to get all your work done on the go. With access to cloud-based services as well, you can easily sync the files up and swap back to another device if needed.
External Storage: When working on the go a lot, it is great to have portable storage, either in the form of a USB Flash Drive or a USB Hard Drive. This will give you a chance to copy items that you might need to give to clients or have them give you. Yes, you could e-mail files or use cloud computing but it’s always handy to have around and you can always get a small USB Flash Drive to put with your keys, making it no hassle to have. USB Hard Drives are meant to be for more demanding items, such as photos, audio or video. Check out what’ll suit you the most in the long run.
Kensington Lock: Having a Kensington lock for your laptop, PC, hard drives can keep you at ease as it offers a way to stop your portable items from being portable for potential thieves.
Sources:
[1] http://searchengineland.com/88-consumers-trust-online-reviews-much-personal-recommendations-195803
[2] http://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/5-reasons-use-facebook-messenger-business-facebook
[3] http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/4-ways-to-build-trust-and-influence-on-linkedin/
[4] https://blog.constructaquote.com/infographic-the-best-social-media-platforms-for-your-business/
[5] https://www.brafton.com/news/80-use-search-engines-find-local-product-service-information/
by Charlotte Houghton - 7 October 2020
by constructaquote - 6 October 2020
by Charlotte Houghton - 29 September 2020
by Charlotte Houghton - 24 September 2020
