My Favorite Tools for Managing Freelance Client Work

Hey guys! So today I am sharing my favorite tools that I use to help me manage my freelance business and client work. These tools make my day-to-day job easier and save me so much time in the long run. I’ve included my favorite brainstorming, scheduling, editing, designing, and business/admin tools below!

Brainstorming Tool:

1. Trello

Trello is an amazing collaboration tool for organizing and prioritizing different projects. You can easily turn your projects into boards and create to-do, in-progress, and completed lists and tasks. It’s easy to move different tasks from list to list, and Trello makes it very easy for your whole team to collaborate on a project!

Scheduling Tools:

1. Later & Planoly

The BEST tools for planning your Insta feeds, discovering & curating content, scheduling posts & stories, and managing & replying to comments. These tools also provide you with in-depth social media analytics across all platforms and hashtag recommendations to help make your content more discoverable!

Editing Tool:

1. Adobe Lightroom

Probably the most popular photo editing tool and for all the right reasons. There is a free and paid version of Lightroom, and I use the free version. I’ve purchased presets from other bloggers and photographers which usually come with specific instructions on how to download the presets into the Lightroom app. I’ve also created my own presets by following tutorials on YouTube and adjusting from there. Presets are a fantastic way to step up your content’s quality and create the ~aesthetic~ we all crave in our feeds.

Design Tools:

1. Canva

Canva is a design tool that provides pre-made, customizable templates for just about anything. From resumes, to social media posts, to invitations, and more – Canva has it all. I highly recommend it to anyone that needs to make graphics, but isn’t an expert in the Adobe Creative Suite. Canva has paid and premium versions, but a huge perk with the premium version is that it allows you to upload your brand’s fonts, colors, and logos.

2. Storyluxe, Unfold, & Over

Do you ever see those jaw-dropping Instagram stories all the bloggers make and wonder how the heck they make them? Apps like these are their secret. They provide you with beautifully designed Instagram Story templates. From ripped paper edges, to film strips, vintage Polaroid photos, & more – these apps are sure to help make your content more captivating. I’ve tried A LOT of photo editing tools and these three are by far my favorite. They offer free and premium versions, but you have the option to purchase individual template packs if you opt out of upgrading to a pro plan (which gives you access to all their design templates for a small monthly fee).

Business Administration Tools:

1. Law Depot

Whether you’re interested in protecting your estate, lending money, managing a rental property, or setting up a business, LawDepot can help. They have a HUGE library of legal forms and resources that were created by their in-house legal team. Truthfully, contract management has been the most stressful part of setting up my freelance business. You don’t want to mess around with contracts – they protect you and your business. Luckily, Law Depot makes this process quick and painless. I set up my confidentiality, consulting, and independent contractor agreements through Law Depot (which are the contracts I personally send out to potential clients). I was also able to build my LLC formation and operating agreements for the state of Michigan through Law Depot.

2. DocuSign

Once I’ve created my contracts in Law Depot and they’re ready to send to a client, I upload them to DocuSign. It’s a handy online tool I learned about while watching Vanessa Lau’s “How Much It Costs to Run a 6 Figure Business” video. DocuSign eliminates so much back and forth communication and helps me close clients so much faster. If a client requests to work with me I am able to send them over my contracts with the click of a button. I’m also able to see whether or not the client has viewed, opened, or signed the contracts.

3. Wave

This is another handy online tool I learned about while watching Vanessa’s video. I use Wave’s FREE accounting, invoice, and receipts plan. The accounting feature makes it so easy to to track your business’s income and expenses. The receipts feature is nice too because you get unlimited receipt scanning for free with their app, and wave will automatically record your receipts as accounting transactions. This feature helps you stay extreme organized for tax season. But the real reason I signed up was for the invoicing feature. Wave provides personalized invoicing templates and allows you to invoice clients in any currency. It allows me to quickly send my clients estimates and invoices and get them approved faster.

4. Pixel Helpers

I wasn’t sure what category to put these under, but Pixel Helpers deserve a spotlight because they save lives. They’re free Chrome plugins that tell you if your Pixels are installed correctly on your website pages. They work in the background and provide realtime information on Pixel implementation, such as which website tags were fired, warnings, and possible mistakes. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat all have their own Pixel Helpers that I recommend everyone install!