Free online tools for sole traders
These are all free tools that I use or have used for my self-employed work. These tools also have paid plans with more features, but the free version provides everything you need to help you when you’re starting out - then you can make an informed decision about whether to invest in the paid plans later on.
At the time of writing, everything listed here really does have a permanent free plan - not just a temporary free trial.
Create signable online contracts with Jotform
An example of the Jotform form builder. Source: Jotform
If you do a lot of remote work for clients, using Jotform is much simpler than asking someone to print, sign and scan a T&Cs document or NDA back to you. You can build forms containing digital signature fields, multiple-choice questions, conditional logic and long-form answers. You can set up approval and confirmation flows as well, meaning that you can check and approve your client’s submission before the signed PDF copy is emailed to both parties.
The free version of Jotform allows you to set up 5 different types of form, store 500 total form submissions, and accept 10 digital signatures per month - more than enough for most types of sole trader. The only catch is that the Jotform branding appears on the forms and email confirmations if you’re on the free plan.
There are other free online form and survey creators of course, but this is the favourite one I’ve used in terms of features and design options and it’s working very well for some of my existing clients. Learn more about the Jotform free plan here.
Track the time you spend on projects with Teamwork
An example of the Teamwork task management dashboard. Source: Teamwork
This is great if you charge by the hour, or need to work out how much you should charge for certain projects or services. The free version of Teamwork lets you create up to 5 ‘projects’, and within each project you can create task lists. For example, I work with a couple of agencies as well as having my own clients, so I have a project for each agency and then a ‘Sandpiper’ project, with a separate task list per client.
For each task, you can log the date and time you worked on it, how long you spent, and add notes to refer back to later. The tool can provide a breakdown of time spent per project, client or task during your chosen time period.
It’s great for logging the date, time and content of your phone calls as well. You think you’ll be able to remember these details for later, but inevitably you’ll be racking your brains in a few weeks if you don’t note it down!
Teamwork advertises a ‘free trial’ and doesn’t openly advertise the free plan, but you can choose the free plan when your trial ends.
Check spelling, grammar, and phrasing with Grammarly
Use case example of Grammarly. Source: Grammarly
Grammarly has a Chrome extension and a desktop app. I find the Chrome extension really useful for drafting emails, LinkedIn posts, writing for websites or filling in online forms. Even if you’re really hot on your grammar, I’d still recommend it - when you’re working alone and having a hectic day, you’ll be glad to have that extra check in place.
I believe the paid plans have additional features such as adjusting your tone or rewriting sentences for you, which could be worth exploring - it depends on how heavily your business relies on written content, or whether this is something you struggle with.
Create professional-looking designs easily with Canva
An example of the Canva account dashboard and some of the templates available. Source: Canva
Use one of Canva’s thousands of lovely templates or create your own designs with drag and drop tools - it’s a quicker learning curve than InDesign or Affinity Publisher. You can use Canva for social posts, brochures, presentations, business cards and anything else your business might need.
It can be handy when you’re still figuring out how you’d like your brand to look; it’s a good platform for experimenting with different graphics, fonts and colours to create a logo and brand scheme. Great if you’re not quite ready to hire a graphic designer, or you want to have a better idea of what you’d like before sending them a brief.
The Pro version gives you access to more stock photography, AI tools, design elements, and lets you resize your design after you’ve started it… but the free plan is more than enough to serve most purposes. Learn what features are available on the different Canva plans.
Skip the ‘when are you free?’ emails with Zcal scheduling
An example scheduling page from Zcal. Source: Zcal
Zcal lets you create booking forms and scheduling pages that your clients can use to book a meeting with you. This will save you precious minutes emailing back-and-forth - which will add up to a lot of saved time and money in the long term. A lot of people I know add their Zcal link to their email signature so they can easily signpost their contacts to it.
The free version of Zcal connects with your Outlook or Gmail calendar, and you can use it to schedule phone calls or video calls via Google Meet/Zoom/Teams. It then sends you both an invite and adds it to your calendars.
A word of caution though - you ideally need a consistent work schedule, or a very up-to-date calendar, for this to work for you. The whole idea of using a scheduling tool is that people can set up a meeting with you without the need for you to approve it, so if you’ve arranged another appointment without adding it to your calendar, you’ll end up with a little admin mess to clean up! Still, when done right, it will save a lot of time for you and your client.
