The Technology Crash Course Which Ensures You Never Miss A Deadline Again
If you make your money by working from home, you’re part of a fast-growing club. We live in the age of freelance gigs. This lifestyle, which was once a distant dream for the lucky, has now become a standard career choice. And, those of us who are making the most of it couldn’t be happier.
How we make money from home does, of course, vary a great deal. Some of us go down the traditional route of pitching to potential clients. Others choose to work on a freelance basis with established companies. Others still opt to start up blogs where their words alone sustain them. If all that sounds like hard work, there are plenty of review sites which now source outside workers. The working from home world really is our oyster right now. And, as different as all these jobs sound, they have one significant thing in common. Each of them requires you to work on a computer.
Technology, after all, is far from perfect. Even in this advanced age, computers crash for no reason. Sometimes, our internet lets us down. When these small issues arise, they could upheave your work capabilities in a significant way. That could lose you a lot of money in the short-term. If you miss deadlines due to issues like these, it could even see you gaining a bad reputation. And, in a field where there’s always someone waiting to take your job, a bad reputation isn’t something you want.
The good news is, you don’t need to be at technology’s whim. Any decent freelancer will take control back into their own hands. And, they do so by putting the following emergency precautions in place.
Always keep a spare device in the house
No matter how advanced they become, computer’s can still break. They’re sensitive pieces of equipment, after all. One drop or virus could see them giving you the blue screen of death. That’s the absolute last thing you want to see when you’re working on multiple deadlines. If you don’t prepare for this, it could even see you out of action for a matter of weeks. If that happens, you’ll be starting pretty much from scratch when you do get back to it. You’ll undoubtedly need to drum up a whole new load of business. That’s hard enough to do the first time around, so attempting it all over again is far from ideal. The good news is, you can avoid this restart by always having spare home tech to hand. If you can afford to have a spare laptop around, then great. If not, even a cheaper alternative such as a tablet or Chromebook could do the trick. The point is that you need some kind of internet-connected device. That way you can get on without delay, no matter what happens with your primary computer. Even if the device in question isn’t one you would choose, it’ll keep you working while your computer gets repaired. That could be the difference between a disgruntled client and another happy testimonial.
Keep in touch with a reliable repair team
Speaking of repairs, you’ll also want to keep the details of a reliable computer repair team to hand. Computer engineers can work wonders with tech. Staying on good terms with a set company could also see you getting discounts and fast service. Even if your computer seems beyond help, a decent engineering team should be able to get you back up and running. In an ideal scenario, a skilled team should even be able to recover files you assume lost. So, never underestimate the value of having contacts like these to hand. Bear in mind, too, that a lousy engineering team could either do more damage or keep your computer for weeks on end. In some cases, firms which charge for the amount of time a repair takes will slow the process on purpose. To make sure it doesn’t happen, do your research as soon as you start freelancing. Look out for engineering teams which come with glowing recommendations. You may even want to check the credentials of the engineers of each firm. A firm led by someone who’s completed an Engineering Management, Master of Engineering degree is sure to serve you well. Equally, a company with plenty of well-certified engineers is sure to serve your needs. You may even find that asking around for personal recommendations is your best way to a company you trust. Either way, you need to know that the team you choose will work to get you back up and running as soon as possible.
A cloud system
As we mentioned above, a decent repair team may be able to recover files from any computer. But, you won’t need to take that risk if you use a cloud system. Companies and freelancers everywhere are now making use of these and with good reason. Effectively, a cloud is a remote form of file storage. For a subscription fee, you pay a cloud provider to store your files in an online portal. That means you can access them no matter where you are of what happens to your computer. Even if you have to turn to your additional devices to work, you’ll be able to pick back up on the projects you’re halfway through. In short; cloud storage could save you from any situation. It’ll undoubtedly ensure you never miss a deadline. So, look out for a system which works. There are a multitude of cloud hosts out there, and each offers different benefits. With your needs in mind, start doing a little research. Then, sign up the moment your freelance career begins to take off. You won’t regret it.
An internet backup
Even if your computer never crashes, you still stand to lose business if you can’t get online. Without an internet connection, you won’t even be able to access the files in your cloud. You’ll be unable to communicate with clients. Depending on how you work, you won’t even be able to submit or publish your work. All these are issues which could cost you a fair amount of money. Yet, we all know that the internet is as prone to problems as our computers. Sometimes, our connections just don’t come no matter how many times we restart that box. If a local cable comes down, you may even find yourself without internet for an indeterminate time. That’s why you also need to take the time to find an internet backup. With this to hand, you’ll never need to worry about losing connection again. An obvious choice here would be an internet dongle. Most phone providers offer these as an alternate connection option. Using a sim card, these work on much the same basis as a phone would. You buy credit which connects you to the internet and top up as and when you need to. These can get pricey, but they’re ideal for the short-term. In some cases, you may even find that you can bypass a dongle altogether and tether your phone to your computer. This would allow you to use your phone data to get online. Again, this can get expensive, especially if you’re on a limited contract. But, it’s the ideal solution for tiding you over if your internet ever lets you down.
An alternative place to work
Sometimes, it isn’t our tech itself which lets us down. Though power cuts are less common nowadays, they do still happen. In that instance, you may find yourself without access to the internet or a computer. Again, this deprivation can last for a fair while if major repairs works are needed on local wires. In some cases, you may even find your internet cut off while new cables and the like are installed. Either way, you need to stop these issues from getting between you and your work. And, the best way to do that is to find an alternate place to complete your daily tasks. Knowing you have somewhere else to work is one of the best reassurances of the freelancing world. This way, even a hurricane couldn’t stop you from meeting those deadlines. Libraries are always fantastic options for this, though they tend to have time limitations. If you need to do a significant amount of work, a coffee shop could be a better option. For the price of a drink every few hours, you’ll be able to use their free wifi for days at a time if the need arises. That’s good news indeed for your future freelance prospects.
