it takes hard work and dedication to get your freelance business up and running. These seven online tools will help. This article was created by StackCommerce. While Postmedia may collect a commission on sales through the links on this page, we are not being paid by the brands mentioned. So, you want to be a freelancer. You know your specialty and you’re determined to kick the nine-to-five habit. Before you go legit and cut the full-time ties, there some things you need to know. It’s true, there are a lot of perks to working freelance, but it takes hard work and dedication to get your business up and running like a well-oiled machine. Here are seven things that will help you break free from your tired office routine and reap the benefits of working freelance successfully. Separate your business life Separating business from pleasure is a must for freelancers, and the best place to start is with a separate business line for your phone. This will make you look professional and help you prioritize work. Hushed Private Phone Line allows you to manage all your communication from a single app, and what’s even better? The lifetime subscription gives you a new number without the cost or the nuisance of another long-term phone contract. Simple and easy to use, it’s a freelancer’s first step in the right direction. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content continued Organized and tidy to-do lists Staying focused and productive can be tough for newbie freelancers. Sure, you’ve set your schedule and those deadlines seem way off in the distant future, but working from home can be a gauntlet of distractions. The best way to keep yourself on task and productive throughout the day is with a streamlined focus management tool that turns your to-do list into an organized schedule. That’s where Focuster Productivity App comes into play. This organizing assistant helps you work more efficiently by prioritizing tasks and auto-scheduling them in your calendar, tracking your progress, and utilizing smart reminders so you work more efficiently and stay focused on the tasks at hand. Article content continued Automate invoicing You’ve done the work and submitted it for client approval. Now, the tricky part—invoicing. Not everyone is an administrative guru, and that’s why every successful freelancer needs a reliable and automated invoicing system. Invoice Crowd is an electronic invoicing software system that not only organizes your invoices but also creates compelling and winning proposals and can systemize your entire accounting function. Now you can spend less time administrating and more time actually working. Streamline your scheduling Being a freelancer means you’ve got to do it all. You need to find timesavers and dependable platforms that help you work efficiently and effectively, so you can focus on the tasks you do best. Setting up meetings with clients or other team members can be time-consuming and all-encompassing. TimeSync Pro is the only online meeting scheduler that allows you to keep tabs […]