Archive for the ‘Freelancer’s Toolset’ Category
The IT Corporate Industry has been very good to a lot of people, myself included. Working as a Web Developer for several years will give one a vast knowledge in technology and applications that he may never get elsewhere. However, all good things must come to and end. Or at least change into something better.
Living the life of a freelancer is like a breath of fresh air after the long hours of hunching behind an office chair, typing away source code to create cool, awesome websites for prominent clients. As a freelancer, the luxury of working anytime of the day – anywhere – is in the palm of your hands. One glitch to this though, is the prospect of not having the right tools to get started. Good thing there are tons of websites that offer tools and built-in applications to jump start your new career. They also offer sample platforms and formats to follow. Most of these sites also feature tutorials on how to use tools like Flash, HTML5, Webmaster Tools, Link Extractors and the like. You can also get domain names easily from Web Hosting sites that offer a wide range of features to keep you on track.
With great opportunities to earn in my own time, freelancing is a career choice everyone should consider. It has been fun sharing with you what has been putting the big grin on my face, but I’ve got to get back to the real business – paddling my surfboard to get to that 10 foot swell coming my way.
Working as a freelance web designer can be great and certainly very rewarding – but many people seem to have a completely wrong idea when it comes to this job, and consider it to be something much different than what it actually is. One of the things most often misinterpreted by people is that it’s easy to become a freelance web designer and get rich in a matter of months.
That’s actually the largest challenge you’ll be facing when trying to start as a freelance web designer – getting off the ground in the beginning of the whole ordeal. With the tough competition you’ll have, you’ll really have to have something unique to show to your potential clients if you want to have any chance of getting good jobs. Otherwise, you’ll have to start out with lower-paying jobs that also take up a lot of time, until you’ve built up a good portfolio.
Which brings us to the next point – it may seem that a freelance web designer has it easy with regards to their time and schedule, but it can actually turn into a nightmare if you don’t get a grip on it quickly enough. Scheduling your work isn’t difficult, the difficult part is to stick to that schedule when you’re in front of your computer at home. Once you’ve got that down, you’ll actually be halfway through the path to becoming a good freelance web designer – but it probably won’t be as easy as it sounds.
Running a business for yourself means you have to be inventive and always on the lookout for a new and better way to get things done. Innovation junkies, take note: the Internet has a lot to offer. From invoicing to marketing, these are tools that freelancers need to know about.
Organization
If you’re busy with lots of client work, it’s easy for things to get out of hand. Don’t let your work get away from you; organize information and projects with these tools.
1. Backpack: Get your projects organized by using Backpack. Create to-do lists, notes, files, images and a calendar with reminders that can be sent via email or to your mobile device.
2. Central Desktop: Collaborate, communicate and share files with clients and coworkers using Central Desktop.
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Writing notes on a notepad while on the phone may good, but there’s a very large tendency for it to get lost. But if you have it written down online, then it’s even better: Jjot is the right app for you.
Jjot is a lightning fast sticky note web application filled with smart features like archiving, search, and sharing. Jjot is very easy to use and understand (which is nice when you’re tackling any new web application), but what really stands out about Jjot is its speed. Everything you do on Jjot is satisfyingly snappy, which is so refreshing in an age of bloated web apps. Granted, Jjot’s speed might not be enough to make it stand out in the already overcrowded online note-taking and todo applications, but it’s on my good list.
Source
Image source: www.java.sun.com
Creating web applications is as complex as writing a thesis paper or a dissertation. It does not only necessitate quite a tedious amount of effort to perfect the function of the program but also demands one stable thing from the user: internet association.
Whenever a program is being written, it takes several factors in deliberation but the most important of them is the user-interface. It is imperative that the application’s interface is easy to understand, lest it will not be used as it was intended to be so.
Using a atypical office text created raises an issue on standards compliance, moving the evasive issue of file partaking and association. What must be noticed is that these browser applications are used by accessing the internet through the remote servers. It is threatening however, for the document, if the connection is suddenly lost or interrupted. Chances are, the document being programmed online will be lost and inferior, irretrievable.
This kind of disadvantage poses a threat to the survival of the web applications, hence, companies such as Google have made preliminary solutions to this problem. However, for now, only prototypes have been developed to repress the threat raised by this problem. Just like so, Google has created Google Gears—a beta display place that aims to improve the usability of web applications.