Freelancer’s Hyper-Drive: 131 Productivity Boosters for Email, Instant Messaging, Word, Excel, and More

Freelancers often have to wear many hats: accountant, boss, quality control, marketing department, and beyond, which can leave you feeling like there’s just not enough time in the day to do everything you’d like. Fortunately, there are a number of tools designed to help you speed up the process of working. Check out these productivity boosters for documents, communications, and more.

Email

Email itself is a productivity tool, but it often turns into a monster task that must be tackled. These tools will help you tame your inbox.

1. ClearContext: If you have a hard time getting through email you’d rather ignore to get to the good stuff, ClearContext is about to make your life a lot easier. This information management system prioritizes your email, organizing it and assigning color codes. You’ll be able to identify your most important senders and let newsletters or less important senders get pushed down below your VIPs.
2. Mail Templates: If you often reply to a number of emails on on the same few subjects, consider creating template responses for each one. You’ll save time and be consistent.
3. copy2calendar: Appointment setting doesn’t have to be a time consuming process. With copy2calendar, you can automatically convert text containing appointment information into calendar entries.
4. Actioneer: Use actioneer to speed up your Outlook actions like appointments, tasks, contacts, and mail messages.
5. TimeToMeet: Arrange meetings quickly in Google, iCal, or Outlook using this easy program.
6. Conversation Preview: Gmail users can view the first few lines of an email with Conversation Preview, even while they’re still in the message list view.
7. iGTD: Mac users can take advantage of iGTD, a tool that organizes tasks straight out of your inbox and saves a link to the original email.
8. CSV Exporter: Use CSV Exporter to import your address book contacts into Gmail.
9. FlipMail: For email on the go, sign up with Teleflip’s FlipMail, a service that forwards email as a text message to your phone.
10. Chilibase: Don’t spend 20 minutes trying to find that email Bob sent a month ago. Use Chilibase to see complete conversations from your contacts with a single click.
11. l8r: If you’re working at 2AM but prefer that your client thinks you keep normal hours, you can use l8r to delay sending messages until a specified time. You can also use it to schedule emails that you know you’ll send, like reminders.
12. SpamSieve: No one likes spam, especially when you have to wade through it to get to important emails. Combat this junk mail with SpamSieve, a program that zaps spam out of your inbox.
13. Copernic Summarizer: If you find yourself wishing that your email correspondents would just get to the point, Copernic can lend you a helping hand. This tool summarizes mail messages and other documents, highlighting key concepts and sentences.
14. Saved Searches: Check out this user script that allows you to save searches you’ll need to access frequently.
15. Gmail Loader: If you’ve switched to Gmail, but still need to access your archives without going back and forth to your old email provider, check out Gmail Loader. It imports existing emails to your Gmail inbox so you’ll have easy access.
16. Office Outlook Forum: Get quick answers to your pressing Outlook questions on this forum.
17. emailStripper: To quickly get rid of email clutter that accumulates in long back-and-forth conversations, use emailStripper. Just paste your email into the tool, and it will clean up all extraneous characters.
18. MailTags 2.0: This plugin for Mail.app allows you to add keywords and notes to your messages for quick retrieval.
19. GmailThis: Send web pages quickly to anyone using GmailThis. The tool makes it easy to instantly send a message with a URL attached through Gmail.
20. Getting Things Done Add-in: Productivity Leader David Allen has created an add-in that allows you to better accomplish his recommended workflow methodology.
21. Microsoft Office Outlook Team Blog: Find out how to improve formatting, get rid of junk mail, organize, and more by reading the MSDN Outlook blog.
22. Gmail Manager Add-on: Firefox users can take advantage of this Gmail add-on that displays email data at the bottom of your browser. This tool can show information from multiple Gmail accounts and is easy to customize.
23. 10 Minute Mail: Save your real email for clients and other important people with 10 Minute Mail. This service allows you to sign up for a temporary email address that’s great for forums and other sign up forms that you think might sell your address to spammers.
24. AmikaFreedom: Receiving email on your mobile device is convenient, but sometimes, you’re hit with an information overload. Use AmikaFreedom to trigger emails to forward to your wireless device when specified key words and phrases are used.
25. Destroy beacons: Beacons are small images embedded in spam emails that, when downloaded by your email client, let spammers know they’ve got a hit. Avoid advertising your email in this way by blocking images from anyone not in your address book.
26. Take Back Your Life Add-in: Get organized with templates, appointment prompts, and more functionality tools from Sally McGhee.
27. Fuser: Use Fuser to consolidate your email accounts into one central place.
28. ActiveWords: If you hate switching back and forth from Word to Outlook just to look up a contact, you’ll love ActiveWords. This tool makes Outlook “hot” in any Windows application, which allows you to look up contacts from a number of different programs.

Instant Messaging

IMs are a convenient communication tool, and there are a number of ways to improve their functionality. Read on to find out how you can share documents, schedule meetings, and send SMS messages using IMs.

29. Acronyms: Use texting and chatroom acronyms to get your point across in fewer keystrokes. Of course, remember your audience: if you’re speaking to a client, you’ll need to tone down on the netspeak.
30. Meebo: Share files with your contacts using Meebo’s IM.
31. IMified: Access lots of web apps from one place using IMified.
32. TodoBot: By setting up your own TodoBot, you can IM to do list items to yourself.
33. Gaim: Use Gaim to chat on a number of instant messaging platforms at the same time.
34. MyCyberTwin: Let a chatbot answer your IMs while you’re away.
35. gTalk Sidebar: Firefox users can add on Google Talk as a sidebar, so you can chat while surfing web pages.
36. AOL Mobile: With AOL Mobile, you can send a text message to SMS-enabled phones using the AOL Instant Messenger.
37. Merge IM Contacts: Check out Lifehacker’s lowdown on how to get your AIM, MSN, Yahoo! and other contacts on Google Talk.

Word

For most users, Word is a fairly simple tool to use, but when you’re drowning in lots of documents, revisions, and lots of editing, it can be a mess. Clean it up with these Word boosters.

38. Word Hyperlink Checker: Use this tool to make sure that all of the links in your Word document are active.
39. Word Hotkeys: Check out this guide to find hotkey codes for common tasks.
40. Boiler: Avoid excessive copying and pasting when combining Word files. Mesh multiple Word Files into one central file using Boiler.
41. Save as PDF: With this tool, you can save any Word document as a PDF for easy reading.
42. RapidoWrite: RapidoWrite makes it easy to cut down on repetitive text. Check it out for a good text replacement utility.
43. Microsoft Office Word Team Blog: Check out the MSDN Word blog for tips, news, and more from Microsoft.
44. Recover Lost Files: This guide offers tips for recovering Word files that would otherwise be lost forever.
45. Fore Words Pro: Analyze your words for word echoes, differences, and more.
46. Turn Off Word Features: For tips on how to turn off annoying and unnecessary Word features, be sure to take a look at this guide.
47. Compare File Versions: If you’ve had someone edit your document, but they left you with no way to track their changes, you can find yourself spending a lot of time trying to find them. Use this tutorial to make comparing file versions a lot easier.
48. Word Kit: Use Word Kit to produce frequently generated documents with ease and consistency.
49. WordFast: Quickly translate text in Word using this handy tool.
50. MS Works Converter: So your word processing file turned into more tabular data than you expected it to be? Not to worry, you can convert everything into an Excel file with this tool.
51. Speed up Word: Word often loads lots of templates and add-ins that you may not need, which slows down the program. Read this tutorial from Lifehacker to find out how to stop them.
52. Wordware: Wordware’s productivity pack has 45 tools designed to help you save time when using Word.
53. AutoSummarize: If you need to summarize a large amount of text, don’t go through the tedium of reading it yourself. Check out this tutorial on how to use AutoSummarize to highlight key points.
54. SumsBox-W: Improve Word’s number and tables functions with this handy tool.
55. Docx Converter: So your client has Word 2007 and has started sending you .docx files that are incompatible with your Word version. Make them readable by using the Docx Converter.

Excel

Excel is a great tool for wrangling lots of data into one convenient place, but it can get out of hand. Find out how to streamline your spreadsheets, create easier graphs, and find time-saving templates with these tools.

56. Daily Dose of Excel: Check out Dick Kusleika’s Daily Dose of Excel for help with formulas, functions, and lots more.
57. Mr. Excel: Bill Jelen, Mr. Excel, has over 18 years of spreadsheet experience, and he’s more than willing to help you figure out how to better use Excel.
58. Marketing Charts: Download Excel spreadsheet templates and marketing charts with this resource.
59. Copy Text to Multiple Worksheets: Find out how to copy text from one worksheet to many others in this answer thread.
60. Conditional Formatting: Formatting in Excel is a great way to make data easier on the eyes and highlight important information, but it’s a lot of work. Find out how to set up conditional formatting to make the entire process automated.
61. ASAP Utilities: Use ASAP Utilities to automate frequently used tasks in Excel.
62. Excel Forum: If you need help using Excel, check out these forums for information on worksheet functions, programming, and more.
63. Excel Keystrokes: Save yourself some time and the perils of carpal tunnel syndrome by checking out these easy Excel keystrokes.
64. Nuts About Microsoft Excel: On this blog, you’ll find loads of tips and solutions for MS Excel.
65. Excel AutoFilter: Use AutoFilter to sort by selected criteria without changing any data.
66. Dual Excel Worksheets: Find out how to view two Excel worksheets at once at Digital Streets.
67. Excel Templates: Save yourself loads of time by using these Excel templates instead of starting from scratch.
68. Excel In-cell Graphs: Check out this link for a tutorial on how to easily create a bar graph inside Excel cells.
69. Excel Split Views: Read this tutorial to find out how to split your Excel screen so that you can view and edit two different areas at once.
70. Excel Gantt Charting: Turn Excel into project management software using this tempate from David Seah.
71. ExcelUser: On ExcelUser, find Excel news and tips, create Excel Dashboards, and learn how to better use Excel in your business.
72. Excel Experts: If you’re in need of an Excel Expert, check out this directory.
73. Microsoft Excel: Check out the Microsoft Excel blog for beta news, improvements, and more.

PDF

PDF is a versatile, functional document format that offers more than meets the eye. Find out how to save time and stretch your PDFs to the limit with these resources.

74. PDF Converter Professional: Streamline your data input from clients by creating fillable PDF forms with this tool.
75. Combine PDFs: You can use Adobe’s Insert Page tool to combine PDF files, but if you’ve got a few to do, that can prove to be time consuming. Instead, use this tool to merge multiple PDF files into one with a few easy clicks.
76. Sumatra PDF Viewer: For a lighter, faster PDF viewer than Adobe Reader, check out Sumatra.
77. PDF Download: If your clients send you a lot of PDF documents, you probably have to figure out how to deal with them on a regular basis. Using PDF Download, you can specify how Firefox downloads these files.
78. Adobe Reader 8 Optimization: Get Adobe Reader 8 to boot up faster by following this tutorial.
79. Skim: Take notes on your PDF file as you read it using Skim. Some features include highlighting, circling, and more. You’ll also be able to see your notations and jump to them more easily.
80. PDFill PDF Editor: This utility corrals lots of common PDF manipulation actions into one easy interface.
81. ScanR: Snap photos and turn them into emailable PDFs using ScanR.
82. Adobe Reader SpeedUp: Adobe Reader is known for its slow load times due to unnecessary plugins. Use Adobe Reader SpeedUp to selectively remove plugins that you don’t need.
83. Notepad Generator: Create personalized PDF notepaper that you can print out and take to meetings using this generator.
84. PDF to Image Converter: If your client can’t quite grasp the concept of downloading Adobe Reader, save yourself the time you’ll need to explain it, and just use this tool to send them an image file instead.
85. Shoka: Corral all of your PDFs in this library manager. This tool makes it quick and easy to search, share, and tag your PDF documents.
86. PDFCreator: Don’t spend time finding ink and paper when you can just print to PDF. Use the PDFCreator to print PDF files from just about any Windows application.
87. RSS 2 PDF: Take your RSS newsfeeds offline by converting them to PDF that you can read at your convenience.

Phone & Text

The phone may seem like a tool that operates more slowly than its digital counterparts, but it has a number of time-saving tricks to offer, too. Use phone and text messaging to budget, take notes, navigate traffic, and more, all on the fly.

88. Reminders: Set up reminder messages that arrive on your phone at a scheduled time.
89. Expense Tracker: Read this guide to find out how to use K7.net’s free voicemail to send yourself messages for expense tracking.
90. Yahoo! Mobile: Don’t go searching around for your phone to send a text message–just send one using Yahoo! Mobile.
91. YouTube Mobile: Share videos on YouTube on the go by using YouTube Mobile to upload via your cell phone.
92. Pinger: Forgot to send an email? Don’t worry, you can send an audio email message to your recipient instead using Pinger.
93. MoneyManager: Track transactions on your phone with MoneyManager. Reports can be generated and sent to your email.
94. Yahoo! Local: Don’t worry about taking the time to print or write out directions from Yahoo!–just send them as a text message to your phone.
95. Popularity Dialer: If you know your client meeting is going to run long but you have things to do, you can use Popularity Dialer to schedule a call to your cell phone that will allow you to excuse yourself.
96. The Traffic Line: Call the Traffic Line to find out what traffic is like in your area so you’ll never be late again.
97. CallBurner: If you need to keep audio records of your Skype conversations, it’s easy to do it with CallBurner. Using this tool, you’ll be able to go back and review what you’ve said without having to do a lot of work.
98. Disable Skype Notifications: Check out this guide to find out how to keep Skype messages and notifications from popping up constantly.
99. CallWave: With CallWave, your voicemails are transcribed, highlighting only the key information.
100. Jott: Send yourself a note by recording a message with Jott. The service will transcribe your voice into text and email it to you.
101. SmartCam: If you need to use video chat, but don’t have a webcam, you can turn your Smartphone into one.
102. Dodgeball: Assure your clients that you’re on the way to your meeting by broadcasting your location via Dodgeball.
103. Dial DIR-ECT-IONS: Dial this number, and you can get a text message on our phone with driving directions.
104. Blog From Your Cell Phone: Send a text or photo SMS to go@blogger.com, and you’ll be able to make posts to your blog.
105. Google info: Send Google a text message to find listings, dictionary definitions, and more.
106. Skylook: With this Outlook extension, you can record calls, get text alerts, voicemail in your inbox, reminders to your phone, and much more.
107. Pickle: Share videos and photos with clients using your phone and Pickle’s service. You’ll just send your files to a special email address and it will publish them to sites like MySpace, Blogger, or your own site.

Other

Check out these tools to find even more boosters for documents, travel, collaboration, and more.

108. AutoHotKey: Using AutoHotKey, you can turn any block of text or keystroke sequence into a hotkey that will perform repetitive tasks.
109. Google Presentation: Google’s answer to PowerPoint makes it easy to do simple manipulations of PowerPoint files without actually firing up the program.
110. Delivery Intercept: Control what happens to your package once it leaves your hands with this feature from UPS.
111. Ditto: Corral your copy-and-paste function with this handy clipboard manager.
112. TripIt: For entrepreneurs on the go, check out TripIt, a tool that automativally organizes your travel itinerary using email.
113. Guide to Hotkeys: Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts that allow you to execute an action without using your mouse. This guide has hotkeys for email, messaging, file management, and more.
114. Audio Documents: Learn how to record written documents to audio for “reading” on the go with this tutorial.
115. Mango: If you need to learn a foreign language, but don’t have time to hit the books, check out Mango for courses in conversational language.
116. DocuFarm: This Firefox add-on makes it quick and easy to preview documents in your browser without having to take the time to open up a new program.
117. QuickLogger: Keep track of your workday by logging tasks into QuickLogger.
118. Scriblink: Collaborate with others on a digital whiteboard with Scriblink.
119. Mini Map Sidebar: If you’re reading an email invite to a meeting, but have no idea how to get there, you can fire up the Mini Map Sidebar to map addresses and get directions without ever leaving your browser’s email client.
120. Google Alerts: Keep track of your online reputation, favorite news items, and anything else you regularly check online by setting a Google Alert. You’ll be notified of any new pages that include your key words.
121. Backpack: This productivity tool has lots of great features, including the ability to send scheduled or unscheduled reminders to email, SMS, or both.
122. Snapter: With Snapter, you can scan photos of business cards and documents using your digital camera.
123. Airport Parking Reservations: If you’re always getting to the airport at the very last moment possible, check out this service so you’ll save time parking.
124. Virtual Folders: If you’re using Vista and find yourself often searching your machine for the same thing, you can save your search results as a virtual folder. Find out how here.
125. FileTaxes: Who needs an accountant? File taxes for your employees on this site, and the service will generate forms, submit them to the IRS, and mail them to recipients for you.
126. Office Jargon: Check out this handy guide to office jargon from Lifehacker and Brazen Careerist to spend less time trying to figure out what in the world your corporate clients are talking about.
127. Digital Filing System: Read this tutorial to find out how to take your filing system online, creating a time saving, easily searchable database.
128. Online Sign Off: Streamline your document approval process by taking it online with this service.
129. Mailbox Map: Don’t spend time searching for a mailbox–just check out Mailbox Maps, a tool that finds nearby mailboxes and provides pickup information on each one.
130. Windows Keyboard Shortcut of the Day: For time-saving keyboard shortcuts, check out this ongoing blog.
131. Monkey On Your Back: Remind coworkers and clients of deadlines using Monkey On Your Back, a tool that sends scheduled email reminders to others.