Top Sites and Useful Resources for Freelancers

The following list has been compiled from some of my favorite resources and tools! When setting up my own freelance business, I found many of these sites invaluable. I’ve tried to include mostly free and inexpensive tools in this article feature. I hope you find them useful. If you have a better resource , let us know and we’ll add it to the list!

Marketing and Advertising resources
1. Adbrite
Text and banner ads on over 20,000 sites – reaches a lot of people for not a lot of money; campaigns  purchased on a CPC (cost per click), CPM (cost per thousand impressions), or CPV (cost per view) basis
2. AdEngage
Cost-effective text and image/text ads
3. Professional On The Web
My favorite freelancer listings site – free listing

Time Management
Tools to help you manage and  track your work.
1. SlimTimer
A Start/Stop little timer that tracks jobs on a main web interface  – create a free account
2. Tick
Timetracking application for tracking your budgets-Free version available and  free iphone app version available
3. FourteenDayz
Online time tracking -basic free version available

Invoicing
Ensure that you stay on top of your billing and invoicing!
1. MS Office Accounting Express
Free Microsoft Accounting program
2. SimplyBill
Easy to use invoicing software – basic free version available and free iphone app version available
3. Side Job Track
Free web-based  tracking, invoice, reporting and project management
4. Freshbooks
Tracks time, sends invoices by email or U.S. mail – free version and iphone app version available
5. InvoicePlace
Easy invoice tool – get quotes From anywhere  – free “lite” version available

Project Management
Manage projects, clients, and deadlines
1. Proposal Kit
Proposal and contract management tools
2. Ta-Da Lists
Free to-do list application that can be shared with the world
3. Writeboard
Web-based text documents that you save and share with others  – so you can collaborate and compare
4. Wridea
Organize and improve ideas – share your ideas with friends and clients
5. Toodledo
A web based to-do list – iphone app also available
6. MonkeyOn
A list application that sends task and job reminders to people
7. Remember The Milk
To-do, task, and reminder program – iphone version available

Stock Libraries
1. Istockphoto
Royalty free stock photography that you have to pay for but its probably the best available!
2. Stock.xchng
Free stock photography
3. Template Monster
Lots and lots of web templates!
4. Dafont
Best for free fonts
5. Vecteezy
Free vector stuff
6. Flasheezy
Flash stock – free!
7.Bittbox
All kinds of free stock, vector, flash and other “bitts”

Lead Generation, Networking, and Business Tools
1. Google Apps
Messaging, storage, file share etc – Communication and collaboration tools from Google
2. Zoho
Suite of free online web tools offering easy collaboration
3. Campfire
Invite a client, colleague, or vendor to chat, collaborate, and make decisions – conferencing and iphone version available (not free – will cost you)
4. Wufoo
Make forms to survey your clients – free version available
5. SBA (Small Business Administration)
Small Business help and advice
6. Moneybookers
Online payment system
7. Trendwatching
Trends and consumer insights resource
8. FaxZero
Faxes for Free via the web
9. eFax
Faxes for Free via the web

Legal
Forms and Advice
1. Designers Toolbox
Free legal forms for graphic designers (also has other great resources)
2. Copyright
US copyright and copyright forms
3. AIGA Form of Agreement
Essential form of agreement for design services template
4. CreativeCommons
Licensing and Licensing law – free tools to inform people how they can reuse and share your creative works

Job Boards
Find jobs and Leads
1. 37signals Job Board
Mostly full-time design and programming jobs
2. Authentic Jobs
Job board for freelance designers and developers
3. Coroflot Job Board
Designer centric job board
4. WebProJobs
Jobs for pro web esigners, developers, copywriters and marketers
5. Krop
Full time and freelance jobs for the Creative industry
6. FWjobs
Webcentric  jobs board
7. Guru
Freelancer listing service with job board
8. Elance
No.1 site for listing and freelance jobs
9. Odesk
The other major freelance job and project listing site

Web Tools
Tools to get your presence running and optimized
1. Squarespace
Build a website. Start a blog!
2. Rackspace
All kinds of hosting options
3. MyDomain
Low-priced domain registry
4. Media Temple
Simple and complex hosting options
5. LightCMS
Content management for designers and ad agencies
6. ExpressionEngine
The designers choice for content management system (CMS) app
9. Inblogit
A free blogging tool for web designers
10. PublicSquare
User-friendly web publishing
11. WordPress
The No.1 best blog management tool
Other useful sites and tools
1. StrongSpace
Back-up and store important files (invite only – either wait for a space to be free or be invited by another user)
2. You Send It
Send up to 2GB online
3. PowerXChange
Plugins for Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Dreamweaver
5. Box
Share, store and retrieve files online
6. Icebrrg
Simple web forms – $9 per month
7. Kuler
Color schemes and importable themes
8. Pixie/Nattyware
A color picking utility made especially for webmasters and designers
9. TechInline
Remote Desktop – $30 per month
10. Protolize
All the essential web tools you need in one place