Featured Archives

50+ Places to Find Freelance Work

by Samantha Anderl | Oct 24, 2024 | Blog, Featured, Resources

If you’re new to freelancing, figuring out how to land your first client (and your second… and your third) can be a little tough. Do you cold-email prospective clients offering your services? Do you focus on networking and hope for a referral? Or do you pour your energy into building your online presence and generate interest that way?

Well, those are all great options, actually. But let’s be real: When you’re facing down your next rent payment and scowling at your dwindling bank account, the priority is finding freelance work fast. Fortunately for all of us, a lot of other people have faced this problem in the past. And some of those people have built entire freelance marketplaces and communities to help solve it.

Below, we’ll share some of the best sites to explore if you’re looking to land your next freelance gig quickly or you just want to keep the doorway open to new clients. These sites are categorized by specialty, from general freelance sites to sites focused on marketing, writing, design & more. Further down, we’ve also featured several international sites that feature freelance jobs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe & the UK, and Latin America.

Let’s dive in!

Here are the best sites to explore if you’re looking to land your next freelance gig quickly.

General Freelance Job Boards & Newsletters

For freelancers in all regions and all specialties

Harlow

Yours truly. The Harlow Freelance Job Board is chock-full of new gigs for freelancers across industries and verticals. You can filter by skill, company & more to find the right role. We include pay when it’s available and encourage you to pitch your rate when it’s not. We also highly recommend signing up for the Harlow freelance newsletter to get a shortlist of the hottest jobs delivered to your inbox every week, plus inspiration as you build and grow a sustainable business.

Cave Jobs

Cave Jobs manually combs the internet daily to find and upload freelance gigs and remote jobs posted by Team Leads, Founders, CMOs, Heads of Content, and even business owners on their feeds.

The Daily Lead

Get fresh freelance leads every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from The Daily Lead — a Substack with over over 3,000 subscribers.

Founder Gigs

Founder Gigs by Alex Friedman is a newsletter that curates fractional roles for founders who want to supplement their income while continuing to build other businesses and revenue streams.

Freelance Opportunities

Make space in your inbox every Friday for Kaitlyn Arford’s Freelance Opportunities newsletter. It’s chock-full of opportunities for journalists, copywriters, social media managers, and more.

Mylance

Get fractional jobs delivered to your inbox as soon as they’re posted directly from the company’s website. Get on Mylance’s list.

NoDesk

Work from anywhere. NoDesk specializes in remote freelance jobs and gig work all over the world, primarily in the tech industry. Add “freelance” or “contract” to the search bar to find roles that suit your needs, or search by function/specialty.

Remotive

Similar to NoDesk, Remotive features vetted tech jobs all over the world, and you can explicitly search for freelance or contract roles to find a solid selection of quality opportunities.

Surely + Work

Surely + Work has hundreds of open freelance jobs across professions, industries, and locations. You can find some great niche roles here. Dig in!

We Work Remotely

We Work Remotely is one of the largest remote work communities in the world and is jam-packed with a diverse set of freelance opportunities. From graphic design gigs to engineering positions and everything in between – they’ve got you covered.

General Freelance Marketplaces

For freelancers in all regions and all specialties

Freelancer

If you’d prefer to browse gigs, Freelancer is a great option. They feature freelance job listings, so you get a bit more info about the project up front, and you can submit quotes to “bid” on them if you’re interested. Like Fiverr, you’ll still create a profile to attract people looking to hire, and you’ll be paid when the client marks the job as complete. Unlike Fiverr, Freelancer offers flexible pricing options and lower fees.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Fixed Price or Hourly
Transaction Fees: 10%

Freelancing Females

Functioning as a community, directory, job board, and resource hub, Freelancing Females is a haven for self-identified women who work for themselves. You can browse their job listings and resources for free and sign up for their membership to get listed in their directory, join their Slack channel, and gain access to live workshops and exclusive discounts. On their site, they also feature a rad rate sheet where you can see what other women are charging around the world.

Membership Fee: $18/quarter or $59/year
Pricing Options: N/A
Transaction Fees: N/A

FreeUp

Another player in the freelance marketplace, FreeUp offers more flexibility with pricing and more consistency with payments. You can charge whatever rate you’d like (the fees are on the client) and you’ll be paid out weekly for your work through PayPal or Payoneer. FreeUp practices a bit more discretion with their “hires”—you need to apply to join as a freelancer, interview with a team member, and pass a test in order to be accepted. But once you’re in, you can enjoy access to their community benefits, like 24/7 support and vetted, high-caliber jobs.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Hourly
Transaction Fees: 0% (client pays fees)

Guru

If you’re looking for a lot of flexibility and a powerful system to back you, Guru knows what’s up. This freelance marketplace is free to join, but they offer a range of membership options that can cater to varying needs and support you as you scale your business. Their free plan limits you to sending 10 quotes per month, which is fine for most freelancers anyway, so you can skate by at no cost (besides transaction fees) unless you want more powerful features, like Premium Quotes and boosted rankings to help you stand out.

Membership Fee: $0 to join, costs to upgrade
Pricing Options: Fixed Price, Task-Based, Hourly, or Recurring
Transaction Fees: 9% on their free plan (but you can agree to split up to 5% with the employer)

Shoutt

Looking for creative, marketing, or technical work? Shoutt is a commission-free marketplace featuring over 1,000 open roles (all added within the last 7 days — so they’re guaranteed fresh). Sign up for a free account to browse or become a paid member to apply and create contracts.

Membership Fee: $0 to join; $19.99 to apply to jobs
Pricing Options: N/A
Transaction Fees: N/A

Toptal

Similar to FreeUp, Toptal extensively vets its freelancers, conducting interviews to assess your skills and matching you with relevant jobs. Their clients range from Fortune 500 businesses to Silicon Valley startups, so you’re guaranteed high-quality projects with top companies around the world. Best of all, they don’t take a cut from your pay, so you get the rate you want. If you’re looking to make a career of freelancing and you have a strong resume, joining Toptal is a great move.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Hourly or Weekly
Transaction Fees: 0% (client pays fees)

Twine

Twine is a freelance marketplace for creatives, developers, and marketers. You can build a one-page website on their platform to showcase your work and apply for jobs in just one click. It’s free to get started, but they do charge transaction fees for some payment processors. And you can upgrade to their Pro plan to unlock more features.

Membership Fee: for Free plan: $0; for Pro: $7.49 per month (billed yearly) or $13.99 monthly
Pricing Options: Lump Sum or “Vault” payments
Transaction Fees: variable

Freelance Design Job Boards & Newsletters

For freelance designers in all regions

Authentic Jobs

Authentic Jobs is a job board for designers, developers, and other creatives. They feature solid listings from reputable companies, and you can browse and apply free of charge. Check out their listings today if you’re looking for leads.

Smashing Magazine

If you’re looking for a simple place to find and get the job done, look no further than Smashing Magazine’s job board. Clients post jobs and gigs here regularly, so you can scan the list on your own time and apply as you wish. There are no fees or memberships—just a handy collection of opportunities.

Freelance Design Marketplaces

For freelance designers in all regions

99designs

99designs has been helping designers find work since 2008. Their unique platform allows you to work 1:1 with clients or participate in design contests to win a job. Designers are vetted and receive more perks as they take on more projects, ascending from Entry Level to Mid Level to Top Level as they gain experience on the platform. As your level increases, your fees decrease, making it a platform worth investing in.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Fixed Price, Task-Based, Hourly, or Recurring
Transaction Fees: 15% at Entry Level, 10% at Mid Level, and 5% at Top Level, plus a 20% client introduction fee applied to your first $500 of income (which is waived if you win a client contest)

Dribbble

Acting as both a freelance job board and a membership marketplace, Dribbble is a flexible option for designers to find work. You can scan their list of opportunities for free or join their Pro Business plan to get their daily leads newsletter—AKA high-quality gigs in your inbox daily—so you don’t have to chase down opportunities.

Membership Fee: $15/month paid annually or $20/month paid monthly
Pricing Options: N/A
Transaction Fees: N/A

Freelance Marketing Job Boards & Newsletters

For freelance marketers in all regions

Content as a Career

Get work-from-anywhere marketing roles delivered to your inbox every Friday by Content as a Career. The opportunities are hand-selected by one of our favorites, Tamilore Oladipo.

Top of the Funnel

This free Slack community for content marketers and SEO specialists features fresh job opportunities, resources & more. Join TOFU today.

Yentalist

Yentalist by Olivia Dreizen Howell and the Fresh Starts Registry crew features a curated list of great remote marketing jobs. It’s updated a couple of times a week with the latest and greatest.

Freelance Marketing Marketplaces

For freelance marketers in all regions

Advisable

Similar to MarketerHire, Advisable hooks you up with tailored opportunities based on your experience and preferences and puts great care into vetting the freelancers before accepting them as “Advisable Specialists.” You can join for free, and if you make it through the application process, you’ll enjoy a steady flow of new work. If you want extra benefits, like higher-quality clients, greater exposure, and even custom lead gen campaigns, you can apply to join their Advisable Elite program, which is also free.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Hourly
Transaction Fees: 20% for payments <$10,000; 10% for payments >$10,000; 5% for payments >$25,000

MarketerHire

For seasoned marketers seeking freelance work, MarketerHire is a game-changer. They qualify clients for you and take care of contracts and payments, so you can skip the business management and still enjoy a full pipeline. Oh, and it’s free. MarketerHire carefully screens and vets all the freelancers on their site, accepting less than 5% of applicants, so if you’re an expert who only wants the top jobs available, this site is for you.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: Hourly
Transaction Fees: N/A

Freelance Writing Job Boards & Newsletters

For freelance writers in all regions

The Career Design Newsletter

The Career Design Newsletter by Dan Marzullo brings you weekly freelance writing gigs and advice on building a creative business doing work you love.

Freedom With Writing

Freedom With Writing is a website that acts as a matchmaker for freelance writers connecting them with editors and publishers who are seeking their work. In addition to e-books, case studies, and other resources, they also send reviews of companies that hire freelancers and sites to help you find the freelance writing gig that works for you.

Freelance Framework

Get daily freelance writing gigs delivered straight to your inbox from Freelance Framework, a newsletter by content marketer Chris Bibey.

Freelance Writing Jobs

Freelance Writing Job Board is updated with fresh freelance writing and blogging jobs every day. If you’re seeking online writing jobs, part-time on-site jobs, internships, or more – they’ve got them for you.

The Freelance Writing Network

The Freelance Writing Network has paid and free versions of their Substack, all aimed at helping writers find the best new gigs. Their paid subscription includes early access to weekly jobs, high-paying gigs, and a weekly round-up of bonus opportunities, like fiction & poetry submissions, retreats, and more.

Kat Boogaard’s Newsletter

Kat Boogaard is a freelance writer who has a weekly newsletter full of not only awesome freelancing gigs, but tips, advice, and other content to help you expand your freelance business. Subscribe to her newsletter today to get job leads sent directly to your inbox every week.

Peak Freelance

Peak Freelance is another ripe community for freelance writers to find jobs, connect with other writers, and bolster their skills by learning from showcased experts. You can browse their job board or sign up for their newsletter for free access to top job leads, contribution opportunities, and writing tips. And if you want more, you can become a member or join their Slack to connect and grow with other writers.

ProBlogger

For content writers on the hunt for gigs, ProBlogger is a great place to start your search. They feature all sorts of freelance writing projects (not just blog posts) so you can pick and choose and apply based on your preferences. Plus, ProBlogger offers a cool hub of resources for bloggers looking to grow, so if you’re into that, sign up for their free newsletter to get the latest and greatest.

SuperPath

SuperPath offers a much-needed community to freelance writers who are looking to network, connect, and find job leads. Their Slack channel is the place to find like-minded writers who are navigating the same ups and downs as you, and their job board is an awesome spot to nab new writing gigs fast. You can create a job seeker profile to seamlessly apply to jobs on their site.

The Writer’s Job Newsletter

The Writer’s Job Newsletter is a newsletter that delivers some of the best paid writing jobs directly to your inbox every week. Oh, and did we mention that it’s free? If you’re a writer looking for your next gig, we highly recommend subscribing – while you’re at it, give them a follow on Twitter, too!

Freelance Writing Marketplaces

For freelance writers in all regions

Draft

Want a steady stream of freelance content writing work? Draft is the spot. If you’re accepted to the platform, you can browse and claim writing jobs—no proposals, no hassles. You just need to deliver the work by the deadline, and you’ll get paid out by Draft at the end of the week. It’s a great way to get consistent income without the pressure of searching for work and managing operations. To join, you’ll need a strong portfolio.

Membership Fee: $0
Pricing Options: $0.05-$0.30 per word for writing; $0.03-$0.10 per word for editing
Transaction Fees: 0%

Freelance HR Marketplaces

For freelance HR specialists in all regions

HR Lancers

HR Lancers is a freelance marketplace dedicated to connecting HR professionals with great work. If you’re in the US or Canada, you can become a member for free to search their marketplace or pay a fee to feature your profile.

Membership Fee: $0 to join, $7/month to feature your profile
Pricing Options: N/A
Transaction Fees: N/A

International Freelance Job Boards

For freelancers in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe & the UK, and Latin America

The freelance job sites below are focused on specific regions of the world. If you’re an international freelancer looking for gigs in your field, you can start your search below. We’ve included a combination of international job boards and marketplaces serving Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe & the UK, and Latin America. For some sites, you may need to add specific search criteria (e.g. “freelance” or “contract”) in order to filter out full-time and part-time work. Happy hunting!

Africa – Freelance Job Boards & Marketplaces

AfriBlocks

A growing marketplace for Pan-African freelancers in design and tech, AfriBlocks offers an abundance of resources in addition to their job board. Become a member of their community to create a freelance profile and begin browsing their job listings.

Elharefa

Elharefa is a freelance marketplace serving Egypt exclusively. They have jobs in design, media, writing, translation, marketing, sales, and more. Check out their current opportunities and register to create a profile.

JobVine

JobVine is freelance marketplace based in South Africa. They connect freelancers with businesses seeking quality support across an array of functions, from design and development to marketing and project management. Create a profile to get registered and listed, and begin receiving client leads. It’s worth noting — on their free plan, you do have to pay per lead. You can upgrade to a paid plan for access to unlimited leads and more.

RemoteAfrica

Want to work from anywhere in Africa? Explore the RemoteAfrica job board for a wide variety of roles across verticals and industries. Though their job board primarily caters to full-time, part-time, and contract work, you can find freelance roles by adding “freelance” to your search query. RemoteAfrica also has an active freelance Slack community if you’re interested in networking.

Asia – Freelance Job Boards & Marketplaces

Glints

Looking for freelance work in Singapore? Glints is one of the top job boards in the country and they feature a selection of freelance roles across an array of industries. Filter by “Job Type > Freelance” to see their latest additions. You can scope pay, required experience, and more, and apply for roles that fit the bill.

Tech in Asia

If you’re seeking remote freelance work in Asia, check out the Tech in Asia job board for the latest opportunities. At the time of publishing, they have a dozen listed freelance gigs in Indonesia, ranging from admin work to content creation to sales.

World in Freelance (Japan)

Find new clients, land exciting projects, and bolster your portfolio. World in Freelance (Japan) features remote freelance opportunities with funded Japanese startups and larger, established companies. Explore their job listings today to see if there’s a match.

Australia – Freelance Job Boards & Marketplaces

Rachel’s List

Rachel’s List is one of the top freelance marketplaces in Australia. It’s a hot spot for businesses to find reputable freelance journalists, copywriters, and content specialists. You can register to get listed and upgrade to a paid plan for full access to their job board. Or, stick with their free plan and purchase a 24-hour pass to apply to any gigs that catch your eye.

SEEK

Land your next freelance gig via the SEEK job board. They break down pay, experience requirements, and more. You can search for freelance roles to find the latest and greatest. You’ll just need an account to apply.

Europe & UK – Freelance Job Boards & Marketplaces

EU Remote

Seeking freelance work in a European time zone? The EU Remote job board features 100% remote opportunities from companies around the globe, with working hours that suit European & UK applicants. They also offer special access to their freelance community — the largest in the region.

Faruse

Find an English-speaking gig in Europe on Faruse — a job board with hundreds of open freelance roles across every imaginable vertical. Type “freelance” into the search bar to whittle it down to roles that meet your needs.

Freelance UK

Get listed on the Freelance UK marketplace to match with credible businesses seeking expert support in your industry. You do need a premium membership to access their job listings, but they don’t take a cut from your pay, and they don’t charge hidden fees.

Major Players

Major Players is an international talent agency with offices in London, Amsterdam, and Berlin. They feature hot, vetted, high-paying roles with established companies, primarily in Europe and the UK. As of posting, they have 16 open freelance opportunities in engineering, marketing, project management, and sales. Scope them today.

Latin America – Freelance Job Boards & Marketplaces

SoyFreelancer

If you’re looking for Spanish-speaking freelance roles in Latin America, check out the SoyFreelancer job board. They offer a huge range of roles across an array of functions and industries.

Workana

Workana is the largest freelance and remote work site in Latin America. They connect freelancers with startups, entrepreneurs, and established companies looking for seasoned virtual support. Register for an account to explore their open roles.

My 2024 Reflection & Goal Planning Template

by Samantha Anderl | Jan 3, 2024 | Blog, Featured, Resources

Embracing the transition from one year to the next fills me with a sense of joy and anticipation. For me, it offers a golden opportunity for introspection. While I recognize that time is ever-flowing and a mere calendar shift doesn’t encapsulate our essence, it serves as a valuable juncture to delve deep and reflect.

It gives us a moment to discern what brought us fulfillment, what left us wanting, and be really thoughtful about what we want in the next year of our lives.

This year, I spent a lot of time crafting a personalized reflection and goal-setting template, experimenting with various iterations until I discovered the process, outline, and structure that resonated most with my journey.

While sharing my process, a number of you expressed your desire to use the same document, so here I am extending an open invitation for you to use this same framework.

Follow the guidelines below, or tailor it to reflect your unique aspirations. Whatever you choose, I’m wishing you success in 2024, whatever that looks like for you.

Notes on how to use this document

Start with reflections
Let those guide you into what you want 2024 to look like at a high level
Outline your 4-5 categories of goals (personal wellness, money, etc.)
Write down your high-level guiding phrase(s) and word
Fill in goals beneath each

*You may need one additional layer to further map out how you’re going to meet those goals.

Examples:

Guide words: abundance, intention, contentment, growth

Guiding phrases: I will build deep, meaningful relationships. I will be more aware of my spending habits in order to grow wealth. I will prioritize my own physical and mental well being above all else.

Follow along with me on social for more goal-setting, business, and wellness tips:

If you’re a google docs user, here’s the link so you can easily copy & start working.

And if you want to see my filled-out version of this doc, my vulnerable reflections and aspirations, they’re all finalized here.

2023 Reflections

(1-2 sentences)

What did you love about 2023?
What made you feel good in 2023?
What did you struggle with in 2023?
Which decisions had positive impacts?
Which decisions steered me off course?
What do I want to take with me from this year?
What am I ready to let go of?

2024 High Level

(1-2 sentences)

What do I want the next year of my life to look like?

2024 Goals

High-Level Guide Word:

High-Level Guiding Phrase:

Category Example 1: Personal Wellness

Guiding Phrase:

3-5 Goals:

Category Example 2: Relationships

Guiding Phrase:

3-5 Goals:

Category Example 3: Money

Guiding Phrase:

3-5 Goals:

Category Example 4: Fun

Guiding Phrase:

3-5 Goals:

Accountability

Fill this out, print it and put in your office.

Reflect back bi-weekly or monthly to assess progress.

Our Freelance Interview Series: Learn From the Experts

by Samantha Anderl | Jan 23, 2023 | Featured, Guides

Working solo as a freelancer can be tough if you haven’t found a community to support you. Humans are social creatures, and even the most introverted among us need connections. So building fulfilling relationships with other freelancers who get it is a critical step in your success.

Just because you work alone, that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. There are plenty, and we mean PLENTY, of freelancers who have been exactly where you are and have a plethora of advice to share.

We’ve compiled dozens of interviews with seasoned freelancers that are chock-full of advice, from how to navigate parenthood as a solopreneur to how to juggle your passions and everything in between. We’ve grouped these interviews into themes — like building community, protecting your mental health, and managing clients — so you can dig into the topics that are calling to you right now, and come back later to drill deeper as your priorities shift.

We hope this serves as an ongoing resource that can support you through the many twists and turns of your freelance journey!

Chapter 2: How to Structure Your Business

Sole Proprietorship, Single Member LLC, or S-Corp. Did those words send a shudder down your spine? You’re not alone. It can be tricky to understand how and why you should structure your biz a certain way. We walk you through the options in layman’s terms.

Get started.

Chapter 2: How to Structure Your Business

Get started.

Building and Fostering Community

Nurturing your community can quickly become an afterthought when your to-do list runneth over. But we promise — building a robust network will pay off in the long run. Learn how to do it from the pros.

Juggling Work, Passions and Community with Kimber London

Community & Connection with Elise Dopson

Building Your Personal Brand with Codi Johnson

Building Relationships Methodically with Tim Noetzel

Finding Balance and Protecting Your Mental Health

As a solopreneur, protecting your mental health, setting boundaries, and finding balance are crucial to your creativity and success. Not sure where to start?

Scheduling For Your Mental Health with Melissa King

Protecting Your Mental Health with Momina Asif

Parental Leave with Kat Boogaard

Taking Vacation with Adrienne Sheares

Navigating Child Care as a Small Business Owner with Maria West

Finding Balance as a Freelancer with Kaleigh Moore

Mastering Mindfulness as a Solopreneur with Jenni Gritters

Being Your Own Best Boss with Corrie Oberdin

A Gentle Approach to Productivity with Genevieve Michaels

Finding, Retaining, and Managing Clients

Working directly with clients can be intimidating (and exhausting). Luckily, some expert freelancers shared their best advice for landing new clients and managing relationships with existing clients.

Finding the Right Clients with Stefan Palios

Using Twitter to Generate Clients with Rosemary Egbo

Hiring Freelancers with Jimmy Daly

Clear Communication with Brooklin Nash

Creating and Maintaining a Consistent Client Flow with Bani Kaur

Pitching to Find Work with Lizzie Davey

Upleveling and Growing Your Business

Your business is booming but you’re not sure where to take it next. If it’s time to plan for the next phase of growth, take a look at this set of interviews with some badass freelancers who have built thriving, scalable businesses.

Self Motivation with Michael Keenan

Long-Term Success with Matthew Fenton

Growing Your Freelance Business with Alexandra Frost

Getting Into a Business Owner Mindset with Ashley Cummings

Bringing on a Virtual Assistant with Erin Booth

Lessons Learned in Year One of Freelancing with Claire Beveridge

Freelancing Through a Recession with Michelle Garrett

Freelance Finances 101 with Treyton DeVore

We love learning from our community and sharing expert advice with all of you. If you’re passionate about a topic and interested in telling your story, reach out to marketing@meetharlow.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!

We also highly recommend following these amazing freelancers on Twitter/Instagram/LinkedIn so you can keep learning from them every day. Here’s a full list (in alphabetical order):

Freelancer 101: Your Ultimate Guide to Launching Your Freelance Business

by Andrea Wildt | Sep 14, 2021 | Featured, Guides

If you’ve landed here because you’re on the brink of launching your own freelance business, congrats! And welcome to the cool kids club. We’re fun, promise. You’re joining an eclectic population of dreamers and doers who have opted out of traditional work structures to run their lives a bit more creatively.

Freelancing is on the rise — and for good reason. This lifestyle offers flexible schedules, remote working, greater autonomy, and loads of opportunities to try new things and learn as you go. Plus, most freelancers make better money than they did at their previous jobs. So all in all, it’s a pretty great move. *high-five*

But… we know it can be intimidating to get started. You’re running a business, after all, and that comes with a whole new set of responsibilities, like sourcing clients, managing expenses, and filing your quarterly taxes (don’t forget). In order to help you breeze through the early stages, we put together this freelancer 101 guide, which walks you through the nine basic steps to launching a successful freelance business.

Chapter 1: How to Build Your Network

Our first piece of wisdom: Don’t do everything yourself. Look to the people who can help you get where you want to go. Building a juicy network of peers can lead you to tons of professional opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t have found. And since the best clients come from referrals, tapping into your network is a great place to start when you’re trying to find clients.

Keep reading.

Chapter 2: How to Structure Your Business

Get started.

Chapter 3: How to Figure Out Your Pricing

Before you land a client or even schedule a call with a prospect, it’s important to know your numbers. What is your hourly rate? Do you charge a flat project fee? How about a retainer? And when and how do you collect payment? Answering all these questions before you talk to your clients is key if you want to make enough to cover your expenses and live comfortably.

Let’s do it.

Chapter 4: How to Land Your First Client

It’s the burning question for most new freelancers: How do you find and attract the right clients? The trick is to get very clear about what you’re selling first. Once you have a complete picture of your offering, it’s a whole lot easier to figure out who needs exactly that — and where you can find them. Hopefully you’ve already done a bit of this work while figuring out your pricing model. If not, now is the time.

Here we go!

Chapter 5: How to Create a Proposal

On to the nitty-gritty. Once you’ve landed a potential client, it’s time to close the deal. For freelancers, that means creating a badass proposal that outlines the project scope and continues to sell the client on your services. This step-by-step guide will help you nail the landing and get one step further to a signed contract.

Dive in.

Chapter 6: How to Create a Contract

We recommend you never start working without a contract in place. A contract protects you from liability, outlines payment terms, defines confidentiality, and more. Here we walk you through how to create a contract and what it should include.

Learn more.

Chapter 7: How to Create and Invoice a Client

You’re off to the races doing great work for your client. Now, you gotta get paid. Here we walk you through the essential elements of a good invoice and share a professional Google Docs invoice template that you can copy and use to make your life a whole lot easier.

Get to it.

Chapter 8: How to Track Business Expenses

Finally, we’re onto finances. Keeping track of what you’re spending your hard-earned money on is a huge, important part of successful freelancing. The better your books, the easier your life will be when it’s time to pay taxes or to chart your business’s performance. Get on it early — you’ll thank yourself later.

Start tracking.

Chapter 9: How to Streamline Project Management

Trust us when we say that it’s very difficult to run a freelance business if you’re not organized. Don’t wait until the chaos gets out of control. Follow these key steps to make sure your project management and business is streamlined from the get-go.

Become a pro.

36 Best Apps for Freelancers to Manage and Grow Their Business

by Samantha Anderl | Sep 14, 2021 | Blog, Featured

Having the right tool for the job is important for the success of any project. You (hopefully) wouldn’t try drilling a hole in the wall with a wrench. But sometimes we forget to apply that same scrutiny to the digital tools we use every day. Just like physical tools, the apps we use make a huge difference in our day-to-day work lives. Whether you’re creating an Instagram post, an invoice, or trying to destress between meetings, there’s probably a great app out there to support you.

We know searching for apps and comparing functionality can be a headache, though. So below, we’ve compiled a foolproof list of the best apps for freelancers, from mindfulness apps to help you prepare or unwind from your workday to document management apps to keep you organized.

Having the right tool for the job is important for the success of any project.

Mental Health and Wellness Apps

Calm

Calm is our go-to app for soothing meditations to end the day. In addition to a great library full of meditations organized by theme, they also have Sleep Stories, which are narrated by celebrities and other folks with straight-up snooze-inducing voices. That would usually be an insult but, in this case, it’s a huge compliment.

Headspace

If you’re looking for help committing to daily meditations, Headspace might be the app for you. It has a guided program to help you deepen your practice. The app also offers a wide range of meditations with varying lengths. If you just have a few minutes between client calls, you can easily sneak in a 3-minute meditation. We also love the interface—it’s clean and clear, just like you want your brain to feel after a focused session.

CHANI

Into astrology? Honestly, even if you’re not, the CHANI app is worth a trial run. It distills your birth chart into consumable language, shares beautiful, customized horoscopes, and sends cute push notifications alerting you of the current energies. A productive way to take a break and get to know and understand yourself better.

Communication Apps

Slack

Most of us know this one, right? Slack is a leader in team communication. It revolutionized this industry years back, and has continued to expand its functionality and integrations. If you need a great app to connect with co-creators, coworkers, clients, or whoever else, give it a try. You can create a workspace for free and customize it to make it your own.

Twist

Need help focusing? Yeah, us too. Twist is a great choice for distraction-free communication. Its biggest selling point is that it consolidates your communication apps, so you don’t have to hop around between your email inbox and your chat apps and get lost Googling photos of cheetahs and their emotional support dogs in between. (But actually, go look that up.)

Voxer

Voice notes are great when you want to find that happy medium between texting and calling. If you’re looking for a secure option for real-time voice communication, Voxer is the app for you. Like a Walkie Talkie for teams, it allows you to listen to messages as people speak or save them for later. Plus, it’s compatible with iPhone, Android, and the web for platform-agnostic comms.

Grammarly

If you’re a freelancer, chances are you don’t have a copyeditor on standby to point out when your em dash is misplaced. Luckily, you do have Grammarly. This free online tool points out spelling and grammar errors and offers suggestions to improve your writing, like simplifying your language or shortening your sentences. It’s saved us from many embarrassing moments.

Hemingway Editor

Similar to Grammarly, the aptly named Hemingway App helps you up your writing game, color-coding misspellings, hard-to-read sections, weakening phrases, and more. It also gives your writing a readability score and an associated grade level. We like its simplicity and pretty colors.

Mixmax

Need help finding your email flow? With scheduling, tracking, and automation features, Mixmax is the crowned queen of email management. It helps you increase productivity by cutting down on keystrokes and manual tasks. You can even embed polls, surveys, and booking tools into your emails to spiff them out.

Accounting & Bookkeeping

Bench

Managing finances can be overwhelming for any small business owner, but especially so for freelancers. Luckily, we have Bench—the answer to our expense anxiety. Bench is an all-in-one bookkeeping service to help you stay on top of your finances. You even get access to a dedicated bookkeeper who can answer your trickiest questions.

Truebill

If you’re as subscription-happy as we are, you might find yourself scouring your business credit card statement confused about where that $3.99 recurring charge came from. Truebill adds transparency to your spending, tracking credit card charges, flagging new subscriptions, and alerting you of upcoming charges so you can keep on top of what you’re paying for. Managing dollars going out of your business is important!

Learning & Education

Coursera

Want to brush up your design skills? Or learn more about customer marketing? Coursera offers skill-building courses from over 200 top universities around the world. You can even earn a certificate or a degree online with this powerful learning system. So when you’re ready to expand your service offerings or build a new skillset, scope their wide array of classes.

Udemy

Like Coursera, Udemy offers tons of engaging courses designed to enhance your skill set. The courses are led by experts in their respective fields, and there are over 155,000 to choose from, so you will literally never run out of options for new paths to explore.

Creative & Social Media

Canva

We love Canva. It makes designing visual content easy and fun. Whether you’re creating a social media post or a pitch presentation, its intuitive interface and powerful features will help you make something truly stunning. Our favorite part: They have a library of amazing templates to choose from, so you never have to start from scratch. Oh, and they have a free version!

InVision

The name says it all. InVision helps you turn your imagination into reality. Its powerful product design platform is built for creators of all kinds. You can create a wireframe for your client’s website, product mockups for your next Rad Idea™, brand moodboards to visualize a vibe, and so much more.

Note-Taking

Notion

We tried to resist the craze but it’s time to admit: We’re in love with Notion. Calling it a note-taking app is reductive. It’s, like, so much more than that. This code-free, drag-and-drop platform allows you to create amazing documents and dashboards to organize your thoughts, plan your projects, and streamline your brain.

Evernote

Evernote is the OG of the digital notebook world. It’s a fantastic companion for busybodies, creatives, and entrepreneurs (did I just say ‘freelancer’ in three words?) who want to capture their notes in one clean place and plan their next moves seamlessly. The app can even clip web pages, scan documents, and sync to your calendar for easy task scheduling.

Bear

Whether you’re a blogger, freelance writer, novelist, or poet, Bear can help you make the most of each burst of inspiration. The writing app is specifically designed for masters of prose, with markup features, focus mode, customizable typography, and more. Find your creative flow with this beautiful app.

Community

Workfrom

Do you miss the social aspect of the office? Or do you just want the perfect cafe with great wifi and free refills for an afternoon of work? Workfrom can help with both. This virtual work community crowdsources the best coworking spots from freelancers just like you. Plus, they have an awesome, thriving Slack community for freelancers to chat, connect, and collaborate.

Holisticism

Holisticism is an amazing hub for the spiritually-minded entrepreneur seeking connection. (Did we just write a personal ad?) This magical community offers free workshops and engaging content, and periodically opens its doors for new members to join the North Node—a sub-community that helps spiritual creatives and entrepreneurs learn and grow together.

Password Management

LassPass

What would we do without LastPass? Answer: Spend an hour a day resetting passwords. This handy password management app stores your passwords, generates secure ones, and allows you to access them across devices. You can even share passwords with your co-creators, family members, or clients to make for easy collaboration.

1Password

Geared toward businesses, 1Password is an enhanced security system for password storage, data protection, credit card protection, and more. It makes remote work easy for teams who share software and logins, and it allows for seamless form fills.

Calendar Management

Calendly

If you’re looking for a great scheduling tool that integrates with your calendar and automates meeting communications, look no further than Calendly. This easy-to-use appointment tool makes setting up client calls simple. Their free plan is awesome for basic scheduling needs.

Google Calendar

This one needs no introduction. Google Calendar has it all. It integrates with just about every calendar-friendly app out there (and, of course, every Google app), allowing you to schedule meetings quickly, customize your reminder settings, and share calendars with people who need to know what you’re up to.

Document Management

Dropbox

Dropbox is the giant of the document management space. It’s great for creators and businesses that have a whole lot of files to organize. It’s compatible with Android and iOS, so you can access your documents on the go from anywhere. And its collaboration features allow you to comment on files easily so you can simplify your workflow.

Google Drive

If you’re already a Google power user, Google Drive might be the answer to your document storage needs. Offering documents, spreadsheets, slides, and forms—and 15 GB of free storage—this system allows you to both create and organize all your files in one place. It’s easy to share and collaborate with other Google users too.

Contracts & Paperwork

LegalZoom

Advice is a few clicks away with LegalZoom, the go-to app for people seeking legal help for their businesses. They work with a network of independent attorneys and match you with someone who can meet your specific needs. Whether you’re forming your business, drafting an agreement, or facing a legal challenge, they’re here for you.

Termly

Need help creating your privacy policy or adhering to compliance laws? Termly is an all-in-one solution for freelancers who want to stay above board but don’t know where to start when it comes to drafting legally binding language. Their interface makes it easy—you just plug in your info and generate a custom policy that you can copy/paste or embed onto your website.

Payments

PayPal

PayPal makes paying and receiving money simple and secure. It integrates with many other platforms and services, so you can easily accept payments from clients.

Stripe

The go-to for online businesses, Stripe is a low-cost payment processing platform that allows you to accept payments and send payouts. Their business management system also makes it easy to track your sales and income, generate reports, and get a full picture into your business’s finances.

AI Tools

ChatGPT

This next-level AI content tool is perfect for creating long-form and short-form content. Use ChatGPT for all your content needs, get answers to questions, develop plans, and get inspired with detailed responses.

SEO.ai

Working in 50+ languages, SEO.ai is the number one AI writer for SEO. From SEO-optimized content to identifying relevant keywords, this tool helps make those time-consuming SEO tasks a breeze by creating high-quality SEO content in a fraction of the time.

Durable.co

Building websites is a time-consuming task, to say the least. That’s where Durable comes in. This AI website builder generates robust websites with copy, images, and more in seconds. If you’re a freelancer who’s just kicking off your freelance journey, Durable is a great way to get your business website up and running.

Aioseo.ai

This all-in-one WordPress SEO plugin effortlessly improves your website search rankings. Did we mention it seamlessly integrates with your favorite social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest? This SEO tool also effortlessly connects with your Google Search Console. Get more website traffic and identify new areas of opportunity with Aioseo.

Stockimg.ai

Stockimg.ai creates AI-generated images for logos, posters, book covers, and more in seconds. If you’re a small business owner in need of a new logo or a content writer in need of stock images for a client’s blog, this tool has got you covered.

Business Management

Harlow

Do you need an all-in-one system to streamline your day-to-day operations and get paid? We’ve got you. Harlow helps freelancers understand their priorities, get a full view into their clients and projects, and get paid for the amazing work they do. And best of all, it can all be done from one clean, centralized hub. Sign up today to give us a test drive.