For the majority, freelancing seems like the perfect job; you get to work whenever and wherever you want, just as long as you meet the deadlines. You also get to choose your clients and the projects to work on and step out any time if you don’t feel like working on a particular project anymore. Sure, it sounds great, but it’s not all fun and games in the world of freelancing. Sometimes, things can get pretty hectic and tough.
So, let’s first debunk the myth of how amazing freelancing is; as a freelancer myself, I spend the majority of my time just writing proposals, preparing contracts, planning out and prioritizing tasks, doing research and the actual work for the project. All of this sometimes takes several days, just to complete each job, for each client, on time. Therefore, I realized the importance of argumentative essay examples for middle school and productivity apps. Not those phone apps that keep sending push notifications for every single thing; I’m talking computer apps that are actually serving the purpose of helping me make the most of my days.
Before jumping into the productivity apps, let’s clear out things on how the apps got on the list:
• These apps help most people work faster and more efficiently
• These apps are not something you use to do your actual work
• These apps are easy to use and are available for both, traditional desktop software or can be acquired from the Windows App Store
• The majority of the apps are free, but the ones that require payment will be known
• These apps are not built-in Windows programs; OneDrive and Snipping Tool are already available for Windows users
So, let’s walk through the best Windows productivity apps for freelancers in 2018;
nTask
The first on the list is a free productivity app intended for Windows, freelancers and business teams. nTask is a management software, designed mainly and primarily for freelancing teams. Since freelancers and employers with several clients usually work as a team, nTask would be an excellent option for those dealing with a lot of work and need management and organization help. However, it is important to notice that nTask is more than just a management tool; it is also a platform you would use to get things done better, faster and more efficient in the long run.
Here are some of the comprehensive and sophisticated features nTask offers:
• Gantt Charts: used for a holistic view to your entire project schedule
• Time Tracking: enables you to monitor the time spent on each task for each team member through timesheets
• Project Issues: allows you to determine the issues and their severity, as well as to prioritize them for your team
• Project Budget: allows you to plan and describe the budget for all the projects
• Checklists and Task Assign
• Public Links and Task Views
nTask also features a simple interface which enables the users fast and easy handling, from homemakers to freelancers, teams, and enterprises.
Evernote
Productivity begins with ideas and their organization; therefore, Evernote is the perfect productivity app for those who need help with prioritizing ideas, projects, and to-do lists. Evernote enables their users to manage everything, from big projects, personal moments, to new ideas and inspiration in notes, voice, and pictures. Evernote is also great if you want to keep track of your tasks and deadlines, which is of particular importance for freelancers.
Another excellent Evernote feature is its accessibility; Evernote’s plans and pricing are designed to fit your needs, wherever you work; at the office, at home, or somewhere else. Evernote, therefore, offers three Evernote Plans:
• Evernote Basic (free): used for taking notes, keeping a journal, clipping things you find on the web and sharing all of the information quickly and securely with your team.
• Evernote Premium (free trial – monthly 6.99EUR): used for a particularly professional and organized ‘to-do’ lists, that enable your projects and day-to-day tasks run more smoothly and effortlessly.
• Evernote Business (free trial – monthly 13.99 EUR): creates visibility into projects, workflows and deadlines; it also enables you to create and share notes and files in real time, so you and your team can have access to the latest updates all the time.
Seer
Seer is a Windows quick look tool that quickly previews files of different types. It pretty much acts like Quick Look on MacOS, but the creators of Seer claim it to be even more powerful, customizable and faster. What Seer does is support and allow large file formats, from video, image, text, markdown to PDF. It also allows you to copy a video frame, image or selected text from preview to the clipboard.
Seer, moreover, provides app quick start, which means that you can customize app behavior for 3rd party applications in the control bar. It is important to point out that Seer price is free but can charge $12.18 for a lifetime license per PC, which supports the app developer and keeps Seer up-to-date and in line with the modern improvements of apps and devices.
AquaSnap
AquaSnap is definitely my favorite productivity app for Windows. It is an app that allows you to organize windows and to maximize your screen use, especially if you usually work with several windows open at once. You can always use the Windows 10’s Aero Snap tool for a similar effect, but, according to Nurgo Software, AquaSnap is simply more functional and intuitive to use. Here’s a list of all the useful features AquaSnap offers:
• Window docking: allows you to split your desktop in one gesture while automatically resizing and fitting all of the windows
• Windows tiling: enables you to modify the layout of several tiled windows
• Windows snapping: allows you to align your windows by making them behave like magnets
• Windows stretching: allows to split the desktop space between several windows quickly
• Move windows together and Stay on top window
• Mouse and keyboard shortcuts
When it comes to pricing, AquaSnap offers a free Personal version which provides only several of the available features and a free trial. The Professional version is a standard license at $18, and the Professional Site License intended for large business comes at $599.
Desk Time
As a freelancer, you always have to worry about your work having structure. Therefore, Desk Time is an excellent app for those who like to have to track hours, analyze productivity and the time spent on each of the projects. This is a critical aspect of freelancing, according to 99designs, as the majority of the time, your payment depends on the hours spent working.
Desk Time allows you, therefore, to track and manage projects, generate reports using Desk Time data, charge offline hours, and most importantly, increases your productivity by up to 30%, which means more time and more money. So, all you have to do is create your Desk Time account, download the app for your Windows and starts tracking your time. Desk Time is an app that is fully automatic and works in the background, which means it won’t disturb you with notifications while you’re working.
Indy
Indy is a comprehensive project management software that includes everything you need to stay on top of your projects, from marketing to management to billing.
You can keep track of different tasks for multiple projects by assigning filters or moving tasks from one project to another. The tasks tool also allows you to assign tags, making it easy to see at a glance which project has the most tasks remaining. The deadline and reminders feature ensures you also deliver your work on time. At the end of the week or month, you can link your hours to an invoice by adding your hourly rate before sending the document to a client.
Here’s a list of all the useful features Indy offers: :
- Time tracking
- Managing invoices, tasks, and contract creation
- Customize proposals with your own branding
- Profiles, which help you get clients
- Chats, Projects, & Client functions for convenient communication
