What Technology Do Freelancers & Home Business Owners Need?

The reason that such a large number of people are able to make careers out of freelancing is technology. Technology allows us to stay in touch with the people that help us to get our jobs done, to do our jobs more quickly from remote locations and to rapidly access the information that we need in order to do our work efficiently and to do it well. But there are so many different kinds of technology out there … and new stuff emerging each day … that it’s hard to know what you need to have and what you can skip.

Here’s a look at the basic technology that every freelancer needs, along with the technology that is optional for freelances but preferred by most.

Phone. Every freelancer needs a phone because people need to be able to get in touch with you. More specifically, freelancers should consider having a cell phone with standard options – such as voice mail – and should strongly consider making that phone a separate, business line with its own phone number. This helps give an air of professionalism to your work (something all freelancers could use a little more of since they’re work is often not easily respected) and also helps to keep your business more streamlined. You might always want some perks such as phone conferencing options.

Computer. Every freelancer needs a computer; it’s the lifeline of how the work gets done. More specifically, freelancers should consider getting a laptop that has wireless capabilities and should strongly consider getting an Internet service which has reliable, high speeds and continuous access. You are going to be saving a lot of material on your computer and using the Internet to stay in touch with your clients so you should invest some research time and money into getting a good computer. You also might want some perks such as a webcam.

Data Security. As a freelancer, you must make sure that all of your data is secure. This means that your local computer must have a hardware firewall as well as a software-based firewall. A properly configured firewall will to keep hackers away from your important and secure information. It is also essential that you incorporate a backup system into your data security plan. This is a way in which you save a copy of all of the data on your computer so that you can recover any information that either gets corrupted or lost. If all of this data security information sounds like gibberish to you, I suggest that you look into hiring a local computer consultant.

Fax/ Scanner/ Printer. Every freelancer should have each of these items, whether it’s in a three-and-one package or as separate items. Freelancers who have a scanner can make use of online fax programs rather than purchasing their own fax but having some sort of fax capability is important for all freelancers.

Website. Every freelancer needs to have their own business website. More specifically, freelancers should have a website which includes their online portfolio and resume. It’s strongly recommended that freelancers have a search engine optimized website which is regularly updated and includes a blog and informational videos. Quality content is key to the freelancer’s website in terms of generating new business.

Business Email. A growing business needs a professional email address. This means using your business website’s domain name as your email address. For example, contact@mybusinessname.com. It looks very unprofessional to have an aol, hotmail, or msn email address. For example, latasha12345grx@aol.com doesn’t look as professional as contact@abcsoftwareconsultants.com. Which one of these email addresses is a business address? It is so obvious, I won’t even answer that question.

Software. Every freelancer needs to have some basic computer software. There are many different things that different types of freelancers can consider getting which are specific to their niche and industry, but here are the basics that all freelancers should at least consider:

• Microsoft Office. This includes Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint and is the bare minimum of what you need to maintain the daily operations of your freelance business.
  
  
• Accounting software. You can use whichever program you prefer but freelancers need to take care of their money. This means having software that allows you to keep track of your finances, having invoicing options and having tax preparation software.
  
  
• Database software. If you’re going to maintain a large number of files, you might want a database and spreadsheet system to keep them organized.
  
  
• Marketing software. Software that will help you to write and send newsletters, keep your contacts organized and otherwise increase your marketing is a wise investment for all freelancers.

Digital camera with video. Every freelancer should consider having at least a basic digital camera with video options. This allows for taking pictures and uploading them to websites as well as for filming short videos to be used for promotional purposes.

One of the first steps that you can take to make sure that you’re going to succeed as a freelancer is to have the right tools. Technology has brought you to where you can work from home (or wherever) if you so choose … make use of that technology to go a step further and really do well for yourself. With a few of the right toys, you can be well on your way to operating a successful freelance business.

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