3 Best Free Invoicing Apps for Sole Proprietors in 2022

Why An Invoicing App

If you're a sole proprietor, chances are you're always on the go, and your time is precious. An invoicing app can help save you time and make sure you're paid promptly by automating the invoicing process. With an invoicing app, you can create and send invoices directly from your phone or computer. In addition, many invoicing apps allow you to track payments so you can see at a glance who owes you money and when the payments are due. This can significantly help you stay organized and on top of your finances. Another significant advantage of using an invoicing app is that it allows you to get paid via credit card or PayPal, which can be a big plus if your clients prefer those payment methods. So if you're looking for a way to streamline your billing process and get paid faster, an invoicing app is worth considering.

Finding a FREE invoicing app is even better. Getting the help of an invoicing app doesn't need to break your budget. You don't need all the features of a more significant business, so why pay for them? This blog will recommend three of the best free invoicing apps for your home business.

Wave

Wave Website

Wave is a free invoicing app that allows you to create and send clean, professional-looking documents for no cost whatsoever. It also includes handy features like tracking payments or managing expenses, so your finances stay on top! Choose Wave for invoicing and add needed features such as accounting and banking. They are all 100% free.

Wave makes money when you choose to use its financial services. For instance, you can use Wave invoicing for free. The service costs you nothing if a client pays the invoice through their own channels. However, you can have Wave send the invoice, and the client can choose to pay the invoice using Wave payment services, and Wave receives a percentage of the transaction. The same principle is true of their other services.

Here is how it breaks down:

• Need to receive payments? It is 2.9% + $.60 per transaction.
• Need payroll services? The cost of $35 per month.

In addition to these services, Wave offers consultation for a fee:

• Need a bookkeeping advisor? The cost is $149 per month.
• You can have an accounting and payroll coach for a one-time fee of $329.

A benefit of taking advantage of these paid services is that it leaves the heavy lifting to Wave. Need to refund a customer? No problem. Wave will take care of it and keep track. Wave's slogan is "Everything you need. Nothing you don't." And that is the approach to their services.

Wave has recently added a banking feature to which I referred above. As with the other services, banking is free. The service tracks business and personal expenses and keeps them separate to simplify tax season. Wave debit card purchases automatically get logged and categorized in the accounting software. Transactions can be tracked with their mobile app.

Wave Website

Zoho

Zoho Website

Zoho is another excellent choice for the sole proprietor. By comparison with Wave, Zoho is a scalable, full-featured accounting app. While it has a free plan, there are limitations to the number of customers or invoices included with the plan. Since we are focusing on free plans, I will compare the Zoho free plan with Wave.

The Zoho free plan includes these features:

• Hosted payment pages
• Multi-currency support
• Integrated with Stripe
• Offline payments
• Client self-service portal

As you move into the paid plans, more features are included. As you scale upward to the more advanced plans, Zoho becomes one of the market's best invoicing and accounting apps. Zoho's free plan cannot compete with Wave as a free app. On the other hand, Wave cannot quite make it with Zoho as an advanced accounting app.

With Wave, there is no paid plan for invoicing and accounting. Therefore, there are no limits to the number of customers or features between various plans. There is only one plan, and it is free!

Zoho is a good choice for a small or mid-size business with more complex accounting needs.

Zoho Website

ZipBooks

ZipBooks Website

ZipBooks is also designed for the sole proprietor or small business. As a free invoicing and accounting option for the sole proprietor, it fits in a category between Wave and Zoho. Wave is completely free. There are no paid options for invoicing and accounting. On the other hand, I would not rate Zoho as an authentically free choice. Yes, there is a free plan, but there are restrictions. It will accommodate only 20 customers. It limits the free service to very small businesses and calculates small using a metric based on the number of customers.

Wave also targets small businesses but uses a different metric for small. Rather than measuring by the number of customers, it calculates based on the complexity of the business accounting needs.

So what about ZipBooks? Its free plan includes:

• Sending unlimited invoices
• Managing unlimited vendors & customers
• Accepting digital payments (Square or PayPal)
• Viewing Basic Reports
• Connecting one bank account

This is a similar approach to Wave. Again, the metric is based on accounting features rather than customers. The ZipBook philosophy is, "From accepting your first transaction to operating a high-revenue operation, we have a plan that covers you (yes, it starts at free)!" So as a new business, you start free. As your business grows, upgrade to the plan that best fits your needs. But since the features offered in the free plan are unlimited, nothing is added to these features in the paid plans. With the paid plans, you will have included things like automation, the number of bank accounts, and the number of team members. For instance, check this list of features included in the Smarter Plan:

• Schedule recurring invoices with auto-bill
• Automate reminders
• Save invoice line items
• Connect multiple bank accounts
• Receive account notifications
• Track time
• Add 5 team members

ZipBooks Website

Which App Is Best

The plan that is best for you is just that - the plan that is best for you. Saying one app is better than another can only be judged based on whether it best suits your needs, regardless of how many great features it has. I have already given a clue to an approach to deciding which invoicing app to choose. Now I will go into it in more detail.

Greatest Need -- Is your greatest need invoicing, bookkeeping, payroll, or something else? If your business sells products, bookkeeping may be the most significant need rather than invoicing or payroll. If, on the other hand, you provide client services, invoicing is probably your greatest need. So start there. If invoicing is your greatest need, then the number of customers or clients you have is also essential. You don't want an app that restricts your number of customers.

If customers and invoicing are not your most significant concern, pick those issues that are of greatest concern. Maybe you need more complex accounting or want to accept payments on your website? Whatever it is, laser focus on your most significant concern or need. Having found the plan that best addresses that concern, now consider some more minor concerns. Does the app that best addresses your most significant concern also address this minor concern? If not, is that a game changer? If so, your next option is to accept a compromise with your more significant concern issue. Or, it may be that none of these three apps best addresses your need.

While your business may be small, your financial concerns may be mid-size business issues. You may need to go looking for apps better suited for the mid-size business.

Small Business Financial Tips

I hope this blog has helped you decide on a free invoice app for your business. Here are a couple of additional tips to help keep up with your business financials.

Tips for Getting Paid On Time With An Invoice

Tips for getting paid on time with an invoice
Invoicing can be frustrating, such as sending out countless payment reminder emails, making numerous phone calls, and still not getting paid on time. Fortunately, you can do a few things to increase your chances of getting paid promptly. First, be clear about your payment terms from the start. Make sure you discuss payment options and timelines with your client before starting work. Second, use an invoicing system that allows you to track payments and automatically send reminders. Finally, follow up with a phone call or email a week after your invoice is due. By taking these simple steps, you can decrease the chances of getting stiffed on a bill.

Why tracking income is essential for sole proprietors

Tracking your income is not an activity you can take lightly. It is what keeps you in business. Besides helping you stay organized and on top of your finances, you will know how much money you bring in each month. With this information, you can better budget and keep up with your cash flow. This will also be incredibly helpful in deciding how to grow your business. Plus, it will help you spot potential problems before they become too serious.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. Our list of three best free invoicing apps and tips on ensuring you get paid for all that hard work. Whether you use one of the apps we’ve mentioned or choose a different option, remember to keep your invoices clear and concise, follow up if needed, and always be professional. With a little organization and a solid payment system, you can focus on what you do best—running your business!

https://digitalchowder.com/3-best-free-invoicing-apps-for-sole-proprietors-in-2022/

Solving the Physical Address Dilemma for the Home Business

Operating your business out of your home, as great as it may be, does have several challenges to overcome. One of these challenges has to do with your physical location. What should you do about the physical location of your business? Should you:

• have a non-existent physical location,
• list your home address,
• or find a different solution?

In this blog, we will consider virtual solutions to address the problem of a physical location. In my next blog, I will weigh in on solutions for inventory storage.
We will break the information into two sections:

• Virtual mail
• Virtual Office

Before starting, you should consider two questions:

• What is wrong with not having a physical address? This may not be a problem if your business operates online and all your products are digital. But if you have non-digital products, it may be necessary to list a physical address. This will help to provide legitimacy for your business.
• Why should I not use my home address as the physical business address? There are several downsides to using your home address as your physical address:

• Security and privacy of your home
• Lease or homeowners association rules
• Zoning regulations
• Liability concerns

We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Virtual Mail

Before getting to the virtual solutions, you may want to consider some simple, longstanding physical alternatives. These are standard mailbox services:

• USPS -  Renting PO Boxes from the US Postal service has existed for decades. A PO Box is not new or virtual, but it is still an alternative.
• UPS  - Securing a mailbox from UPS is also an alternative that has been with us for years.
• FedEx - Yet another mailbox rental option.
• Local Options - Search your local area, and you will find several more options.

These options may serve you well if you want an excuse for a break from your home office. But, convenience will not be their strong suit. They do require you to retrieve your mail.

The following table gives you a quick reference to the benefits offered by five virtual mail services. You will note that they all provide a physical address with the mail service. To enlarge the table, use CTRL & + keys together. To return to the default size, use CTRL + 0 keys. You can also use this link to download a PDF of both tables below - (Download PDF of following tables)

Using the table reference, you should be able to select the features you want quickly. From there, you can go to their websites to look more closely at their information. Each service will have differing details about charges you will incur should you go over the allotted amounts. Links for each product is below the table.

• Anytime Mailbox
• Traveling Mailbox
• PostScan Mail
• iPostal1
• Digital Mailroom

Virtual Office

Business mockup. Office workflow. Icons on virtual screen. Internet and digital technology concept.

The virtual office is an expansion of the mail service. It amounts to a suite of virtual services, including mail, phone, and fax. Unlike virtual mailboxes, virtual office packages cannot be listed in a table showing how they compare. Since each virtual office package is unique, I have listed each individually.

• Start Hub Centers
• iPostal1
• Alliance Virtual Offices

We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

https://digitalchowder.com/solving-the-physical-address-dilemma-for-the-home-based-business/

What Is A Pad Printer And How Can It Help Your Home Business?

Introduction

What Is A Pad Printer? If your business transfers two-dimensional images onto three-dimensional objects, that question could interest you. Your quality might be lacking if you use screen printing or another technique rather than pad printing. The pad printer is made specifically for this print job.

But you may also be looking for a way to take your home business to the next level. Pad printing can benefit your existing business but can also be an avenue for diversifying your business or starting a new one.

What Is Pad Printing?

Pad printing is an indirect offset where ink from a laser engraved plate is transferred onto a 3-D object using a silicon pad. Thanks to pad printing, a process once difficult or impossible to complete is now available for customization. With the pad printer, it is possible to print on such materials as:

• Aluminum
• Cellulose acetate
• Ceramics
• Chromium-plated surfaces
• Coated surfaces
• Cotton
• Duroplastics (phenolic and melamine resins, glass-fiber reinforced polyester, and epoxy resins)
• Glass
• Gold-plated surfaces 
• Leather
• Metals
• Nickel-plated surfaces
• Paper
• Plasticized PVC
• Polyester (PES)
• Rubber
• Silicone rubber
• Synthetic leather
• Wood
• and many more

By broadening the types of materials you can print on, you also enlarge the number of doors opening for starting a new business or expanding an already current one. With being able to print on any of the following surfaces, your printing ventures could include:

1. Custom coasters
2. Ceramics such as mugs, plates, and bowls.
3. T-shirts
4. Golf balls
5. Keychains
6. Magnets
7. Notepads
8. Pens
9. Mousepads
10. Stickers
11. Glassware Decoration
12. Metal Signage
13. Promotional Items such as pens and buttons
14. Product Labeling
15. Barcodes

This list is not exhaustive, but it should pique your thinking about the limitless options. These choices might be made available as promotional goods for your company or to sell, or you may contract with other firms to print on products they create or market.

Basics of Pad Printing

How does a pad printer work? 

Three components are necessary for a pad printing machine to deliver a print to an object: the plate, the ink cup, and the pad.

The Plate: The printing plate holds the image you want to engrave on the object. Common ones are plastic – thin metal plates covered using photosensitive plastics. They are known for their flexibility, cheapness, and easy printing. Another type is the steel plate, known for toughness and durability and better suited for large production runs.

The Pad: The mechanism that transfers ink in a pad printing machine is called the printing pad. With the image on the pad, the pad stamps it onto the object.

Pads are silicone, with the type and hardness depending on their purpose. Pads also come in diverse shapes and sizes, determined by the application and artwork.

The Ink Cup: An ink cup is a mechanism that contains the ink printed on a component. The ink cup travels over a plate containing the etch and then returns, leaving only a tiny amount of ink in the etched region.

The ring and cup are the two essential parts of an ink cup. The plate has a ring that slides over the cup to limit ink to locations on the plate consistent with the image. Some manufacturers use ceramic, metal, and plastic rings in their products.

For more details, go to: 

• Step by Step Guide:  https://www.printinginternational.com/story-printing-international/what-is-pad-printing/
• Training & Expert Advice: https://itwtranstech.com/services/training/

Cost of getting started

Suppose you're wondering how much it costs to begin pad printing. In that case, the answer is relative to whether you plan on utilizing it for existing business ventures or starting an independent pad-printing-based business.

Print Projects within your business

With an established business, you may wish to print your company name or logo on goods as a marketing technique. For example, publishing your firm's name and logo on coffee mugs as a giveaway is an option. You may rent a little pad printer for $310 from here. A printer with this price range would come with supplies such as ink, paper, and plates, but not necessarily the printer itself.

Pad Printer Business

There are a variety of print projects that a company may undertake. Therefore, the cost depends on the nature of the job. Other factors contributing to the cost are the size and quantity of the product to be imprinted. To give an example, I'll utilize one case study; you may tailor it to your needs.

This example will use mugs as the product of choice using the Printa Systems ready-made printing system.

The Printa System provides you with the high-quality equipment needed to run your business and the expert training necessary for success. With this particular plan, you are leasing to buy the 990 Series Silver Pad Printer System. The cost of the machine is $3995, with shipping totaling an extra $110—making the total $4105. Your contract stipulates that you pay out this lease at a manageable monthly rate of $138.75 for 48 months. At the end of this period, you will own the equipment.

It is wise to keep it simple and start with a niche market such as mugs. But the equipment you purchase will enable you to branch out and print many other things like water bottles, pens, glasses, cups, and golf balls. You won't need to purchase any extra machinery.

In addition to the equipment, you will also receive training on how to use it. The session covers setup, preparation, artwork, printing, and more topics. This way, even if you have never worked with a printer, you can get started without trouble.

Go to this link to explore the information further.

Other Ideas: This is only one way to secure the printing equipment. However, this example may serve as a guide for the cost and capacity of a pad printery. Furthermore, this method allows you to start without making a significant financial investment.

Go to https://www.printa.com/business-resources/how-to-start-a-mug-printing-business for more information about the printa system.

Ideas For Identifying Business Clients

After you've decided to start your own pad printing company and have acquired your equipment, you will now need print jobs. Enlisting jobs may be the most challenging part of launching a print shop business for you. Where can you locate customers, and how will you entice them?

Individual Customers

If you operate a home-based business, realize that foot traffic will not contribute to your success as it would for a store-front operation. Your primary customers deliberately seek out your products or services online or through word of mouth.

Any mode of advertisement or promotion (aside from a street-level sighting) places you on equal footing with the store-front business owner. Those ads can easily direct customers to your website, make a phone call, or send an email inquiry.

Business Clients

You're not limited to only finding individuals as customers; business clients are another great option. If you pad print any products, find businesses that make and sell those same items so they can use your service for imprinting purposes.

Teaming up with this type of business can make sense financially because you would print more items and get stable work. In other words, having just a few contracts like this could be all your company needs to do well. Once established, you can increase your production with more of the same printing or start imprinting onto different products--or both! This way, your printing volume will go up, along with how much money you're making.

Here are some reasons why choosing a B2B approach to identifying print jobs might be wise. These ideas come from the article, "Why B2B is a Better Choice for a Print Shop Franchise," published by Signarama Franchise.

Conclusion

To summarize, pad printers can be highly beneficial to home business owners:

Business projects can help you create professional-looking marketing materials and personalized gifts and save money on commercial printing services.

Start a new business: Starting a pad printing business can be a great way to earn extra income from home. Anyone can get started in this rewarding field with a small investment in equipment and supplies! 

Please share your thoughts or experiences in the comment section below. What would you like me to write about? Contact me at: wayne@digitalchowder.com

https://digitalchowder.com/what-is-a-pad-printer-and-how-can-it-help-your-home-business/

My Personal Guide to All the Best Features in Nicepage, Part 1

Introduction

Hello, and welcome to the Digital Chowder blog. I'm Wayne, and this is the first of four posts and videos I will be doing about All the Best Features of Nicepage, my favorite website builder. This post will not be a how-to about how to use Nicepage. Nor will it be a review comparing Nicepage alongside other web builders. Instead, I will highlight some of my favorite features found in Nicepage.

This first post/video will address the Nicepage subscription plan, why I like it, and why it is a good fit for me. Then I will touch on the desktop app with Nicepage, giving an overview. Finally, I will discuss the options for publishing your website after designing it in the desktop app.

Nicepage Subscription Plans:

If you go to the Nice Page website and then to their premium page, you will see four subscription plans outlined. Each plan has two options: a subscription and a license. So what is the difference? With the license, you're paying a one-time fee to purchase the software; with that, you're getting one year of updates for the software. But beyond the first year, there will be an additional fee if you want any updates. I have chosen the subscription approach. With the subscription, you pay an annual fee and receive the software and all updates during the year. And it is ongoing.

When I started with Nice Page, I used the Personal plan since I only needed one website for my business plus a personal site. With the Personal plan, I could have as many as five websites. So that was quite adequate. But now I design websites for other businesses besides my own. So I need to use Nicepage for more than five websites. However, I don't need an unlimited number of sites.

So, let's jump over to the Elementor website and look at their plans to understand why the Nicepage subscription is a good fit for me. With Elementor, three plans start with the Essential plan, which is $59 a year. This plan allows you one website. If you jump to the Expert Plan, which is $199 a year, you are allowed 25 websites.

Now let's go back to the Nicepage website. Back there, the Business plan offers a middle ground between the Personal and Pro plans, which Elementor does not have. The Business plan for $129 a year allows me 50 websites and additional features. This is just right for me. I need more than the Personal plan offers, but I don't need all that the Pro plan provides. So the Business plan is the one I use. I would pay $199 annually at Elementor and only get 25 sites.

Desktop App:

The next feature I want to highlight is the desktop app with Nicepage. There is a desktop app for both Windows and Mac computers. If you're building a WordPress website, you also get a WordPress plugin; if you're doing a Joomla site, you get that one.

You can do the whole website on your computer before you import it to your WordPress website. But it is not required. Creating the site layout is the only portion of building a website that requires the desktop app. Once you have created a layout for your website, you can export the site to a zip file and install it as a WordPress theme. You can do the remainder of the design online. Or not! You can also build the complete site on your desktop before installing it online.

Once you have installed the design theme on your WordPress site, you can work back and forth between online and offline.

Once your site is online, you can edit it on the desktop or do it online, whichever you choose. I do both. I like to be able to do major edits on my desktop, knowing that when I do a save, it's not going to go public.

Next, let's look more closely at the desktop app.

You can check the video above to see what I'm talking about in the following comments.

As you view the desktop application listed in the left-hand column, you will see a list of your websites. Click the appropriate icon to open the site you want to work with. You can also delete a website you are no longer working with from this page. To create a new website, use the "New Site" button.

If you are creating a new website, you can start with a blank website and build the site from scratch, adding elements as you go. Or, you can use your graphics to form the bases of the site. Yet another option is to select a design template from the various categories listed. Once you choose a template, you can stay close to the template design or use it only as a starting point.

Publishing The Website:

When you are ready to export my website to an online host, I can click the "Publish" button. You can publish a temporary Nicepage-hosted site, an HTML format, or a WordPress theme.

The temporary "Website" option is quick and easy. Press the publish button to install the site on the Nicepage server. Then share the subdomain with a client for their review of the site. There is no configuration or installation or uploads to do to have a site looking like the one on your desktop.

Another option is an HTML site. This choice requires an FTP app to upload to the host server.

If you publish a WordPress site, use the output zip file to install in WordPress as you do with any other theme.

Conclusion

In this post, I have given an overview of Nicepage. In the next post, I will detail some of my favorite design features in Nicepage. Meanwhile, I encourage you to get a free Nicepage download and try it. Then come back to the other posts for further help.

2 Great Project Management Apps for Struggling Solopreneurs

Project and task management software can help you keep track of all your tasks and projects to stay organized and focused. Here are 2 Great Project Management Apps for Struggling Solopreneurs.

But these are only tools that are no better than how you use them. Alongside these tools is the need for self-management. And only you can make this work, especially for the Solopreneur. No supervisor or team member holds you accountable for the tasks and projects required to succeed. You are the boss!

In this article, I want to highlight the importance of including project management tools in your tool belt and offer practical personal tips to help you use them best. No matter how good the tool is, it is only as good as the user.

Quit Getting Overwhelmed

Have you ever awakened in the night and couldn't get back to sleep because of an idea or undone task that took over your thoughts? As you may have found, a simple solution can be to make a note of that idea or task. Once the note is made, your mind is released from the thought, and you can get back to sleep. A daytime version of this is when we become overwhelmed or stressed from feeling there is more to do than we can accomplish.

The problem is that all the undone tasks and big projects are rolling around in our minds with no way to get a handle on them. There is no plan or organization—just loose thoughts running rampant through our heads. The same simple solution that helped you get back to sleep can also reduce stress and keep the overwhelmed feelings at bay. Organize those thoughts and make notes of a plan. With a written plan, you can get the ideas out of your head and tackle the tasks and projects one chunk at a time without being overwhelmed and stressed. The trick is to have a written plan. Until you do, your mind is not released. It is full of random thoughts.

But making a written plan for your tasks and projects is not the first step. It is the second step. The first step is to create a plan to plan.

The tyranny of the urgent:  Are you familiar with the phrase "the tyranny of the urgent"?  It refers to being tyrannized by urgent tasks that may not be all that important. But they are urgent, so we set aside everything else to do them. While it is true that we do not have control over some of these pressing matters, we can control many. How? By having a plan for our tasks and projects. Often what has become urgent is a task that we kept pushing back until there was hardly enough time to get it done. At that point, it has become critical.

The more we allow tasks and projects to go undone, the more urgency we will have. And the more we will be overwhelmed and stressed. Stop allowing less important tasks and projects to become urgent and take you hostage! When this happens, what is the first task to go undone? Planning!

Set Aside 60 Minutes

So, set aside 60 minutes, get away from interruptions, and make a plan. If you truly devote the 60 minutes to planning and remove all interruptions, I guarantee you will emerge from this time feeling like you had a mini-vacation.

So, how are you going to use these 60 minutes? What plans are you going to make? Here are some suggestions:

• lan when & how you will plan. For your first 60-minutes session, you may need to spend more time on this than in subsequent sessions. When will you have another of these sessions? How frequently will you have them? Get some dates on the calendar. If you don't, this may be your last session.
• dentify the three most important tasks/projects you face over the next three months. Determine the time frame in which each needs to be accomplished. Then go backward from those dates and schedule when you will lay out a plan for each task/project.
• tart planning for the top priority task/project on your list. As time allows in this session, start planning for the first item on your priority list.

Each of these 60-minute sessions will vary, but I strongly encourage you not to exit a session without a date on your calendar for your next session. I suggest one of these 60-minute planning retreats at least quarterly. You may find it necessary to do so more frequently. Then, revisit your plans weekly. Each week, whether on Friday for the next week or on Monday for the current week, review your project and note what needs to be accomplished during the week ahead. If necessary, make adjustments to the plan and your schedule for that week to do what is most important. Not just what is most urgent.

What Is The Difference Between Projects and Tasks?

I have mentioned both projects and tasks. Is there a difference, or are the terms interchangeable? This is an important question. As you explore the subject online, you will find that the words are often used interchangeably. But this is not truly the case, nor do I use the terms interchangeably. A project is a big event or a significant element of making your business successful. Projects refer to all involved in carrying out that event or essential business element. On the other hand, tasks are the individual items that must be accomplished to complete the project. For instance, a project might be to have a booth for my company at a trade fair. That project involves many actions: register the booth with the fair administrators, decide what the booth will comprise, construct the booth, enlist people to man the booth throughout the fair, etc. Each action is a task, but the project is to have the booth for the fair.

Do I need both a project management app and a task management app? 

This is another excellent question. A good project management app will include task management. Without task management, a project will never get off the ground. But will this cover all my needs in operating my business? My answer to this question is 'No.' Many will disagree with me, but our differences are less about what is accurate or best and more about how we prefer to work. From my perspective, a project management app is about managing projects but not managing all aspects of my business or my daily activities. I may have 2-3 projects at a given time, but I have many tasks to deal with during each day unrelated to any of these projects. I prefer a separate task manager into which I fold jobs both related and unrelated to my projects.

So, having determined that we need to have a regular time to plan and that it could be helpful to have both a project management app and a task management app., let's move on. We will proceed to discuss possible solutions for both of these needs. First, we will address a project management app.

Click Up Project Management App

As an example of project management tools, I will use ClickUp. In the interest of full disclosure, as an affiliate marketer, I may receive credit should you sign up for the app.

So out of all the choices out there, why have I chosen ClickUp? First, I should explain that in recommending this app to you, I have shopped the project management market, chosen this app, registered an account, and used it as my tool. So let me explain why I chose it.

• t is well suited for the solopreneur. Many of the apps I explored assumed larger businesses with multiple teams. I found them difficult to fit my planning process and implementation. Frankly, I found many to be confusing.
• t has a logical, structured approach. This is a feature that makes the app easy to understand and use.
• t has all the tools I need in one place. While I choose to go elsewhere for a task manager, I don't have to. ClickUp has it and sends a daily email listing incomplete tasks.
• t has all the features I need free forever. Since this article is aimed primarily at solopreneurs, it is good to point out that the free forever plan allows an unlimited number of members or team members.

Here is a list of features that come with the free forever plan:

•  100MB Storage
• Unlimited Tasks
• Unlimited Free Plan Members
• Two-Factor Authentication
• Collaborative Docs
• Whiteboards
• Real-Time Chat
• Email in ClickUp
• Kanban Boards
• Sprint Management
• Native Time Tracking
• In-App Video Recording

ClickUp Overview

Now let's give an idea of how project management might work and, in the process, provide an overview of ClickUp. Of course, managing a project using a different app will have some differences, but the basics will be the same.

ClickUp hierarchies:  ClickUp is built as a series of hierarchies. The first tier 0f this hierarchy is the workspace. A workspace represents your business or company and so will contain everything related to the company. Within your company or workspace are spaces. These are your projects. You can have an unlimited number of spaces (projects) in your workspace (company). Within a space (project), lists are created. Each list contains any number of tasks related to certain aspects of the project. So, for each project, you end up with several lists necessary to accomplish that project, with several related tasks in each list.

Building a project: When preparing for a project, I start by creating a space within my company workspace. Let's say I plan to have a booth at a trade fair.

• The first stage will be to plan the project working within the space I created for the project. Within the project space, several tools help with planning and monitoring the project's progress. Here are some of the tools:
• Board on which I can view all lists and tasks on one screen.
• Calendar to reference the overall time frame and when tasks need to be completed.
• Gantt chart to display a timeline of starting & stopping dates for assignments.
• Box, which gives an overview of all pieces of the project.
• Mind Map to visualize your Workspace Hierarchy or create your own free-form Mind Map for planning and organizing projects and ideas. As ideas are added, they are each mapped to other elements of the project, allowing a visual of how the project ties together.
• Workload allows you to see your team's capacity if you are working with a team. You can see who is over or under-assigned and reassign tasks accordingly.
• Whiteboard: Collaborate, brainstorm ideas, solve problems and get work done quickly.

For this first stage, I will start with the whiteboard to brainstorm ideas for the project. With several ideas, I will outline a plan. Then I will move on to the second stage of the process.

• Second Stage: In the first stage, I brainstormed to form the nature of my project and outlined how it would operate and what it would accomplish. In stage two, I want to bring the project to life. This is where I break down each piece of the project into actions. First, I break it down into sections. For my fair booth, the sections could be:
• Determine the message & graphics
• Identify vendors & contractors to provide materials and labor
• Design & construct the booth
• Move the booth onsite & set it up,
• Make accommodations for the booth operators
• Etc.

Around each of these sections, I will create a list and the tasks necessary to accomplish that section within each list. I will also assign these tasks to a timeline for when each should be started and completed.

• Third Stage: The third stage is the implementation of the project. As a solopreneur, this is all on me. If I have been realistic in the second stage, I have not assumed more responsibility for myself than is reasonable. Without a team, I will have to contract out what I can, leaving my role primarily to that of project manager. That in itself will be plenty. So as project manager, I will set aside time daily to monitor the project pieces using the tools made available by ClickUp. What tasks have been checked off? What tasks are currently underway, and what is their progress? Will upcoming tasks be able to start on time? If not, what is needed to get them going? These are some of the questions I need to raise daily to keep the project on track.

This project is just one example of using a project management app and of the ClickUp project manager. There are many other project management apps out there. If ClickUp is not for you, find one that fits how you work and the nature of your company.

ClickUp User Plans:

- Free Forever:  This plan is said to be for personal use, but solopreneurs should be well-served using this plan. While there are a few differences between this and the paid plans, the allowed storage space is a big difference.

• Unlimited: ($5 per member / mon) This is said to be best for small teams.
• Business ($12 per member /mon) Best for mid-sized teams
• Business Plus ($19 per member /mon) Best for multiple teams

The word to notice in these plans is the word 'teams.' If you are a solopreneur, there are no teams, again emphasizing the sufficiency of the Free Forever plan.

Next, we will consider a task management app.

Todoist Task Management App

Todoist promotes itself as "The world’s #1 task manager and to-do list app." And PC Mag contributes to that image with the pronouncement, "Todoist is the number one to-do list app.” The app's excellence in managing tasks led me to choose it for personal and business use. While emphasizing its excellence at managing tasks, its business plan is geared for teams and has project management features. If you find a project management app such as ClickUp to be overkill for what you need to do, Todoist Business might be what you need. It will provide shared lists for teams allowing collaboration on projects which may be the primary feature you are looking for. At $6 per user per month, it is affordable for a small business.

Todoist User Plans:

• Free: For starters
• Pro: ($4 /mon) For power users
• Business: ($6 per user /mon) For teams

So why would I choose ClickUp for project management instead of Todoist? The same features Todoist lacks in project management are the main features I want. That is project envisioning and planning. If tracking all the tasks related to a project is all I'm looking for, Todoist does an excellent job and would be my choice. But I want more. And I can get it for free from ClickUp.

At this point, I may have you confused about why I even use Todoist. I have used Todoist for years and have been pleased with its functionality. But more recently, I began to feel the need to better plan and stay on top of my projects. I started looking for a project management app and selected ClickUp. But unless I also use Todoist, I find a gap in keeping up with my tasks.  Though ClickUp does a great job of keeping me on top of my project-related tasks, I have many other non-project-related tasks. I still need to stay on top of these. So I find it works well for me to blend the two. As I review my project tasks for the week in ClickUp, I include those I need to do each day in Todoist alongside other non-project tasks. Then I have them all together and can prioritize the whole list each day.

How do you choose?

As you weigh the pros and cons of these two apps, ask yourself the questions: do I need both or just one, and if one, which one? As you consider these questions, here are a couple more questions to help. Am I in more need of managing projects or tasks? If you find that you need project management more, you might consider whether using a task manager would also be beneficial.

Regularly review Your Projects and Tasks

If you haven't already guessed, I am inclined toward being organized. I don't like being tyrannized by a constant urgency of tasks. That doesn't mean I enjoy planning. I don't. But I enjoy it more than I enjoy being stressed. 

If you are a solopreneur,  as I am, you don't have a team around you to cover the areas in which you are not strong. So if planning is not your forte, you will likely have to step up and do something you don't enjoy or feel capable of doing. For this reason, I have offered some of my practices in planning in hopes of being helpful. But even if you find my methods unhelpful, I believe you will find help with a Project Management App to give you direction and structure for your planning.

To that end, I invite you to check out one or both of these apps.  Here are links you can use for that purpose:

ClickUp Link                            Todoist Link

Please leave comments or questions below.

https://digitalchowder.com/2-great-project-management-apps-for-struggling-solopreneurs/

Elementor vs. NicePage: Which Is Better for WordPress Websites?

WordPress has two excellent drag-and-drop page builder plugins for WordPress in Elementor and Nicepage. Both have several fantastic features. Both are great picks for creating WordPress sites. So, which one should you use?

As a user of both WordPress builders, I must inform you that I have already decided. That said, I'll go through both objectively and share some reasons why I chose Nicepage. To level the playing field, I will also disclose that I am an affiliate for both Elementor and Nicepage.

So, with disclosures out of the way, we will start by looking at some objective features of both Elementor and Nicepage.

Page Builder VS Theme Designer:

One of the benefits I liked about Nicepage is that it's not only a page builder but also a theme creator. However, on the Elementor website, you'll discover a theme builder feature. So are they able to create WordPress themes as well? The answer is yes, albeit in two very different manners.

Installing a desktop program on either a Windows or Mac computer or an online builder is where Nicepage begins. These are independent applications that aren't connected to your WordPress site. You start by creating your theme using a variety of templates and styles in these apps. Templates are full-page layouts on which you may build your theme's design. The designs inspire the page's block arrangement. Once you have designed a theme, you export it from the program and install it in WordPress, just like any other theme. A plugin is included in the archive file that must also be downloaded and installed in WordPress.

Elementor does everything from within WordPress. Once the plug-in is installed in WordPress, you can build a theme. If you are using a free version, you will need to install the "Hello" theme and use the theme builder tool from within the page builder to modify theme elements, such as the header and footer. A template feature is installed for building a theme if you are using a pro version of Elementor.

Elementor gives this description regarding its theme builder:
"'Builder' might be a confusing word in this case, but historically, it has become a standard part of the design vocabulary. Just as page builders are page designers that work in conjunction with your theme, the Elementor Theme Builder is a tool for building a new design framework that changes the look of those areas of your theme that have traditionally been off-limits to page builders."

Website Designs:

Another advantage of Nicepage is that it is more than a WordPress theme designer and page builder. The themes created with its desktop or online applications may not only be exported as WordPress themes but also as Joomla templates. Furthermore, they can be exported as an HTML5 website.

Comparison of Features:

Now let's focus on page building and compare features between Nicepage and Elementor.

Responsive & Mobile Designs

Elementor and Nicepage are both responsive and mobile-friendly. In other words, their designs adapt to any screen size - including mobile displays - and respond quickly. Both provide Desktop, Laptop, Tablet views, and Mobile screens in portrait and landscape mode. Once you've created a desktop version of a page, you may switch to any other screen sizes to see how it appears and make any needed changes. The majority of the time, all that is required is a few modifications to this view, such as repositioning page headers on the page or centering images. Elementor and Nicepage are equally capable in this area.

​Organize it all with Todoist

Drag & Drop Editor

Both offer drag-and-drop design capabilities, which is another common feature between them. Find the feature you want from a list in the left column of your design page and drop it on the page layout in either program. You may then freely position and resize the element as desired. In addition, you may easily customize the colors, backgrounds, and other properties to your liking.

(We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.)

Video Demonstration

Here are two short videos demonstrating their features to give a feel for the differences between the two builders.

If you view both videos, you'll find that the technologies employed are pretty similar. Regarding page creation through drag and drop, both products work similarly. The different ways elements may be positioned and modified within the page blocks influenced my decision to use Nicepage. Elementor's manual handling of position, sizing, and modification tools in the left column can be time-consuming. At the same time, Nicepage's mouse use for all these functions on the design page is more efficient. While this distinction might seem minor, it significantly impacts how quickly you can achieve your desired look and do so without spending hours in front of your computer.

Elements

Nicepage claims over 300-page elements, and while Elementor does not give a number, a browse through available features appears to be very similar. Elements might be broken down into:

• Design elements - These include such elements as Headings, elements for layout, images, text editor, buttons, texts, colors, fonts, etc
• Function elements include forms, menus, sliders, social media integration, etc.

Nicepage

Elementor

Pricing

Both offer a free edition. As you might expect, these free editions have certain restrictions. The limitations affect the number of websites on which you may use your license and specific features. So let's look at them side by side:

Elementor:

• Free Plan - The free version is limited to one website, 50 editor widgets, and no theme building. A few other limitations exist, such as no eCommerce or form builders.
• Essential Plan - For most of those reading along, this version or the free version will be the only version in which you will have any interest. You are not designing multiple websites. Only the one you need for your business. This plan is $49 per year and allows for one website. It comes with 100+ editor widgets as well as the theme builder. It also has more website kits and designer themes available. Plus, it has eCommerce, a popup builder, and a form builder.
• There is also the Expert Plan, the Studio Plan, and the Agency Plan. While there are a few more differences than this, the primary difference is the number of websites with which they can be used.

Nicepage:

• Free Plan- The free starter pack allows you to create the site, export it, and test most options. The number of grids, blocks, colors, etc., is limited in the free version. There is no limit to how long the free version is available.
• Personal Plan - The cost of this plan is $59 per year. This plan gives free updates, five sites, 10,000+ Page and Block designs, 200 block layouts, 25 Grid styles, and 1 Modal Popup.
• Other plans include the Business plan for $129 annually, the Pro plan for $199 a year, and the Ultimate for $349 a year. Each of these plans will increase the number of sites, page & block designs, grid styles, and modal popups. Again, the Personal Plan is sufficient if you are only interested in designing your business site. Should you need more than one site for your business, the Personal Plan will allow this.

Conclusion:

Both plugins offer similar functionality, so choosing between them depends on your needs and preferences. If you’re looking for a simple page builder with fewer options, then Elementor might be better for you. However, if you’re looking to build complex pages with many different elements, then NicePage will likely be a better choice. It will excel in giving you:

• The ability to try out your ideas on the fly.
• Allow you to modify elements in minutes.
•  web design 3.0 features
• 1,000s of designer web templates
• A responsive design that looks great on any device

Check them out:

Nicepage

Elementor

(We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.)

https://digitalchowder.com/elementor-vs-nicepage-which-is-better-for-wordpress-websites/

How to Use Snagit for Screen Capture & Recording

In this article, I will highlight Snagit Capture and Screen Recording features.

Snagit is a powerful screen capture and recording software that helps users quickly and easily capture their screen or record videos of screen activity. With its extensive suite of features, Snagit makes it easy to take screenshots, annotate images, draw professional-looking graphics, and record videos with audio.

With this article, I will only cover some of the features of Snagit. There are too many to attempt them all. I have been using Snagit for over 20 years, and in that time, I haven't used them all myself. Occasionally I will come across a new feature and wish I had already been using it.

My primary purpose in this article is to demonstrate Snagit's capabilities for those uninitiated about Snagit. Therefore, I will not demonstrate advanced features or provide a "how-to" of specific features.

Taking Screen Captures with Snagit.

Left Column

This image shows the main window of Snagit. This window is our starting point. We will work our way through the features from left to right. Starting with the left column, we will talk about the type of capture we will take.

Type of Capture

There are three choices:

• All-In-One - If you select all-in-one, you will wait until later to choose whether to capture an image or do a video capture. After activating the capture process and selecting the area, you can choose whether to do an image or video capture.
• Image - Choosing an image capture from this window will limit our capture to a single image. The image capture also provides several options as to the area to select for the capture.
• Video - Again, choosing a video from this window will limit the capture to video capture. It will also show other options to be selected, such as using the webcam to include our image in the capture and recording audio with the video.

Center Column

Moving from the far left column in the main window to the center column, we have three choices if we take an image capture.

Capture Selection

The first choice is the area we will select. Notice the drop-down menu in the image. Only a few of the options are visible in the menu, but they include the following:

• Region - Choosing a region allows us to drag the mouse over the area we want to select.
• Window - This refers to an active window open on our desktop. It may be a word processor or another available app.
• Full Screen - Everything on the desktop will be included in a full-screen capture.
• Scrolling Window - This capture option will cause the active window to automatically scroll to the bottom of the page, capturing the whole rather than just the initially visible portion.
• Panoramic - A panoramic capture is similar to a scrolling window. In contrast, you will select a portion of the page width and then scroll as far down the page as you wish using the mouse. This process will capture everything within the width of your selection and to the bottom of your scroll.
• Grab Text - With grab text, a section of text on the screen is selected and then converted to editable text.

Choice of Effects

You will see the effects drop-down menu in the image to the right. Only a portion of the possible effects is visible. Effects include a border, shadow, edge, etc. SnagIt includes the selected effect in the final capture.

Share Capture

Again, a drop-down menu will list numerous choices to share the capture. These include:

• Screencast - A cloud storage service of SnagIt.
• Word
• PowerPoint
• Google Drive
• Dropbox
• Evernote
• Many more 

To summarize, you can choose an image or video capture, the area of the screen to capture or the entire screen, an effect to add to the image if desired, and an option to share the capture.

What To Do With The Capture

We are now ready to address the right column. Once you have made a screen capture, what will you do with it? Your choices include:

• Preview in the Editor - This choice will automatically send the capture to the SnagIt Editor, where you can remove unwanted portions of the capture or make additions and enhancements.
• Copy to Clipboard - Using this choice; you can paste the capture wherever you choose.

Activating A Capture

Now it is time to start a capture. We have three options.

• The hotkey - Notice the image highlighting the hotkey setup. The hotkey can be whatever combination of keys you want unless that combination is already in use. Below the capture button, you will see your current hotkey. Mine is the print-screen keyboard key. If you press the capture button, you can change it to the combination of keys you want to use.
• Press the big red button that says "capture."
• From SnagIt Editor

Video Demonstration

Please watch the video below for a demonstration of the SnagIt features we have discussed. As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Words would never explain using the SnagIt Editor or a screen recording video. But the video will provide a demonstration.

Conclusion

So as you can see, Snagit is a powerful and versatile tool for capturing, recording, and editing screenshots. It's easy to use with a range of features that make it perfect for professionals who need high-quality images or videos and casual users who want something quick and straightforward. With its hotkeys, capture widget, Snagit Editor presets, and more - you can easily create beautiful graphics in no time!

This demonstration may have made you interested in checking it out further. If so, use this button for a free SnagIt download. You will receive a 15-day free trial. Using SnagIt is the best way to decide if it is a good fit for you.

Free SnagIt Download