Priya Shah

The tools I run my freelance business on

Students ask what I actually use, so here it is. Nothing on this list is clever. Every one of them saves me an hour a week or gets me paid faster.

1. A proposal template I reuse every time

   Same three sections, every client: the problem, what I will do, what it costs. Writing proposals stopped taking an evening.

2. An invoicing app that chases late payments for me

   Automatic reminders at seven and fourteen days. I have not written an awkward follow-up email in two years.

3. A simple time tracker

   Not for billing hours. For finding out which clients cost me more time than they pay for.

4. One notes app for everything

   Client notes, ideas, call prep. One place, searchable, on my phone and my laptop.

5. A good pair of headphones

   Deep work needs quiet. This is the cheapest productivity upgrade I ever made.