Technology is the Great Enabler

The Internet partnered with the falling price of technology have been the two single most influential factors in making freelancing as popular as it is today. To be sure, freelancing existed well before the Mosaic browser appeared upon the scene in the early 1990s, as did the personal computer, but today, a single mom with 3 kids, or a high school student with limited funds can both realistically embark upon a solo freelancing career.
Prior to 1980, freelancers often produced their work manually — illustrators drew sketches on large pads, copywriters and reporters produced copy on typewriters — and couriers or delivery services were used to get the finished piece from point A to point B. Today, a click of the mouse transmits this output in seconds, and instant collaboration can take place anywhere in the world.

The really amazing part that has driven the popularity of the freelancing movement is the fact that this technology is available to just about anybody who is willing to invest some time and very little money to learn how to acquire and use it. In some freelancing situations, the computer may not be needed at all. We would argue, however, that you should still have a computer to run the operational aspects of your freelancing business, even if the services you are selling don’t require one to produce the work. Technology is a timesaver that will justify its cost many times over.

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Here are some of the technologies that successful freelancers use as their stock in trade:

• Broadband Internet Connection - This generally means a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line provided by the phone company) line or a cable line (provided by the same cable company that provides television service). These Internet Service Providers are known as ISPs. Larger companies may use what are known as T1 or T3 lines to provide even faster speed or service a larger user base. Broadband simply means faster speeds so that more data may be downloaded into your web browser window in a timely manner on the computer. You will need a modem and perhaps a router to make the connection.
• Personal Computer - This usually refers to either a PC running Microsoft Windows or a Mac(intosh) running some version of Apple Computer’s OS (operating system). Freelancers often prefer a laptop to a desktop model because a laptop enables them to take the computer with them wherever they go.
• Wireless Network - This technology enables you to connect your computer to the Internet without plugging in any wires. A signal is broadcast that can be detected by a wireless enabled device. Many public places have hot spots that provide Internet access. Peripherals, such as a printer can be set up wirelessly and shared among several computers.
• Productivity Suite Software - Microsoft Office is the most popular, but there are alternatives. Corel, Apple, and IBM offer their versions at a fraction of the price, and Sun Microsystems OpenOffice 2 is free! This software is used to write documents, manage finances and billing, send and receive email, create presentations, track items in a database, and so forth.
• Cell Phone/PDA - It goes without saying that you need to be able to communicate while away from your office, but you may also need the capability to surf the Internet, text message, check your calendar, or take pictures from your phone, and those capabilities are also available from today’s phones and Personal Digital Assistants, like the Palm and Blackberry.
• Multifunction Printer - These devices can be either laser or ink jet-based and provide scanning, faxing, and copying in addition to mainstay printing. Most ink jet models also print high resolution photos.
• Flat Panel Computer Display - The bulky CRT monitor is yesterday’s equipment. High resolution LCD and plasma display monitors are now affordable for the home office. They are also more environmentally friendly, using less energy and taking up less space.
• Internet Technologies - The savvy freelancer takes advantage of the Internet to communicate with clients, transfer files, remote in to the work site, advertise for work, promote themselves, as well as perform the work itself. Depending on the service you provide, the Internet can serve as your world wide network.

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