For many freelancers and entrepreneurs, using the best software can seem out of reach. When you operate a one-person shop, you know that CRM, email marketing, and social media strategies can be a big boost to your business, but just don’t seem very realistic when it comes to time and money. But the truth is that if you want to increase your business, there are some tech opportunities you should reconsider. Getting started as a freelancer can be hard, but it’s not impossible. Here are a few ways you can utilize tech to boost your career.
Manage Your Online Reputation
Your web presence is about much more than being online — your online reputation is your billboard, brochure, and business card all rolled into one. When potential customers look at hiring your services, they are also looking at you. Build a strong online reputation by posting regular blogs on your website or videos to YouTube that provide useful and valuable information. For example, if you are a freelance graphic designer, write a post about how colors can trigger emotions. For those left-minded professionals, like accountants or financial planners, post a video teaching people who to make (and stick to) a simple household budget.
Build a Robust Website
Your website is the foundation for the success of your brand, even more so if you are on your own. Experienced web developers can give you a website that brings in a steady flow of clients for your business. There are different aspects of your website, and building and maintaining all of them are essential for generating traffic. One of these aspects includes back-end development, and PHP developers can make excellent candidates for this area of expertise. You’ll want to hire a PHP developer who is familiar with your preferred technology stack, as well as any project management tools or test suites that you use.
Prioritize Project Management
There are many reasons you started out on your own. Focus on the tasks that give you meaning and joy by using project management software to keep track of time, milestones, clients, contracts, and assignments. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds when you are a freelancer or entrepreneur trying to build a business. Project management tools like Asana, Basecamp, Slack, or Trello can keep you organized and on top of the day-to-day.
Connect with Customers
Customer relationship management, or CRM, is a game-changer for how freelancers keep track of current and potential customer needs and wants. You can learn trends and even predict behavior so you are better able to acquire new projects and contracts, as well as keep current clients happy and engaged. A CRM helps you keep detailed data on customers and records on interactions so you can make more target sales or project pitches. That’s why many entrepreneurs say that using CRM helps them build a loyal, repeat customer base.
Consider Invoice Financing for Quick Cash
Cash flow can be tight at the beginning of a freelance career. Some entrepreneurs choose to sell their invoices to third parties who will pay a percentage of the full amount upfront. When the invoice is paid, the rest goes directly to the third party. This means that while you lose out on the full payment, you do get a quick cash bump upfront. It also means that you can essentially outsource your invoicing and payment processing, which takes another big task off your plate. However, keep in mind that some invoice factoring companies will hold you responsible for unpaid invoices, which can come back to haunt you.
Getting the most out of your technology not only saves you some time, but in the long run, it can also save you money. It’s important you understand what you need and take small, intentional steps toward building your business.