Working as a freelance writer had always been a goal of mine. It sounded like such a dream! You get to write for a living, (virtually) meet fun people, tell their cool stories… and all you need is an internet connection and your laptop, right? What could be better than that?

When I finally launched my own copy and content writing business, I will admit, I was a little bit naive. Turns out I actually did need more than just my laptop.

While there are several services I utilize in my day-to-day as a writer, I wanted to share with you all of the FREE business tools, apps, and websites that I use the most.

Disclaimer: Some of these apps have paid program options, but the free versions have been completely fine for me!

1. Canva

Like Illustrator, but more accessible. I use Canva on the daily, whether it’s for creating templates, mood boards, Instagram stories, or quick social graphics for a client.

My favorite feature, though, is the Schedule to Pinterest button. I create my pins on Canva, click that button in the top right, throw a title and a description in there, link to my blog post, and either post immediately or schedule for later!

I wanted to type “life-changing” just now, but that’s a bit dramatic. It does definitely save me a lot of time, though. Canva is also a great alternative if you don’t have a Tailwind account (for Pinterest scheduling)!

Full disclosure: I used the free version of Canva for years, but recently upgraded to Pro. However, I still wanted to include this app on my list of ‘free’ resources, because the free version is completely adequate for almost every project.

2. Slack

Two words: game! changer!

I’d always heard great things about Slack, but I never had a reason to use it until a client added me to one of her Slack channels for a project we were working on together. Why did no one tell me this was basically AIM?! The ‘90s baby in me was ecstatic.

Now, I create ‘channels’ (glorified group chats) for any task that’s big enough and invite everyone to communicate that way. 

For me, that includes:

• Copywriting clients
• Success Story students
• 30-day challenges (for accountability!)

For those of you who actually have a normal work/life balance, this feature may seem like a nightmare, but I love the idea of people being able to reach me for a quick question here and there. In my world of hard deadlines and fast turnarounds, it is so helpful to eliminate the waiting game after sending a question via email.

I also love how you can share files and separate tasks within channels, and make certain channels private so they can only be accessed by your intended audience. Slack is a huge time-saver.

3. AirTable

One of my clients introduced me to AirTable when she shared a spreadsheet with me, and I instantly fell in love. I have never felt more organized in my 31 years of living. It’s like Excel on crack. (Am I allowed to say that on my professional business website? Whatever, it’s true.)

I know this post is supposed to explain why I’m obsessed with these apps, but when it comes to AirTable, you won’t be able to understand just how revolutionary it is unless you try it out for yourself.

If you create an account, you’re going to find yourself creating random @$$ things to make spreadsheets for, simply because you want to utilize its cool features.

AirTable also has the option to view their ‘bases’ as a spreadsheet, KanBan, grid, form, gallery, or calendar, and you can organize the content in so many different ways. It’s almost overwhelming… but it’s worth it.

4. Notion

I could talk about how much I love Notion all. day. long. This app is the absolute best… everything! To be honest with you, I don’t even know what Notion is actually classified as, because it has so many capabilities as a business tool. As their meta description states, it’s “all your work, all in one place.” (Who’s their copywriter? That was good!)

I use Notion for organizing my literal entire life: to-do lists, newsletter notes, organizing client notes, keeping track of projects, managing finances, content planning, Success Story curriculum and recordings… you name it, I use Notion for it.

There is a slight learning curve at the beginning, but once you’ve got everything figured out, you’ll realize how truly wild it is what you can accomplish with this powerful site. I cannot believe it’s free!

Of course, there are paid memberships, but as I mentioned earlier, I use it for everythinggg and I’ve yet to see a need for upgrading. There’s a per-page limit on how much you can embed (things like photos and documents, etc), but I’ve never reached that limit.

Notion is compatible with tons of other apps, too, like Google Drive. And speaking of…

5. Google Calendar

A tried and true must-use. I’m sure everyone under the sun uses Google Cal, but for some reason, I didn’t become one of those people until a few years into my business. I know, I was late to the party, but I never will be again now that I use Google Cal! (How cheesy was that sentence? I promise I won’t be that cringeworthy while writing your copy).

My accountant advised me to keep track of all of my meetings and to-do’s virtually as opposed to the old school pen-and-paper method I’d been using my entire life, so I hopped on the bandwagon and set up my calendar on Google.

I was instantly seduced by the color coding. I’ve become one of those people who says things like “if it’s not on my calendar, I’ll forget about it.” I put everythingggg on my calendar, from client projects and meetings to workouts and my weekly librarian duties at Woo’s school. You can make fun of me if you’d like, but don’t knock it ‘til you try it.

(Side note: I also use Google Sheets to track my expenses and earnings, Google Docs for all of my notes and copy projects, and Gmail for all of my work emails.

Anyone want to Gchat? Because it feels like the only thing I’m not using is Google Hangouts. And I refuse to use Google Home because those things freak me out.)

6. Facebook Groups

This one may seem a little odd to some of you, but I used to live in Facebook groups. I became one of those typical Facebook moms who felt the need to comment on any relevant post.

Believe it or not, I met about 85% of my clients through Facebook groups when I first started BTL Copy. They’re such a good place to interact with like-minded business owners and creatives, ask for input or advice, search for other freelancers to work with, or conduct research. 

This is also where I recommend people start searching for clients if they’re in the middle of a slow season.

Prior to freelancing, the only Facebook groups I was a member of were the one I created for my son’s Zoom 1st birthday party (pandemic probz) and Official Peloton Moms (you better believe I’m marked as a ‘Conversation Starter’ in that one).

I have met so many talented people through these Marketing-focused groups, and have even ended up hiring some of them myself. Mark may be selling my data to advertisers, but at least he provided me with some really fun clients, right?

(Side note: watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix if you haven’t yet).

I don’t spend too much time in Facebook Groups anymore, but they’re a great place to find new clients.

7. TikTok

This is another one that may surprise you. Whenever I tell anyone in my family about a fact I learned on TikTok, they automatically roll their eyes and dismiss me.

But what they don’t know is that between all of the embarrassing dances and the bizarre stories, there are a lot of people on that app creating some very beneficial content. I have learned some of the best marketing tips, SEO hacks, and writing tactics from scrolling on TikTok.

Now, I’ve graduated from scrolling and started posting marketing and copy tips myself! Follow ya girl here.

Although, I have to warn you to stay off of TikTok until you’ve clocked out for the day… you’ll get sucked in pretty quickly. And then it’ll be 11pm, and you’ll realize you’re sitting in the dark, staring at the screen, asking yourself what happened and when the last time you blinked was.

(I’m definitely not speaking from experience or anything.) 

8. Toby

You ever end up with 1,000 tabs and windows open, sticky notes cluttering your desk, wondering how this happened in one afternoon of work?

Yeah. Same.

That’s why this squirrel brain totally relies on Toby, a visual workspace for all my links and resources. 

The platform is all neat and organized so I can quickly find what I need without getting distracted by a different project or task.

9. The Tab Collector

The Tab Collector is what I use to keep track of who owes me money. It organizes clients who have a “tab” with me so I can make sure I get paid on time.

And on the flip side, it’s also a reminder to me of who I owe money to. Because you know if I don’t have a reminder in my face, it ain’t gonna fuckin’ happen.

The best part?

I can do it all from my phone so even when I’m on the pickleball court, I can send and receive moneyyyy.

10. Stickies App for Mac

You know those sticky notes strewn all over your desk that we were just talking about? Let’s move them to your desktop instead.

Stickies is a business tool that helps you save paper by helping you take organized notes on your computer. It’s basically a digital sticky note.

If a random thought pops into your head during a meeting, you can jot it down in Stickies and come back to it after. 

Or if you want to have a brainstorming sesh without losing your paper (been there TOO many times), it saves right to your desktop.

And it doesn’t hurt that you can customize it with on-brand colors and fancy formatting.

11. Dupe Photos

Canva has lots of stock photos to choose from, but on the free version, the choices can be a little cheesy.

So, I also use Dupe Photos, relevant, royalty-free images and videos that are actually cute and don’t look stock-y at all.

Pick your aesthetic, or use the search bar to describe your vibe, and find thousands of images that match it perfectly.

Then use this blog to find out how to use them in your content marketing.

12. Toggl

How else am I going to find out how much time I actually spend creating a Reel if I don’t track it?

Toggl is my favorite time tracking platform and when I tell you I use it for everything, I’m not joking. I track:

• Checking emails
• Client website copy
• Responding to Success Story students in Slack
• Meetings and strategy calls
• Creating new freebies
• Writing my weekly newsletter
• And yes, how long it takes me to film, edit, and publish a Reel

You might be wondering why I track even the little things.

The answer is simple.

My time is money.

I want to know how much time something takes me so I can plan for it later. If I found out that creating a new workshop takes me about 5 hours to plan, create, and host, then I need to price correctly for 5 hours of my time.

You don’t need every expensive business tool on the planet just because someone says so.

Start with the free business tools and see if they work for you. Then you can decide to upgrade later if you need more capabilities, or delete your account if you never use it.

If you haven’t tried any of these apps yet, I’d highly recommend testing them out to see if you also find them to be as helpful as I do!

Starting a freelance business soon or are you a newbie to entrepreneurship? Read the tips I wish I knew when I started.