I’ve done it! I’m finally living my dream of working from home full-time. I have a regular gig that pays the bill and am eternally grateful for having some really cool clients that trust me and can vouch for my work ethic. With that being said, I have to be really organized to be efficient. With no real “boss” to answer to, I have to be the one who is accountable for meeting deadlines, following leads, and invoicing clients once my projects are done. If you’re new to owning a business or are just thinking about starting a home-based business, be sure to check out these tips on how to manage your money when starting a business as well.
Here are five things that help me get the most out of my workday:
- Cozi is a FREE online calendar. It helps you organize your appointments, tasks, and favorite memories. I like it because I can access it from my iPod Touch and Cruz Tablet as well as my laptop. This makes it easier to keep track of deadlines and pay periods. It also gives me a place to collect story ideas as well as websites I want to look at in the future.
- HootSuite has a Basic Plan that allows you to register up to five social media accounts for free. I use the service to schedule Tweets and update my Facebook Wall. Having a tool like this at my disposal saves me time because it allows me to pre-schedule messages that direct people back to my blog and to the websites I write for. I don’t have to dedicate large portions of time updating my social media accounts which allows me to work on other projects.
- TextFree for Web allows you to text cell phones and other TextFree customers from the comfort of your own computer. I love being able to do this because the keys on my cell phones are small and typing on them is nearly impossible. I just open up the application, type the number I want to text, and go about my business after checking for a response.
- Dropbox is by far my favorite application. It lets me share photos, videos, and documents with others without having to send them as email attachments. This allows me to conveniently access my computer from my iPod Touch and I never have to worry about size restrictions because the people I authorize to access my Dropbox can view its contents online.
- Lifed is a great resource for life and productivity hacks. I like to keep on top of technology and appreciate reading about new apps and software that make my job easier. I have the site bookmarked on my computer and I refer to it often.
Working from home is a dream come true for me. Learning how to be a more efficient, better organized independent contractor is something I strive for each and every day. Luckily the Internet helps me with this. With the click of a mouse or a swipe of my fingertip, I can access all the applications that make my job easier.
Author: Charissa
Charissa is into frugal living and saving money.
