This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here.

Working remotely can be extremely rewarding and beneficial. You can work from anywhere.  Your job is flexible. However, not being in close proximity with co-workers can cause its challenges.

With the help of these apps, working remotely can be easier than ever!

Below are a few apps that Venture with Impact participants and staff use frequently:

Slack

The cool new kid on the block, Slack’s already achieved a devout following. There's a ton of integrations to make it easier to streamline your project management and communications. Use it to brainstorm, collaborate, share files, and provide everyone with a transparent view of everything that’s going on.

Yammer

This “Facebook for business” messaging service is an easy way to message large groups and quickly post team updates. It gets a bit clunky between individuals, so use it primarily for one-to-many communications.

Google Hangouts

Connect with the people that make your business run via HD video, voice or text. You can save money and time on travel, but still get all the benefits of face-to-face contact.  It has everything from large business meetings to group and individual chats.

Google Drive

With Google Drive, you can share and upload files, collaborate on documents, and “star” the important folders or files you need quick access to.

Thoughtflow

Creatives, this one’s for you! If you prefer working visually, this tool lets you create moodboards and add project notes so there's never any miscommunication about what style and approach to take on a client's project.
 
Evernote

A robust and hugely popular notebook and productivity program that functions as a paperless office. Integrates well with productivity systems based on Getting Things Done.

Dropbox

Get to all your files from anywhere, on any device, and share them with anyone.  Save files on your computer, then access them on your phone from the road. Everything you keep in Dropbox is synced automatically to all your devices.

Meldium

Meldium automatically logs you in to your favorite apps and websites without typing usernames and passwords.  You get instant access with extensions for your browser, or with apps on iOS and Android.

Asana

Asana is the easiest way for teams to track their progress and get results.  With tasks, projects, conversations and dashboards, Asana enables teams to move work from start to finish.

Voxer

Voxer combines the power of live voice with text, photos, and videos all in one smartphone app.

Trello

Trello’s boards, lists, and cards enable you to organize and prioritize your projects in a fun, flexible and rewarding way.

Skype

Video or voice call, along with chat, with anyone in the world for free.

Freelancers, what are your favorites?

Founder of Venture with Impact, Ann is an avid traveler, having visited or lived in over 40 countries in 5 continents. She is currently venturing and working remotely in Perú, Colombia, and Thailand with participants of Venture with Impact.