SwitchTip: 6 Apps for Freelancing on an iPad

Photo credit: karola@flickr

Can you work effectively on an iPad? I’m about to find out. I recently joined the ranks of the Apple fanbois.  Well, maybe not completely.  I got my iPhone before it was available here in Canada (the Apple genius kept telling me “It won’t work in Canada”), but I haven’t been able to fully switch from PC to Mac. I like the system but I still find it hard to justify the price difference.  I could have bought two of the systems that I currently use, or one MacBook.  Sorry, but I’m cheap, and when it comes to writing I don’t require the power of the Mac.

That being said – I did get a new iPad.  And while it might not be perfect for every freelancer, it is going to be very useful to many.  Here are a few apps that will make your freelance life easier – or at least help you look cool in Starbucks.  And really, that’s all that matters.

Apps to Find Freelance Jobs

• Freelancer for iPad – $4.99 – I haven’t tried this yet, but it looks like it’s a decent app to help you find new projects.  As long as you’ve got your internet connection, you can quickly bid on an interesting new project.
• Craigslist EZlist for iPad – Free – Quickly and easily see the projects in your area.  The slick interface is easy to navigate, so you spend more time looking at future projects, and less time searching the “missed connections.”

Accounting Apps

• Cube Time & Expense Tracker – Free – Login with your gmail information and start tracking your time immediately.  It’s easy to start tracking your time and expenses with just a few clicks.  Graphs and level of information is impressive, but it would be nice to see an integrated timer.  From what I can see, the time tracking is a manual process.  The Pro version ($9.99) is able to work without an internet connection, and will back everything up to the cloud when you get back online.
• Expense Books for Freshbooks – $4.99 – iPhone version only for now.   If you’re a fan of Freshbooks, you’re likely a fan of this app.  Log all of your expenses while you’re out and about.  Keep all of your receipts in your ipad, not in your wallet.  A good, and not so good, way to find out how much your caramel macchiato habit costs you each month.

Apps to Help Save Time

• Epicurious – Free – Excellent recipes for tasty treats.  Search by genre or by ingredients.  Create shopping lists for the next time you venture outdoors.  It would be nice to see a category for “quick eats” – for those days on deadline, but there is something for you to choose on this list, no matter what your cooking abilities are.
• Zinio – Free – Why would a magazine app be in the saving time section?  It’s a great app to use when you’ve only got a few moments.  Instead of reading the pithy copy on your coffee cup, you can read a quick article in your favourite magazine.  Catch up on the newest trends in your industry or learn about your competition.   Or, just use it to read about the latest drama around Paris and Lindsay – whatever floats your boat.

Apps to Kill Time

• Words with FriendsHD – $2.99 – Like another famous board game with 7 letters and lots of points – but better.  Great way to kill a few hours while you show off your vocabulary.  (I haven’t been brave enough to try Words with Pirates yet…)  Up for a game – I’m wordsmith
• NetFlix – Free – Fighting mental block?  Need the pressure of a looming deadline?  Fire up this app, choose your favourite movie, and start up the popcorn.  Bound to get your creative juices flowing.

Use the iPad to show off your portfolio, share your contracts, or just to record your meetings.  It’s a great tool to use for pretty much any freelancer; at least until the Droid platform makes its public debut.