Tools and tips to make freelancing easier
Last modified: September 15, 2025
Freelancing isn’t just about doing the work you’re hired for. It’s also about managing projects, keeping clients happy, handling your finances, chasing invoices, setting boundaries, and somehow making time to market yourself. No one tells you that when you start out, and it’s something we can spend years figuring out on our own.
At September’s meetup, we (Jo Loveridge and Charlotte Simonsen) shared the tools and habits that keep our freelance lives running more smoothly. Between us, we’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) what makes life easier, what saves time, and what helps us stay sane. Here’s a write-up of our talk. And the Google Slide to go with it:
Finding our freelance footing
Jo: I’ve been freelancing since 2008. Back thenI started an agency called Starboard that tried to do a bit of everything: film, web, you name it. The trouble was, no one really knew what I did, including me. Eventually I realised what I loved most was front-end development, so I focused on that and set up a freelance website to go alongside my ‘agency’ one. That’s when things really started to click.
If you’re still figuring out what you do, my first piece of advice is: find your focus. The more specific you are, the easier it is for clients to know exactly what to come to you for.
Charlotte: I’m a freelance brand designer and I’ve been doing this for a few years now. With the support of other freelancers (such as Jo) I’ve found my feet and built a business that feels solid.
I work with small and medium-sized businesses to help them show up with more personality and confidence through design. And like Jo says, I’ve also realised freelancing is not just about doing the work. It’s about everything that surrounds it – the systems, tools, and habits that keep things ticking over.
Jo’s essential toolkit
I’ve tried plenty of tools over the years, but here are the ones that have stuck:
Accounting: FreeAgent
This is my accounting software. It gives me a clear snapshot of my finances – what’s coming in, what’s due, what’s safe to spend. My accountant has access, which keeps their costs down and means I don’t have to deal with any of the scary HMRC stuff. Best feature? It automatically chases late invoices, so I don’t have to.
Time tracking: Toggl
I started time tracking when I wasn’t sure if I had capacity for more work. It was a reality check. I realised how much time I was spending on actual client work… and how much was slipping into procrastination. I can also see whether my quotations are accurate, or if projects are going over budget. It’s helped me increase my turnover and make better decisions about workload.
Productivity: ClickUp
My project management hub. I used to use Trello, which is great for simple lists, but ClickUp gives me more depth. I invite clients to use it so they have transparency across their project, but it’s not for everyone – it’s mostly for me and any freelancers I happen to be working with to keep projects on track.
Security: 1Password
Because I manage lots of client logins, security is a must. 1Password keeps everything safe, and I can share access securely when needed. It’s not just for business, it’s useful for all your personal and family password protection too – saves you having to remember lots of different passwords, and also helps you use more secure passwords rather than the same one for everything.
AI: ChatGPT
I was skeptical for a long time, but now it’s like having a junior assistant. I use it to troubleshoot code, or brainstorm ideas. It’s not always right, so I fact-check and push back, but it saves me hours.
A notepad
This sounds old school, but it’s the one thing I rely on every day. Each Monday I start a new page with two lists: current projects and potential projects. Having that in front of me means I don’t forget to check in with anything, and it’s so much quicker than clicking around different tools
Charlotte’s essential toolkit
Some overlap with Jo, but here’s what I rely on:
Accounting: FreeAgent
For accounting. It links to my bank account, tracks invoices, shows me tax deadlines, and helps me pretend I’m a Responsible Adult™. And if want to bring an accountant on, this is a system that a lot of accountants or bookkeepers know. Also, if you get a Mettle Business Bank Account with NatWest, FreeAgent is, well, FREE!
Design: Canva
My go-to for quick social media content or scheduling my content. I have all my brand assets stored in there, and it’s perfect for batching Instagram carousels and stories. I’m going to start putting my onboarding documents in there too so that I have the ability to offload those admin jobs to someone else and gain time back in my day.
Productivity: Google Calendar + Google Meet
My entire life runs on my calendar. If it’s not in the calendar, it’s not happening. I also use Google Meet for most of my client calls because it’s easy and doesn’t need anyone to download extra apps.
Onboarding: JotForm
I use this for all my client questionnaires and project intake forms. It makes onboarding feel smooth and professional and it means I can go into a meeting much more prepared and tailor my questions to what we are talking about. I also recently used it as a directory collecting information and portfolios of other creatives for when I need to outsource work. Free version available
AI: ChatGPT & Gemini AI
I use both to speed up tasks like drafting emails, brainstorming ideas, or summarising meeting notes. It’s basically my Virtual Assistant. I will still take some notes in meetings just in case Gemini doesn’t catch it but it’s still really good and it gives me a to-do list at the end. Gemini notes is not free but less than £10/m
Jo: One thing I’ll add is that I keep my toolset as minimal as possible. It’s easy to fall into the trap of signing up for loads of apps and over-engineering your process. That usually ends up creating more work instead of saving time. My rule is: only use tools that genuinely take something off your plate and are enjoyable to use.
Jo’s top freelance tips
Alongside the tools, there are a few habits that have made a big difference to how I work.
Turn off notifications
Not for everyone, but I find pop-ups and little red badges really distracting. So I’ve turned them all off. The only one I leave on is Slack as that’s more conversational/urgent. It does mean you need to check your emails at intervals, but I do that on tea breaks or when I’ve reached a natural stopping point. I find it actually helps me to respond to emails faster, and in a calm manner rather than feeling rushed.
Say no with confidence
I always have a call with potential clients. It’s not just about whether they want to work with me, it’s also whether I want to work with them. Whilst it may seem tempting to say yes to get the money in, a difficult client will cost you your sanity, time, and money you could be earning from clients who appreciate your value.
You’re a partner, not an employee
When you work with a company, you are not staff. There are IR35 rules that you as a freelancer need to adhere to by law. So you are entitled to set boundaries around how, when and where you work.
Money up front = peace of mind
Especially with new clients. It protects your time, and it shows they’re serious. If they won’t pay a deposit, they won’t pay a final invoice. If you risk it and do the work, and they don’t pay, then you’ve wasted a lot of valuable time you could have spent with a client who values you, and may have to spend more of your time and energy chasing invoices.
Write documentation
It can be tedious, but it’s a lifesaver. Good notes help clients understand what you’ve done, as well as any other team members you’re working with. They help if you need to hand something over to another freelancer in the case of illness, or a long period off work. And honestly, they save you from forgetting your own logic months or years down the line.
Clock out before you burn out
So many freelancers I know get burned out from burning the midnight oil in order to make ends meet. Some people find working into the night their most productive time, but my own personal experience of doing that in the past is because I haven’t been charging enough and so have to take on more work. Or boundaries haven’t been set about clear working hours. It’s really hard to switch off when you’re a freelancer, our brains are always thinking about work stuff (I know mine can be!), so I fully understand. But don’t check emails outside of your office hours. A bad email can really ruin an evening or weekend! Ask yourself, how urgent is it really?
Make time for personal projects
Whether this is a blog, your social media, or a website, film or event you’ve been thinking about. They’re not just portfolio pieces, they also keep you visible and relevant in a very competitive social media world. It’s something I’m still learning to do, but if you keep putting it off and waiting for the perfect time to do it, then that project or blog will forever remain a scribble on your notepad.
Charlotte’s top freelance tips
For me, freelancing gets easier when you put boundaries and habits around your tools:
Get clear with your clients
Terms and conditions are so important. I always include how many revision rounds are included, what happens if the project goes quiet, and when payments are due. It protects you and sets expectations, especially if you’re working on longer projects where things can get fuzzy. Or if you god forbid, end up in a legal dispute.
Done is better than perfect
Whether it’s posting to your socials, launching your new service, or getting your marketing funnel out there; get it out into the world. You can always tweak it later. I’ve wasted so much time trying to make things “perfect” behind the scenes, when really, done and visible is what brings in work. If I waited to launch my business or services when it was perfect, I would still be tweaking it now.
Charge for thinking time
Design and strategy aren’t just what happens when I’m sitting in front of Illustrator. The thinking, moodboarding, and problem-solving are part of the project, and I’ve learned to treat them that way when quoting. Keep that in mind when you charge for your services and calculate that in. It’s not always just hours, it’s also brain space, capacity and your expertise.
Have templates ready to go
I have templates for everything; contracts, design presentations, feedback guides, onboarding docs… it’s a massive time-saver and keeps everything consistent. You don’t want to reinvent the wheel every time you onboard a client or present a project. If you don’t have fancy software to set these up, Canva’s free version is really good.
Do Not Disturb mode
My favourite nightly tool. I’ve had to start putting my phone on silent at night because I subscribe to a few creators in the US, and every time they send an email, it’s usually just as I’m falling asleep and sometimes I can’t help but check what it is and wakes me up. Similar to meetings, if I need to focus, I will put Do Not Disturb on so they get my full attention.
Sharing is caring
The aim of events like Portsmouth Freelancers Meet is so that we get together and share these stories, tools and tips – sometimes it’s nice just to hear you’re not the only one doing it that way, or sometimes you will learn a better way to try something! There’s no rule book, we’re all just winging it as we go along, so find that support network and realise that whether you’ve been doing it 20 years, or 20 weeks, we’ve all been in the same boat at some point.
There’s no single way to freelance. It’s trial, error, and constant learning. Even after all this time, we’re still refining how we work. But what we’ve both found is this: freelancing gets easier when you build systems that take pressure off your brain, so you can focus on the work you love.
Those are some of the tools and habits that work for us. We’d love to hear yours too – what’s the one thing that makes your freelance life easier?