Productivity apps for contractors

It seems like the term ‘productivity’ is the buzzword of the moment. Everyone wants to be more productive with their time. This led us to ask, what is productivity and why is it so important?

The technical definition of productivity is “the rate of output per unit of input by a worker.” In layman’s terms, it is how much stuff gets done.

Why do clients want productive contractors?

Clients pay a premium for the expertise that a contractor brings to a project. If the contractor isn’t focussed on the project, it could end up costing the client more, or the project won’t be completed on time.

So how can you improve your productivity without putting in extra hours at the office? Our list of top productivity apps will help you to achieve this.

Keep track of your time with Toggl

Source: Toggl

We all live busy lives and it can be difficult to keep track of our time. It becomes even more important to monitor time when you are an independent contractor.

Toggl is a work time management app that synchronises across all your devices. For instance, you can start it on your desktop and pause it on your phone.

Tracking your work time with Toggl enables you to breakdown your time by clients and projects so you can see how a project is progressing and what tasks are holding you back.

Toggl – https://toggl.com/

Keep the team on track with Slack

If the project you are working on is made up of a team of remote workers or contractors that are geographically spread, keeping a track of the project can be difficult.

Slack offers a single place where messages, tools and files can be shared securely. Slack enables you to create channels on a project or client basis. This means that you aren’t inundated with information that isn’t relevant to you.

Plus, the system is fully compliant with the Data Protection rules as all data is encrypted in transit and storage.

Slack – https://slack.com/

Keep passwords safe with 1Password

Source: TechCrunch

Staying safe online can be a struggle as hackers are constantly coming up with new ways to steal our personal and sensitive data. We are advised to create individual passwords for each application we use. This means we can have numerous passwords to remember.

1Password creates a secure environment that stores all your passwords and important information, meaning you only need to remember one master password.

With the Team package, you can have the option to store unlimited passwords, notes and documents with your colleagues in a secure environment.

1Password – https://1password.com/

Accessible accounts with FreeAgent

Source: FreeAgent

Contractors are busy people, not only are you carrying out work for a client you also have the added task of running your own limited company.

After a long day of working for your client, you may lack the motivation for working on your business. FreeAgent enables you to run your business from anywhere. On the commute home, you can upload an expense, send off an invoice, check your cashflow and estimate your tax liabilities.

Plus, you don’t have to do it alone, you can invite your accountant to join so you can share information instantaneously.

FreeAgent – https://www.freeagent.com/

As a FreeAgent Expert partner, we have a solid understanding of the software’s features and tools. This enables us to understand your business’ financial position in real-time. Contact us on 01962 867550 to find out about our accountancy packages and how FreeAgent can work for you.