For those who are considering starting a career as a freelance writer, you may wonder what tools you need to get started. While there are some tools that are required, there are others that are optional. Understanding which tools are a necessity and which ones are a convenience can often be an extremely fine line. From personal experience, there are tools I did not use in the beginning but I do use now.
Let’s first take a look at some of the tools you must have in order to succeed as a freelance writer.
Internet connection: it goes without saying you need a stable Internet connection in order to succeed as a freelance writer. Fortunately, most areas now offer high-speed Internet (at least in the United States). Contact your Internet provider and find out what they are “downtime” has been over the past 12 months. This will give you a great idea of how reliable it is. Unfortunately, regardless of how unreliable it might be you may be tied to that provider.
Computer: clearly your computer has to be dependable. Lost files can result in hours of lost work, loss of revenue, and even the loss of credibility. You may want to consider an external backup in the event of a crash. Whether you elect to work from a desktop or laptop, you will want your computer to be dependable.if you were going to be using your computer for personal as well as work use, you may even want to consider setting up multiple users. This will allow other family members to use the computer without accessing your work files.
Anti-virus Software: whether you think so one night, every computer is prone to viruses. For freelancers, bouncing around from site to site doing research, working on projects for clients, and daily downloads could result in unwanted surprise. Make sure that you have a good anti-virus program on your computer. The last thing you need is lost time due to a virus.
Word processing software: fortunately, you’re no longer tied to simply purchasing Microsoft Office. In fact, there are so many free versions of word processors that you need not worry about making this investment. Most of the free word processors are fully compatible with Microsoft Office. This alone can save you a substantial amount of money. Options include Google Docs, Open Office and Zoho Docs.
Invoicing: your word processor does have an invoicing option and it however, it makes it difficult to track them unless you are extremely organized. A better option, that helps not just with invoicing but with collecting money, is PayPal. PayPal accounts are free to sign up for, you can request a debit card, and you can send invoices. Another nice feature of this is that once you send an invoice you can also send a reminder if need be.
Summary
Throughout this week, we will post additional work at home tools that can help you as a freelancer. Not everyone will need every single thing we discuss. However, don’t miss out on tools you can use just because you don’t know about them.
About Doreen Martel
Well-rounded freelance writer who contributes to various blogs, paid to write sites and revenue sharing sites. Doreen is legally blind and has worked at home for more than 10 years. She uses the lessons learned from this experience to enhance her writing and share information with others.
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by doreenmartel: New Blog Post: Work at home Requirements Part 1 http://freelancingandmore.com/2010/02/16/what-you-need-to-successfully-work-at-home/…
[...] this week, we discussed some of the requirements that you would need for tools to work at home. As promised, here are second set of tools that can help you be more productive while working at [...]