Over the last decade, the gig economy boom has allowed professionals worldwide to switch to freelancing and build a network of international clients.&nbsp;
According to Upwork, 1 in 3 US workers engaged in freelance work during 2020. Some of the most successful freelancers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per year through platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal.
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Does your company hire freelancers? How do you <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/should-i-share-data-with-freelancers">share passwords with freelancers</a>? TeamPassword is an affordable password management solution for small businesses, startups, and agencies to share credentials securely with team members and freelancers. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> today.
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<h2>10 Successful Freelancers</h2>
Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in their given field with excellent track records&mdash;many have worked with the biggest companies in the world!
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<h3>1. Scott Luscombe - Graphic Designer / Shopify Expert / Website Developer / Copywriter&nbsp; - Canada</h3>
Scott Luscombe is a freelance graphic designer, Shopify expert, website developer, and copywriter from Uxbridge, Canada. He holds a degree in Illustration from Sheridan College and a degree in Marketing from the University of Toronto.
Scott has been a freelancer for most of his professional career and has earned over $500k on Upwork. He has completed over 311 jobs and worked&nbsp;10,956 hours!&nbsp;
Scott's work includes graphic design and branding, illustration and icons, copywriting, website design and development, UX/UI, and printing and packaging. He also provides freelance coaching and consulting. Scott is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer currently charging $99 per hour for various creative gigs.
Some of Scott's most notable work includes designs for Coca-Cola, the Canadian Cancer Society, Nickelodeon, and Wallet Ninja (to name a few).&nbsp;
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<h3>2. Kathy Edens - Marketing Consultant / Freelance Copywriter - United States</h3>
<a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~016177d19f0624c1a7?viewMode=1">Kathy Edens is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with over $300k platform earnings! Kathy has been self-employed as a marketing consultant and freelance copywriter for almost ten years from her home in Ohio, United States.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing and Psychology from Oregon State University, which she says "...helps me understand how to reach your target audience with words."&nbsp;
Kathy has ghost-written several non-fiction books on various topics, including social entrepreneurship, healthcare, real estate investing, and the cannabis industry, to name a few.
Kathy also writes web content, sales pages, email marketing content, case studies, white papers, brochures, press releases, and more. Kathy's rates start at $86 per hour for her writing and marketing services.
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<h3>3. Koen van Oeveren - UX designer - Netherlands</h3>
Koen van Oeveren is a freelance UI &amp; UX designer from North Brabant, Netherlands, with almost ten years of experience. Koen works with several design agencies in the Netherlands, designing apps, websites, and eCommerce experiences for many international brands.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Koen holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Communication and Multimedia Design from Avans University in the Netherlands. Koen's <a href="https://www.koenvo.com/index.html">portfolio website Koenvo</a> was nominated for a <a href="https://www.awwwards.com/sites/koenvo-ui-ux-portfolio">2021 awwwards. Award</a>.
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<h3>4. Pascal Strasche - Product / UX designer - Germany</h3>
Pascal Strasche is a product and UX designer with more than ten years of design experience from Germany. He holds a Master of Arts in Interaction Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, both from HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
For almost a year over 2020/2021, Pascal worked as the sole product designer to design Con Cubo's SaaS tool that helps complex organizations visualize and manage teams. He's also worked with German steel giant XOM Materials to find product solutions to digitalize&nbsp;Germany's steel industry.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
In 2019, Pascal founded Product Design Resources, a growing archive of 800+ design resources, weekly updated for the design community.
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<h3>5. Paul Hunkin - Developer - New Zealand</h3>
Paul Hunkin is a freelance software consultant and developer from Tauranga, New Zealand, but currently living in Portugal.&nbsp;
Paul has over ten years of experience as a software developer with an impressive work history, including Google, NASA, InfoSys, and the Chinese aerospace industry leader COMAC.
He's worked with several early-stage startups designing everything from high-performance big-data systems to complex web applications to 3D rendering engines. He's also built a lot of the foundational code for independent games on Android.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Paul is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer with over $400k in platform earnings. His rates start at $120 per hour for software development. <a href="https://paulh.consulting/">Check out Paul's website</a> for more about his impressive portfolio and work history.
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<h3>6. Jana Galat - Writer / Brand Strategist - Canada</h3>
Jana Galat is a freelance copywriter and brand strategist from Ontario, Canada. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Management and Organizational Studies from King's University College and an Honors in Business Administration from Western University.
Jana has extensive experience writing landing pages, email campaigns, social media ads, and print materials and says, "I am obsessed with creating copy that sells..."
After several years of professional work experience, Jana went freelance in 2019 and has quickly built a reputation as a <a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01bfa17a48301876dd">Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with over $70k in platform earnings. Jana's rates start at $100 per hour for copywriting and brand consulting.
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<h3>7. Kate H. - Logo Designer / Branding Expert - United States</h3>
Kate is a freelance professional logo designer and branding expert from Maryland, United States. Kate&nbsp;ran her own green wedding brand which she sold to mywedding.com in 2014, allowing her to focus on helping small&nbsp;businesses figure out what they want (and who they are) and translate that into design.
She holds a Master's degree in Environmental Management from Yale School of The Environment, and a J.D. in environmental law from Pace Law School.&nbsp;
Kate's skillset includes redesigning and updating material to make it easier to understand, building a consistent brand from a simple starting point like a logo, and creating unique logos that guarantee results.
Kate is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer, and her rates start at $225 per hour. You can find out more about Kate on her <a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~013ce73876c1c18126" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">Upwork profile</a>.
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<h3>8. Marcos Rezende - UX designer - Canada</h3>
Marcos Rezende is a UX Designer from Ontario, Canada, with more than 13 years of experience. Marcos has worked in over 30 industry sectors for multinational organizations in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Brazil.&nbsp;
Some of Marcos' notable projects include apps for Ontario's COVID-19 dashboard, Urban Master Planning collaboration platform, and Reaction (kid's e-learning app), to name a few.&nbsp;
Marcos loves sharing his industry expertise with aspiring UX designers and regularly writes for the popular UX publication Career Foundry. Total recognizes Marcos as part of its "Top 3%" of global freelancer talent&mdash;a title given to elite freelancers in their given field.
We don't have access to Marcos' rates, but the best UX designers on Upwork earn upwards of $100 per hour. As a Toptal Top 3% freelancer, Marcos likely charges $200-$300 per hour.
<a href="https://www.marcosrezende.com/">Marcos Rezende's website</a> was nominated for the prestigious <a href="https://www.awwwards.com/sites/ux-portfolio-marcos-rezende">awwwards.</a> in 2021.
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<h3>9. Tanya Litvinova - UX/UI Designer - United States</h3>
Tanya Litvinova is a freelance UX/UI designer from New York City, United States. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising Design / Communication Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Tanya specializes in product, mobile, and web design as well as user experience flow, research, and validation.
"I have a passion to make the complex simple, shape behavior, design, plan, and strategize. Aiming for the best user experience, all the while balancing the needs of business and technology to create engaging, habit-forming digital products."
Tanya has worked with Fortune 100 &amp; Fortune 500 companies and successfully delivered business-transforming data-driven analytics, responsive BI dashboards, enterprise web apps, and management systems. Some of Tanya's notable clients include KOCH Industries, BlackRock Financial, BCG Group, and FireEye, to name a few.
<a href="https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~0165035041b26e96df">Tanya is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer</a> with more than $200k platform earnings. Her current rate starts at $162.50 per hour.
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<h3>10. Guangming Lang - Data Scientist - United States</h3>
Guangming Lang is a freelance data scientist from Michigan, United States. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from New College of Florida and a Master of Science in Biostatistics from the University of Michigan. Guangming has also completed several Coursera courses in data science and machine learning.
Guangming has been a freelancer since 2013 and has worked across several industries, including fintech, trading, medicine, biotech, advertising, and HR.&nbsp;
Guangming is a Top Rated Upwork Freelancer with over $400k in platform earnings. He's completed 216 jobs on Upwork totaling 3,805 hours! Guangming's current rates start at $200 per hour.
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<h2>Secure Freelancer Workflows With TeamPassword</h2>
No matter how talented or reputable the freelancers and contractors you hire, your company must use secure workflows to protect your digital assets.
Freelancers often need access to shared accounts and tools. Using a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a> is the first step to securing these accounts and platforms. You can also use a password manager to share credentials with employees, clients, and other stakeholders to ensure you never expose raw passwords via email, spreadsheets, chat apps, and other non-secure methods.
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> lets you create groups to share access with only those who need it. When they're done, revoke access with a single click. No need to change passwords every time someone leaves the team.
If you do need to change a password, TeamPassword's built-in <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">password generator</a> lets you create secure passwords between 12-32 characters using numbers, letters (uppercase/lowercase), and symbols.
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Ready to onboard clients and freelancers securely with TeamPassword's robust <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password management solution</a>? <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a free trial</a> to secure your company's digital assets today!

Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in their given field.

Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in ...

10 extremely successful freelancers and what they do

Here are ten successful freelancers and what they do. These freelancers have earned their place as experts in their given field with excellent track records—many have worked with the biggest companies in the world!

If you've been following hiring trends, you may have noticed a recent increase in businesses of all sizes turning to workers outside the company to fulfill tasks.&nbsp;
In 2016, over $75B of the global market went to outsourced services. By 2019 that number had already risen to 92.5 and has only grown since the pandemic. (<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/189788/global-outsourcing-market-size/">source</a>) And businesses are taking note. As of 2021, 28% of small businesses outsource to increase efficiency and lower costs. (<a href="https://capitalcounselor.com/outsourcing-statistics/">source</a>)
It might look the same to hire an agency, a freelancer, or a contractor, but there are essential differences between the type of professional you outsource work to.
The types of services companies search for vary from translation, copywriting, and beyond. You may be looking for someone to fulfill a one-time job, like a logo, or stay on for a season to lend a helping hand. So, what's the difference between a freelancer and a contractor? And more importantly, and how do you know which is more suited for your needs?
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Make sure you keep your team and digital assets safe with a password management solution from TeamPassword. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to start sharing passwords safely with freelancers and contractors.
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This post will explain what freelancers and contractors are, how they're alike and different, and break down the benefits of employing each. Furthermore, you'll also learn how to manage your outsourced workers regardless of the type of contract they have.
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<h2>What is a freelancer?</h2>
A freelancer is a self-employed professional that provides services to one or more clients, whether on a one-time basis or a long-term project. Freelancers set their own hourly or per-project rate and usually work according to their client's timeline or deadlines. Their projects tend to be short and can even include multiple submissions over some time, often even renewing every month. Journalists, designers, programmers, and writers often work as freelancers for companies.
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<h2>What is a contractor?</h2>
A contractor is a self-employed professional providing typically larger-scope projects with a few clients. Under the companies' strategic direction, they provide work already defined by the customer over some time. The work they do will be paid under a fixed price, often regardless of the hours worked. During the contract, they'll usually work exclusively with one business or take on very few clients. Contractors are often found in fields like business and operations, accounting, or HR.
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<h2>Freelancer vs. Contractor</h2>
Though both types of workers are self-employed, they have many differences. Understanding the nuances between these two work models may not seem critical, but mixing them up can result in confusion, poor communication, mismanagement of tools, and even tax issues. With the future of your project at stake, these differences will heavily influence the type of contract you want to establish with an outsourced worker. So, how can freelancers and contractors look similar and different?
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<h3>Similarities</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">They aren't onboarded&mdash;Both freelancers and contractors provide their skills and expertise using their own methods, software, etc. This means that companies don't spend time or training these individuals.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Both have set rates&mdash;Freelancers and contractors set their own rates per hour or project. They can reach agreements with clients regarding scope, but their rates tend to stay the same across projects.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Neither receives employee benefits&mdash;Both workers cover their own expenses, pay their own taxes, and invest in their own benefits like health care or time off.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">They find work in similar ways&mdash;Freelancers and contractors tend to work independently or through agencies that find clients for them, a service that includes setting terms and even billing for them. With an agency, you likely won't choose the exact individual you work with but instead will be assigned one according to availability.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>Differences</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">They don't enjoy the same freedoms&mdash;While both types of workers are free agents, freelancers tend to work from anywhere at any time. On the other hand, contractors may be asked to work onsite and during specific work hours, fulfilling schedules that look more like a traditional employee's.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Project length and exclusivity vary&mdash;Unlike freelancers, contractors take on work that lasts for weeks or even months. While freelancers complement their income with several clients, contractors tend to commit to fewer clients at a time.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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<h2>When to use a freelancer&nbsp;</h2>
Having a freelancer will often mean working with them under an individual contract. The control you have over freelancers' work, hours, and even the security they use when accessing your company tools and data is limited. If there are no in-house employees with the skills or availability to fulfill a task, using a freelancer could be a good option. 
Additionally, if your job or project is short-term or sporadic, a freelancer will always be a better option. Here are other times you should consider a freelancer over a contractor:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">When you need creative tasks on a per-campaign basis</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">When you are looking for a good level of expertise for better value</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">If you're comfortable working under flexible schedules and meeting virtually (if at all)</li>
</ul>
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<h2>When to use a contractor</h2>
You should consider hiring a contractor if you already have a fixed scope and budget under which you want to work. If you're not prepared to work with someone remotely or need in-person support, a contractor is more likely to fulfill those needs. This is especially true if you worry about hiring someone who will have a variety of other clients and can't prioritize your project. Besides these reasons, companies also opt for contractors if:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Need work in areas like HR or accounting</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Require in-person contact with other employees</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Need a higher level of confidentiality</li>
</ul>
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<h2>How to manage your freelancers and contractors</h2>
Overseeing work that professionals do outside of your company can get complicated. That's why there are some best practices, tools, and resources to manage both freelancers and contractors.
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<h3>Have a kickoff meeting&nbsp;</h3>
Especially for longer-term projects, you'll want to schedule a kickoff meeting. This is an initial meeting to line up your expectations, deadlines, scope, and all other details. This type of meeting is key to managing the working relationship with a freelancer or contractor. During this call, you'll share and request all necessary information to make the relationship a success.
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<h3>Use a time tracker</h3>
For freelancers, especially, you can <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sinc.sincandroid&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">use time tracker apps</a> like Sinc, Toggl, or Harvest to manage the time spent on your project. According to your needs, these tools have varying features, including occasional screenshots, billing, and more.
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<h3>Streamline communication</h3>
Establish in the beginning what channels you'll be using to communicate. Whether you use a shared slack channel, a messaging app, or email, every part should be clear about where things should be displayed and how often.&nbsp;
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<h3>Use Teampassword for outsourced work</h3>
Both freelancers and contractors are external to your business, which means from a security perspective, they require unique management. It might be necessary to give them access to your files, resources, tools, and other online data, but this doesn't have to be risky. To best manage your outsourced work while keeping security tight, use a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://teampassword.com/">TeamPassword</a> lets businesses create and share credentials with authorized parties. It gives all your freelancers and contractors access safely while offering total transparency to managers about how the logins are being used and when.&nbsp;
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Here's how you can manage your outsourced workers using TeamPassword:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Add them to your team's group to share login credentials which they can keep via their mobile device, desktop app, or extension.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ask them to set up their <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-manager-with-2fa">two-factor authentication (2FA)</a> for security.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Receive notifications and logs about their login activity.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Once your project collaborators finish their work, you can remove them with a single click&mdash;no need to reset passwords every time a freelancer or contractor leaves the team.</li>
</ol>
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With safe and secure access to assets and tools, a clear timeline, and clear communication, you can get to work with your freelancer or contractor right away.
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<h2>Start with a free trial</h2>
Now that you've learned what freelancers and contractors are and how they differ, you can choose which type of worker to whom you should outsource projects. From here, look at the tasks and projects that need external work, separate the roles into freelance or contractor work and start hiring.
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Whether you need one freelancer or a team of 10 contractors, you'll be able to allow them access to your project and logins securely via TeamPassword. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> today!

This post will explain what freelancers and contractors are, how they're alike and different, and break down the benefits of employing each.

This post will explain what freelancers and contractors are, how they're alike and different, and break down the ...

Freelancer vs. Contractor

This post will explain what freelancers and contractors are, how they're alike and different, and break down the benefits of employing each. Furthermore, you'll also learn how to manage your outsourced workers regardless of the type of contract they have.

When you&rsquo;re running your business, you want to address two things above all: your clients&rsquo; needs and your bottom line. So, if you&rsquo;re a marketing agency focusing on getting clients and helping them reach their goals, the last thing you want is to spend a lot of precious time on your accounting.&nbsp;
So, how can you focus on marketing while also handling invoices, taxes, profit, and loss, plus other revenue and expenses? Keeping it all straight while managing your operations doesn&rsquo;t have to be impossible. Use one or several of these accounting tools for marketing agencies and leave accounting headaches in the past.&nbsp;
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Always prioritize accounting tools for marketing agencies that value enterprise security. Using a password manager can mitigate the risk of unauthorized sharing and access. TeamPassword is an affordable password management solution for teams to share company credentials securely and efficiently. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial today</a>!
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<h2>9 Accounting Tools for Marketing Agencies in 2021</h2>
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<h3>1. Sage Accounting</h3>
Sage is an online accounting platform supported on mobile or web. They&rsquo;re versatile, offering services to both small and medium businesses and large enterprises. One of Sage&rsquo;s main selling points is the fact that it&rsquo;s suitable for both CPAs and non-accountants. Sage accounting is an all-in-one tool to record and track your income and expenses. You can manage your cash flow, manage your clients, projects, and inventory, send invoices and settle bills all directly in one place. Suppose you often work with freelancers or outsource work. In that case, it&rsquo;s helpful that Sage offers project management capabilities to involve them in day-to-day tasks and keep track of their payments as expenses.&nbsp;
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<h3>2. Freshbooks</h3>
You may think of Freshbooks as a simple accounting tool from the early 2000s. Still, Freshbooks has evolved from being a simple expense tracking software to offering bank account integration, generating financial reports, and so much more. These days, you can use Freshbooks and integrate it with your CRM, customer service apps and add different elements as you deem necessary for your business. Two significant selling points for the tool are its commitment to person-to-person customer service and its 30-day free trial, so you can see if it&rsquo;s for you.
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<h3>3. Quickbooks Online</h3>
Quickbooks is more or less the one-size-fits-all account tool. For marketing agencies that want to just get the accounting done, Quickbooks&rsquo; online version helps make it happen. If, on the other hand, you have a licensed accountant on your team or outsourced for your accounting needs, you can offer them this tool to create balance sheets, analyze, generate statements, and so much more. Quickbooks can even turn photos of receipts and categorize them into business expenses, saving you hours in the process. It&rsquo;s also able to integrate both with your accounts and your credit cards to keep everything up to date without the manual work. Additionally, it works with payment tiers to offer you only what you need.
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<h3>4. Xero&nbsp;</h3>
Xero may seem similar &mdash; if not the same &mdash; as Quickbooks and Freshbooks, and they do share a lot of features, but it stands out in a few key ways. While it does have dashboards with financial breakdowns of what&rsquo;s going on in your business accounting, it also offers the option to add unlimited users, free support to transition from your previous tool to Xero, and a price that starts at just $9 per month.
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Make sure you share access to your accounting tools and software securely using TeamPassword! <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial today</a>!
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<h3>5. Sighted</h3>
Sighted is the tool of choice of small operations, be it freelancers, entrepreneurs, or even boutique agencies with only a few team members. With Sighted, you&rsquo;ll be able to customize quotes and invoices, track finances, and integrate payment systems, all while staying on budget. Choose from any of their packages and get unlimited invoices, receipts, capacity of up to 100 clients, and much more.&nbsp;
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<h3>6. Expensify</h3>
Automating accounting processes is Expensify&rsquo;s goal, and they do it with great features. You can categorize your business expenses, set your policies for employees, and can even reimburse them as soon as the next day after the request is made. Expensify is business owner-friendly and easy to use regardless of your accounting experience.&nbsp;
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<h3>7. OneUp</h3>
OneUp&rsquo;s dashboards are its #1 selling point. They break down all your data, from profit to cash flow, income, and anything else you want to know. You can build a dashboard that speaks specifically to your needs. If you prefer reports, OneUp offers small financial reports with business financials. Choose between one of the five plans depending on the number of users and the extra features you need.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>8. Kashoo</h3>
Kashoo is a more down to the basics tool for business owners that need income and expenses and little else. While this means that you have only eight reports available, it also means you can get started quickly and easily, with no accounting skills. If connecting your bank accounts makes you uncomfortable, Kashoo offers a simple interface with limited features to keep it simple and minimize its time to adopt the tool. Of course, you can connect your accounts if you want to, but Kashoo makes it optional.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>9.&nbsp;ZipBooks</h3>
ZipBooks is perfect for anyone who also needs time tracking on top of the standard accounting tools. Accounting tools for marketing agencies who bill by the hour should provide time tracking abilities to make billing easier. As with the tools listed above, you can link accounts that will assist in categorizing transactions. Invoicing with Zipbooks includes a payment link directly in the invoice for easy access and speeding up payment. Reporting from Zipbooks also contains a helpful health score for your business. Zipbooks comes with several plans, including a free program, so you can upgrade as you need, even if you decide to take on a CPA and get them more professional features.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>Using a Password Manager to Keep Accounting Tools Safe</h2>
Accounting tools for marketing agencies can move your business forward and help you understand where you&rsquo;re at now and where you have the opportunity to grow. While using online tools and sharing them with your team can start a new phase in your business, it can also open risks for cyber attacks. So how can you keep your company safe while exploring new tools and resources? Use a password manager to create, store, and <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-safely-share-passwords-with-coworkers">share passwords safely</a>.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>Why You Should Implement TeamPassword</h3>
Use Teampassword to share passwords among your team and keep everyone involved while maintaining the privacy and security of your team. TeamPassword is the tool that can keep all your credentials safe from attackers and anyone outside of your organization. So, what makes TeamPassword necessary for teams using and sharing online tools?
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h4>Accessible Anywhere</h4>
You can use TeamPassword on your mobile phone, desktop, or right on your browser. Whether you use Chrome, Firefox, or Safari, you can install the extension and fill in passwords or create new ones right when you need them.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h4>Groups</h4>
Your whole team will have the ability to create, store, and share passwords using TeamPassword. Still, if you&rsquo;d like to break that down further into smaller teams while keeping things private, you can create groups. For instance, you can have your marketing agency&rsquo;s Team Password account and within a group for only your branding professionals. This practice ensures privacy not just with outside entities but also within teams in your organization.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h4>Password generation</h4>
Want to create hack-resistant passwords? Change or create new ones with Teampassword&rsquo;s built-in <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">password generator</a>&mdash;increasing password security and removing repeat passwords on separate accounts.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h4>Multi-factor authentication and activity logs</h4>
Finally, TeamPassword takes logins seriously. When trying to log in, every one of your team members will be asked to authenticate their device. TeamPassword will record the login activity on a log that managers can access at any time. Suppose login activity is of particular concern to you. In that case, you can also enable email notifications to be informed in real-time about users active on your account.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Ready to give it a try? TeamPassword is an affordable password management solution for teams to share company credentials securely and efficiently. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial today</a>!

Handle all your invoices, taxes, profit, and loss, plus other revenue and expenses with these nine accounting tools. | TeamPassword.

Handle all your invoices, taxes, profit, and loss, plus other revenue and expenses with these nine accounting tools.

Accounting tools for marketing agencies

Managing freelancers and contractors can be challenging, especially when multiple freelancers work on different projects across several time zones.
When hiring and managing temporary staff, employers must consider several factors like freelancers and contractors, including productivity, security, project management, payments, hiring, and more.
This article will look at the 9 best tools for managing contractors and freelancers in 2021.&nbsp;
Whether you work with full-time employees, freelancers, contractors, clients, or a mix of all four, you need a password management solution for teams to store and share credentials securely.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day TeamPassword trial</a> to explore the best password manager for small businesses and startups managing remote teams.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Contractor vs. Freelancer</h2>
For the context of this article, we'll use contractor and freelancer interchangeably because they're both external, temporary team members. But, there is a difference:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Freelancer: a self-employed worker hired to complete a specific task or project.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Contractor: a temporary worker (usually a specialist) hired to complete a project or fulfill an internal role for a contracted period.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>9 Best Tools for Managing Freelancers</h2>
At TeamPassword, we work with a mix of full-time employees, freelancers, and contractors. From experience, these are our top 9 tools for managing freelancers.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>1 - Project Management - Notion</h3>
Many organizations use Asana and Monday.com for project management, but Notion is cheaper, easier to navigate, and includes some unique project management features.
Notion is cloud-based and works in the browser, but team members can download the desktop and mobile applications for a better user experience.
One of Notion's best features is the ability to create Wikis and Roadmaps, so you spend less time onboarding and explaining the project scope. Wikis are fantastic for outlining brand requirements, documentation, client expectations, introducing team members, company policies, and more. You can also embed videos if you need to add an explainer or demo for freelancers.
Navigating Notion is similar to a website, so it's easier to find the tasks and information&mdash;way more accessible than Asana and Monday. There are also a ton of project templates, so you can save time by copying the layouts and functionality you need for each campaign.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>2 - Hiring &amp; Payments - Upwork</h3>
Upwork is arguably the most popular freelancer and contractor marketplace in the world. The platform facilitates escrow payments with conflict resolution to avoid the payment risks of hiring freelancers and contractors.
Before hiring a freelancer, you can view their past work and reviews from clients to see their performance. Freelancers can also include their education, work history, and links to notable projects so you can get a clear understanding of the person you're hiring and their ability.
You can set up hourly or fixed-price contracts in Upwork, depending on your agreement and project. When freelancers log hourly time, you have five days to review their time log and ensure they completed their billed tasks.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>3 - Password Security - TeamPassword</h3>
With <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/five-most-common-password-attacks">password attacks</a> on the rise, credential security is no longer an option for small businesses; it's essential!&nbsp;
<a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/should-i-share-data-with-freelancers">Sharing passwords with freelancers</a> and contractors opens your business to security vulnerabilities. Unsecure methods to share passwords like email, notepads, chat, or spreadsheets make it easy for people to share or expose credentials&mdash;whether it's intended or by mistake.
A <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a> lets you store all your company credentials in one place, so you have complete control over who has access. TeamPassword is an affordable password management solution designed for small businesses, agencies, and startups.
Instead of sharing raw passwords, you provide each team member (employees, freelancers, and clients) with a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> profile and share access to accounts through groups. Staff can also use TeamPassword for their private company passwords like tools, email, chat, and more.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>4 - Creative Assets - Envato Elements</h3>
Creative assets are essential for projects and campaigns. Envato Elements has a vast library of stock video, music &amp; images, CMS themes, fonts, graphics, sound effects, and more&mdash;perfect for creative teams, social media teams, and content managers/creators.
For a one-off fee ($33 per month or $198 per year in Nov 2021), you can download as many of these assets as you like&mdash;saving you thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours creating them yourself.&nbsp;
Envato Elements has a team plan, but we recommend purchasing a single subscription and using your <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a> to share the credentials with employees and freelancers rather than paying for multiple users.
Your Envato Elements subscription also gives you access to Twenty20, where you can find crowd-sourced stock images for your content creation.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>5 - Writing Aid - Grammarly Business</h3>
If you're hiring freelance writers, you need to ensure that your content is always on-brand and error-free. Grammarly is an AI-powered writing tool that fixes common mistakes and offers suggestions to improve sentence structure and messaging.
With Grammarly Business, you can set up banding rules and tones, so writers always stick to the correct message and narrative. You can also create "snippets" of regularly used paragraphs, phrases, and sentences&mdash;perfect for listing product features or other repetitive content.
Create a dedicated Grammarly Business account(s) for your freelancers and contractors, and share access through <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword's password manager</a>.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>6 - Web &amp; App Design - UXPin</h3>
UXPin is an advanced code-based design tool optimized for remote collaboration. UXPin is great because it combines several user experience design and prototyping tools in one!
You can use popular built-in design libraries (Material, Bootstrap, iOS, and more) or create your own design system to maintain consistency&mdash;crucial for projects with freelancers and contractors! You can also add comments and assign design tasks to employees and freelancers within UXPin.
With UXPin, designers can build high-fidelity prototypes with states, conditional formatting, variables, data capture and validation, and Javascript functions&mdash;fidelity and functionality you cannot achieve with vector-based design tools.
You can also use UXPin's proprietary Merge technology to sync the design editor with a repository so designers can design user interfaces using the same code components you use in your final product.
If you're an agency building websites and apps for clients, UXPin can save you a lot of time and money. Designers can build fully functioning prototypes to present to clients before starting the expensive and time-consuming development process.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>7 - Documents &amp; Storage - Google Workspace</h3>
Google Workspace is fantastic for freelancers and contractors because you can share files and documents securely (and for free!). Teams can also use Google Meet as a Zoom alternative, saving you money on video conferencing software.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Google Workspace tools to help your employee and <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/freelancer-workflow-with-shared-tools">freelancer workflows</a>:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sheets (spreadsheets)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Docs (word processor)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Slides (Powerpoint alternative)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Forms (web forms &amp; surveys)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Drive (file storage)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tasks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Keep (note-taking and sharing)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chat (messenger app)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Calendar</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Currents (project management)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>8 - Time Tracking - Hubstaff</h3>
Hubstaff is a time tracker and productivity manager designed for remote teams, freelancers, and contractors. If you're hiring freelancers on an hourly contract, they can clock in and out using Hubstaff's browser extensions or mobile applications.
Hubstaff integrates with popular <a href="https://buyersguide.org/accounting-software-reviews/t/best" title="https://buyersguide.org/accounting-software-reviews/t/best" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">accounting software </a>and payment gateways, so you track costs and bill clients accordingly. You can also integrate with productivity <a href="https://hey.space/blog/trello-like-apps-to-consider" title="HeySpace Trello Like Apps to Consider" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">apps like Trello</a>, Wrike, Asana, Slack, HeySpace, and Monday to assign tasks and track progress.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>9 - Communication &amp; Collaboration - Slack</h3>
Slack is arguably the most popular business messaging app for remote teams and freelancers. You can create channels for group chats or message team members directly for one-on-one collaboration.
Slack is a fantastic alternative to email for freelancers and remote workers because it keeps communication and shared files all in one place. Feedback is also significantly quicker, and you can tag team members when discussing topics inside a group with multiple people.
Slack has over 2,400 native integrations, allowing you to sync communication and workflows with your other favorite apps&mdash;including those we mention in this article.
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<h2>Conclusion</h2>
Hopefully, you'll find these tools for managing freelancers and contractors as helpful as we do here at TeamPassword.
Security must be a priority when sharing tools with external teams like freelancers, contractors, and clients. A <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a> can mitigate password risks while optimizing workflows because teams don't have to find or request credentials to log in to apps, platforms, and tools.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> is an affordable password management solution with a minimalist user interface for easy navigation and minimal onboarding.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Here's how easy it is to share passwords with freelancers and contractors:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Add a freelancer to your TeamPassword account using their full name and email address. Always use their full name so you can track activity in TeamPassword's activity log.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The freelancer follows the email link they receive to create a master password and sign in to TeamPassword.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create a separate group for each freelancer to share the necessary tools and accounts. When they have completed their tasks, revoke access with a single click!</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Workers use TeamPassword's browser extensions (Safari, Chrome, Firefox) or mobile app (iOS, Android) to log into your company's digital assets.</li>
</ol>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Ready to secure your company's digital assets and improve your cybersecurity with TeamPassword? <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to test our password manager with your coworkers today!

This article will look at the nine best tools for easy management of contractors and freelancers for your saas business in 2021.

Managing freelancers and contractors can be challenging. This article will look at the nine best tools for managing ...

9 Best Tools for Managing Freelancers

Managing freelancers and contractors can be challenging. This article will look at the nine best tools for managing contractors and freelancers in 2021.

You've got a $10,000 marketing budget and are not sure where or how to spend it. Do you go all-in on ads or influencers? Which tools will help you achieve your marketing goals? Is $10,000 even enough?!?!&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
How you spend a marketing budget depends on several factors, including your product, industry, target market, channels, and location. For example, national TV ads might work well for a mass-market product like Coca-Cola but don&rsquo;t deliver a good ROI for a niche brand like HubSpot.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Small businesses are just as vulnerable to cyberattacks as big corporations. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to protect your company's assets with an affordable password management solution from TeamPassword.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
For this article, we're going to explore what you can get out of a $10,000 marketing budget and reference two common startup/small business scenarios:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A B2B SaaS product</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A B2C eCommerce store</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
We're going to cover several key considerations for most marketing budgets:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tools</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Blogging</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Social Media Management</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Visual Content Creation (graphic design/video)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Paid Ads</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Events</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Marketplaces</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>Is $10,000 a Big Enough Marketing Budget for a Small Business?</h2>
We realize $10,000 is an arbitrary round number. A $10,000 marketing budget is a dream for some small businesses, while others might spend this amount just on paid ads in a month.
The truth is you can do marketing and build an audience with zero budget. It will take some time and a lot of work, but you'll find creative ways to growth hack your budget constraints. The idea of growth hacking was developed for small businesses and marketers with limited or no budget.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
So, if a $10,000 marketing budget is all you can afford, this article will hopefully help you spend that money wisely.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>Tools</h2>
Tools and plugins are critical for any business these days. There are several tools a marketing campaign must have, and then others that are not so essential, especially if you're on a tight budget.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>Email marketing</h3>
Email marketing software is the first must-have tool. There are very few instances where email marketing isn't a crucial element to an effective marketing campaign. Luckily, we have two fantastic FREE email marketing tools that scale as your business grows.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">B2B SaaS email marketing software: <a href="https://www.getresponse.com/">GetResponse</a>&mdash;FREE for up to 500 subscribers, then plans start at $12 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers. The free plan includes email marketing, landing pages, signup forms, and a website builder.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">B2C eCommerce email marketing software: <a href="https://www.klaviyo.com/">Klaviyo</a>&mdash;FREE for up to 250 subscribers, then $30 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>Design tools</h3>
Design software is another must-have marketing tool. Luckily, there are tons of free tools, including <a href="https://www.canva.com/">Canva</a>, <a href="https://www.adobe.com/express/create" rel="follow">Adobe Creative Cloud Express</a>, and more. If you need something more professional, you'll need a program like Adobe Photoshop, which starts at $9.99 per month.
If part of your marketing strategy involves SEO, you'll need a keyword research tool to find keywords and analyze the competition. Many businesses immediately turn to premium keyword research tools like ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush, which can cost hundreds of dollars.&nbsp;
For a small business, these tools are overkill and won't offer an ROI for the money you'll spend. We use Neil Patel's <a href="http://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/">Ubersuggest</a>. Plans start at $29 per month, and you have the option for a one-off lifetime payment of $290&mdash;meaning you pay once and never again!
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>Teampassword</h3>
Our final must-have tool is a password manager to share passwords with team members safely. <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/five-most-common-password-attacks">Password security</a> is crucial in our current climate of <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/category/data-breaches">data breaches</a> and cyberattacks. Small businesses are especially vulnerable to attack because criminals see these entities as easy targets&mdash;good for a few thousand dollars.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
TeamPassword is a secure password management solution with <a href="https://teampassword.com/pricing">plans starting at $38 per month for five users</a>. You can also pay annually and get two months free. TeamPassword allows you to share credentials with internal teams, freelancers, and clients. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to try TeamPassword for your company.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Other tools you might want to consider for your business:
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>Social media management</h3>
We don't see social media management as an essential tool because you can save money by posting directly to social media platforms. Some platforms even let you schedule content to post on a future date.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.hootsuite.com/">Hootsuite</a> - a comprehensive tool with powerful monitoring, reporting, and analytics. Plans start at $49 with a 30-day free trial.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://later.com/">Later</a> - FREE for six social media profiles and 30 posts per month.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>Project management</h3>
Project management is another tool that's not essential. A spreadsheet is a good alternative for small businesses looking to save money.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://asana.com/">Asana</a> - FREE for up to 15 teammates.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://monday.com/">Monday</a> - FREE for up to two team members, then $8 per month per user.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>Affiliate marketing</h3>
An excellent way to turn customers into salespeople is by offering an affiliate marketing plan for your products. Depending on the type of products or services you sell, you can offer to pay affiliates in cash or store credit.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://goaffpro.com/">GoAffPro</a> - FREE hobby plan or $24 per month for all the features.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.affiliatly.com/">Affiliatly</a> - starts at $16 per month for up to 50 affiliates.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Both of these options integrate with top CMS platforms, including Shopify, Woocommerce, Squarespace, Wix, Webflow, and more.
If you want some more ideas for marketing tools, check out this article on the <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/25-best-startup-tools-you-need">25 Best Startup Tools</a>.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>Blogging</h2>
Many small businesses don't pay enough attention to blogging because it takes so long to get a return on investment. But blog content can be highly effective over the long run and can complement other areas of your marketing efforts.
Blogging doesn't mean telling people about the latest events at your business or letting people know that you've just hired Susan in accounts. A blogging strategy should focus on helping your customers solve problems relevant to your business.&nbsp;
For example, at TeamPassword, we <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog">create content</a> around cybersecurity, working with remote teams, and small business/startup/agency topics of interest. This content represents the interests of our customer base and, through search engines, will help us acquire more of the same customers.
If you don't have a suitable internal writer, you'll need to hire freelancers to research and write blog content. We recommend spending at least $100 per article (be prepared for a fair amount of editing at this rate), but you'll find the best value for around $300 to $500.
Aim to publish between 10-20 articles per month, more if you can afford it. Avoid publishing just for the sake of targeting keywords! Search engine algorithms are incredibly sophisticated and can detect poor grammar/quality, keyword stuffing, and other deceptive tactics.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Guest Posting and Influencers</h2>
Guest posting with other websites or social media influencers can be effective in driving traffic and sales. Make sure you choose people relevant to your niche and use tracking links or coupon codes to <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/top-ten-marketing-kpis-for-your-team" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">measure the campaign's success</a>.
You can find micro-influencers (less than 10,000 followers) on Instagram willing to promote your brand for as little as $50 - $100 per post or story. Micro-influencers are often highly effective because they have excellent reach and engagement.
Also, consider guest posting an article on a blog or publication relevant to your niche. Some blogs will allow a free post for quality content, while others you might have to pay. Prices vary from $100 to $10,000, depending on the website and traffic quality.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Paid Ads</h2>
Paid ads can be highly effective for some products and services, while other businesses might battle to achieve a good ROI.&nbsp;
If you're going to implement a paid ads strategy, we recommend educating yourself about setting up a campaign correctly or hiring a freelancer/agency.
The average cost per click (CPC) can vary wildly depending on your niche, market, competitors, location targeting, and more. For example, the average CPC on Google ads for the keyword insurance is $55, while bread is only $0.27.
Keyword research tools (including Ubersuggest) will provide you with an average CPC so you can get an idea of what to expect for your budget.
With almost 2 billion daily active users, Facebook (including Instagram) is another popular choice to run ads. Like Google, the average CPC on Facebook will vary depending on your industry and audience.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>Events</h2>
SaaStr Annual, TechCrunch Disrupt, CXO Summit 2021 are popular virtual event marketing channels for B2B products and services. These events sell packages for brands to promote their products and even speak in one of the virtual conference rooms.
Events are a great way to demonstrate your product and present case studies to attendees&mdash;usually in a Ted-Talk presentation style. The event organizer may even post your talk on their social media channels afterward, increasing your reach and brand exposure.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
An events package might look something like this:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Attend (as a brand)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Attend + speak</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Attend + speak + get the contact list</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Expect to pay anywhere from $4,000 to $25,000 + for an event package.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Social Media Management</h2>
Social media is a time-consuming yet crucial element of modern marketing. Hiring someone to manage your social media will allow you to focus on other areas of your business.&nbsp;
A quality social media manager can cost upwards of $100 per hour&mdash;beyond most small business budgets.&nbsp;
If you're looking for basic social media management, you can find a freelancer on Upwork for between $500 - $1,500 per month. For this rate, they'll usually create the content and post 3-5 times per week to four social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter).
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Important: make sure you find a trustworthy freelancer and only share access through a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a> to protect your social media assets.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>The Importance of Secure Password Management</h2>
Whether you have no budget or $10,000, marketing campaigns always require you to share passwords with coworkers, clients, and freelancers.
TeamPassword is an affordable password management solution designed to help small businesses and startups share company credentials securely.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to explore TeamPassword's security features with your team today!

If a $10,000 marketing budget is all your business can afford, this article will hopefully help you spend that money wisely. | Teampassword

If a $10,000 marketing budget is all your business can afford, this article will hopefully help you spend ...

Marketing budget: What can you do with $10,000 per month?

If a $10,000 marketing budget is all your business can afford, this article will hopefully help you spend that money wisely.

$10,000 per month Marketing budget breakdown: what can you do with $10,000 per month

Like any company, marketing agencies require project management to ensure teams execute tasks and objectives to meet deadlines. Marketing project management requires a solid grasp of marketing tools, processes, planning, trends, and people/resource management.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
This article explores seven tips for marketing project management and how managers can ensure campaigns operate smoothly to reach their end goals.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Marketing projects often require teams to share credentials for tools, software, and applications. Protect your project's assets with a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">secure password management solution</a> from TeamPassword. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> today.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>What is Marketing Project Management?</h2>
Marketing project management is the role of planning, delegating, and managing tasks and objectives for marketing campaigns. A marketing project manager will usually set and monitor KPIs to ensure teams meet goals and requirements for each project.
At an agency, marketing project managers act as the company representative when meeting with clients to relay goals and expectations with team members.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>Core Marketing Project Management Responsibilities</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Project scope: Outlining the tasks and KPIs to meet a project's objectives and end goal.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Resources: Selecting the people, tools, equipment, and other elements required to complete the project.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Timelines: Planning the project's timeline and delegating tasks to meet the project's final goal.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Budgeting: Planning and monitoring the project's budget&mdash;including managing the team's hours.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>7 Tips for Marketing Project Management</h2>
<h3>1 - Use a Project Management Tool</h3>
Using a project management tool might seem like a no-brainer, but many companies still rely on spreadsheets to plan and execute tasks.&nbsp;
While spreadsheets are cheap and somewhat effective, a dedicated project management tool can significantly increase efficiency with features to automate mundane tasks and communication.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Here are five popular project management tools for marketing agencies:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Asana: One of the most popular project management tools for startups and agencies. It's a comprehensive project management tool with fantastic features to streamline campaigns and communication among teams. You also have tons of integrations relevant to marketing, including email software, Adobe Cloud, Zapier, and cloud storage, to name a few.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Monday.com: Monday.com is a simple yet powerful project management tool with many of the same features and integrations as Asana. You also benefit from integrations like Typeform, Hootsuite, and Facebook Ads, which are beneficial to marketing projects.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Basecamp: An affordable yet comprehensive project management tool for agencies, with an emphasis on remote teams. You can also automate check-in messages so team members can report back daily with progress or flag issues. You can also invite clients to projects so they can check-in without the usual back and forth emails.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Notion: A unique yet simple UI that feels more like navigating through a website than a traditional project management tool. With Notion, you can even create Wikis which marketing agencies can use to outline the client's brand guidelines, project scope, roles &amp; responsibilities, and other project information. Notion is also the most affordable project management tool on this list!</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Scoro: A minimalist UI with powerful budgeting and billing tracking features to keep everything in one project management tool. You can also quickly generate reports to provide feedback to clients and agency management. Scoro has loads of integrations, including email software, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, Facebook ads, LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms, and more marketing-related tools.</li>
</ol>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>2 - Securing Tools With a Password Manager</h3>
Marketing project managers must also ensure that projects operate safely and teams follow safe <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-best-practices-what-makes-a-password-strong">password management practices</a>. Marketers often have to share credentials for marketing tools, social media platforms, and creative tools.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
A <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager</a> makes <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/how-to-safely-share-passwords-with-coworkers">sharing credentials</a> with internal teams, contractors, and clients easy, so project managers have complete control over digital assets and who has access.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
TeamPassword's features to making password sharing secure and efficient:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Access anywhere and on any device using TeamPassword's browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) or mobile app (iOS &amp; Android).&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create groups to share access with team members. Separate teams, so you only share access to those who need it. Minimizing who has access can reduce security risks and the potential for unauthorized sharing and access.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create separate groups with access to the same credentials to external teams like clients and freelancers.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Monitor TeamPassword actions using our activity tracker or create email notifications for instant alerts to sensitive data and accounts.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Use TeamPassword's built-in password generator to create robust, unique credentials for every account.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Set up <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/password-manager-with-2fa">two-factor authentication</a> to prevent criminals from breaching your TeamPassword account, even if attackers steal your credentials!</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>3 - Plan Marketing Projects With Team Members</h3>
Project managers must include team members during the planning phase of a new project or campaign. If your project involves multiple departments, it's good to get input from each one for realistic budgets and timelines.
If you're part of a big agency, you may also want to meet with other project managers to manage teams and resources effectively to avoid overlaps&mdash;which could cause unnecessary delays!
Getting planning input from team members helps give them ownership of the project and their role. Making coworkers feel valued in this way can increase productivity while setting a standard for effective communication early.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>4 - Don't Forget Standard Project Lifecycle Phases</h3>
Marketing project management is no different from any other project management. Managers should follow the five phases of project management to ensure a well-planned, executed, and successful campaign.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Initiation: Start by planning the project's goals, list team members and stakeholders, and identify budgets and constraints.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Planning: The planning phase outlines the project's roadmap. The project manager must define the scope, create a project plan and timeline, set budgets, and define roles and responsibilities.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Execution: Allocate and manage project resources, tasks, and budgets.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Monitoring and controlling (runs simultaneously with execution): Project managers must communicate with team members to ensure everything goes to plan and make adjustments when issues arise. Monitoring KPIs is critical to ensure teams meet the plan's milestones and objectives.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Closing &amp; reviewing: Project managers close the project and terminate any freelancer contracts. They must also create reports for clients and management to review. Teams might meet to discuss ways to improve future projects.</li>
</ol>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Agencies should use these five phases of project management to create templates and standard operating procedures to ensure the company maintains a high level of consistency.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>5 - Define Clear Goals</h3>
Defining clear marketing goals during the initiation phase is crucial for planning and executing a project management strategy. You should always have one primary goal with multiple objectives and KPIs on the road to achieving that goal.
Goals should be detailed and explicit so that teams have a clear target. Avoid vague goals and objectives like "increase email subscribers" or "increase traffic"&mdash;increase to what? You can increase your subscribers or traffic by one with vague goals like these, and you've technically reached your goal!
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
A better goal would be to increase monthly revenue to $100,000 within 12 months. Project managers can then identify relevant objectives to reach that goal. For example, to reach $100,000 in 12 months, the agency must:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Increase email subscribers to X, with an open rate of X, and click rate of X</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Spend X on paid ads</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Grow social media following to X</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Increase website traffic by X%</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
A project manager will identify monthly benchmarks and KPIs for the marketing project to meet its end goal within each of these targets.
Returning to project management best practices, managers must apply either a SMART or CLEAR goal strategy.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
SMART&mdash;Allows managers to clearly defined achievable goals that reduce and manage risk effectively.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Specific</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Measurable</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Attainable</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Realistic</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Timely</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
CLEAR&mdash;Designed to be dynamic, fast, and flexible. Managers set clear goals with the flexibility to adapt the project plan when problems or opportunities present themselves.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Collaborative</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Limited</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emotional</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Appreciable</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Refinable</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>6 - Build Strong Communication Channels</h3>
Communication is vital for ensuring teams follow the plan and objectives to meet the project's goals. Marketing is unique in that a piece of content could go viral, ultimately impacting the project's scope and objectives.
Strong communication channels allow teams to stay connected and make adjustments to complement each other towards a common goal.
Effective communication doesn't only mean that teams talk to one another; project managers must communicate tasks, workflows, guidelines, documentation for tools, standard operating procedures, and more to ensure everyone is on the same page.
The project management tools we mentioned above are designed to foster strong communication for the project and among peers.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>7 - Be Open to Change &amp; New Ideas</h3>
There's nothing more damaging than an autocratic project manager who's not open to change or new ideas. Marketing often has to react to market changes and trends.
Adapting to these conditions (while maintaining the project and brand's integrity) could help marketing projects reach objectives faster while exceeding expectations.
Marketing project managers should also be open to listening to team members about new ideas or perspectives. After all, these people are experts in their respective fields.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Secure Your Marketing Agency's Assets With TeamPassword</h2>
Executing marketing projects often requires teams to share credentials. Secure your marketing agency's (and client's) digital assets with <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword's secure password manager</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Use a single TeamPassword account for all of your company and client assets. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> to test TeamPassword for your next marketing project.

This article explores seven tips for marketing project management and how managers can ensure campaigns operate smoothly. | Teampassword

This article explores seven tips for marketing project management and how managers can ensure campaigns operate smoothly to ...

7 tips for marketing project management

This article explores seven tips for marketing project management and how managers can ensure campaigns operate smoothly to reach their end goals.

Password encryption is essential to store user credentials stored in a database securely. Without password encryption, anyone accessing a user database on a company's servers (including hackers) could easily view any stored passwords.
Even a strong 32-character password created using a <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">secure password generator</a> is useless without password-encryption! If someone can read your password on a server, they can use it simply by copy/pasting it&mdash;no matter how long or complicated the password might be!
Encryption scrambles your password before saving it on the server. So, if someone hacks the server, instead of finding password123, they find a random series of letters and numbers.
In this article, we're going to explore the world of password encryption, why <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/tips-and-tricks-to-create-a-strong-password">strong passwords matter</a>, and how you can practice better password management!
<a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">TeamPassword</a> is the password management solution for small businesses! Create, store, and share login credentials safely with employees, contractors, and clients. <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">Sign up for a 14-day free trial</a> today!
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;[Table of Contents]
<ul>
<li><a href="#understandingpasswordencryption" rel="follow">Understanding Password Encryption</a></li>
<li><a href="#howdoespasswordencryptionwork" rel="follow">How Does Password Encryption Work?</a></li>
<li><a href="#5commonpasswordencryptionmethods" rel="follow">5 Common Password Encryption Methods</a></li>
<li><a href="#whystrongpasswordsmatter" rel="follow">Why Strong Passwords Matter</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="understandingpasswordencryption">Understanding Password Encryption</h2>
To explain password encryption effectively, we must first grasp the language. Several terms might be unfamiliar, so here is a quick intro to password encryption terminology.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Key: Used to lock and unlock passwords using a random string of bits. You get private and public keys that crypt and decrypt data differently, but we won't get too deep in the weeds with keys!</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Bits: A logical state with one of two possible values, including 1/0, true/false, yes/no, or on/off as typical examples.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Block (block cipher): A deterministic algorithm operating on fixed-length groups of bits, called blocks.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hash function: The algorithm that uses the key to create password encryption and decryption. A hash function is essentially a piece of code that runs every time someone saves a password or logs into an application.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hash: A random series of numbers and letters representing your password. The hash function uses your hash instead of the raw password for authentication.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Salt: Additional letters and numbers appended to the hash</li>
</ul>
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2 id="howdoespasswordencryptionwork">How Does Password Encryption Work?</h2>
When you save a new password, a hash function creates a hash version and saves that on the server.&nbsp;
Every time you log in using your password, the hash function recreates the hash to see if it matches what's stored. If the hashes match, the algorithm passes the authentication and logs you in.&nbsp;
For example:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Original password: Pa$$w0rd123</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hashed password: 6AF1CE202340​FE71BDB914AD5357​E33A6982A63B</li>
</ul>
While this might seem secure, simple hashed passwords aren't hack-proof.
The hash function only creates a unique hash for each password, not each user. So, if multiple users have the password, Pa$$w0rd123, the hash will be exactly the same.
To overcome this encryption vulnerability, engineers salt passwords so each hash is unique, even if the passwords are identical.
<h3>How Salt Works</h3>
A salt appends a unique value of 8 bytes (16 characters) to the password before the hash function creates a hash. This way, even identical passwords are unique before the hash function.
For example:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Two identical passwords: Pa$$w0rd123</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Salt value one: E1F53135E559C253</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Salt value two: 84B03D034B409D4E</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password one before hash: Pa$$w0rd123E1F53135E559C253</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password two before hash: Pa$$w0rd12384B03D034B409D4E</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password one hashed value (SHA256): 72AE25495A7981​C40622D49F9A52E4F15​65C90F048F59027BD9​C8C8900D5C3D8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Password two hashed value (SHA256): B4B6603ABC670​967E99C7E7F1389E40​CD16E78AD38EB1468E​C2AA1E62B8BED3A</li>
</ul>
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2 id="5commonpasswordencryptionmethods">5 Common Password Encryption Methods</h2>
<h3>1. Data Encryption Standard (DES)</h3>
While applications no longer use Data Encryption Standard (DES), it's important to mention this password encryption method because of its history and influence on more secure modern standards.
IBM developed DES as a 56-bit encryption technology in the early 1970s. The NSA adopted and improved DES before it was approved worldwide as the encryption standard.
However, since the late 70s, hackers have been able to break DES encrypted passwords. In 1999, ethical hackers managed to break a DES key in under 24 hours.&nbsp;
To make DES more secure, engineers created Triple DES and later Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which we still use today.
<h3>2. Triple DES</h3>
Triple DES uses three 56-bit keys (blocks) to create 168-bit encryption (some security experts argue that Triple DES is only 112 bits strong). Although Triple-DES is slowly being phased out, many financial institutions still use it to encrypt ATM PINs.
<h3>3. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)</h3>
AES is the new encryption standard&mdash;trusted by the United States Government and many other prominent organizations globally. At 128 bits, AES is sufficiently secure, but most organizations prefer heavy-duty 256-bit encryption.
At <a href="https://teampassword.com/security">TeamPassword</a>, we use 256-bit encryption to store passwords, ensuring the highest levels of security for our clients. We're also a <a href="https://teampassword.com/security">secure hosting provider</a> holding multiple security accreditations.
Hackers can only break an AES encrypted password through a brute-force attack&mdash;trying password combinations to find the right one.
To counter brute-force attacks, applications will lock an account after a certain number of attempts or use tools like Google's reCAPTURE.
<h3>4. Blowfish</h3>
American cryptographer, Bruce Schneier, designed Blowfish in 1993 as an antidote to the weak DES encryption. Blowfish uses a 64-bit block and variable key length of 32 to 448 bits.
Although Blowfish is more robust than its DES predecessor, the 64-bit block is still vulnerable to attacks, most commonly birthday attacks&mdash;a cryptographic attack that exploits the mathematics behind the algorithm.
To solve Blowfish vulnerabilities, engineers created Twofish in 1998 (128-bit blocks with 256-bit keys) and Threefish in 2008 (256, 516, 1024-bit blocks with 256, 516, 1024-bit keys).
<h3>5. Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA)</h3>
RSA is one of the oldest and widely used to transfer data securely. The encryption works with two keys, two large prime numbers, and an additional auxiliary value.
Due to the complicated encrypting and decrypting process, there is no known method for breaking RSA encryption.&nbsp;
Although widely used for transferring data, RSA is slow and not suitable for password encryption.
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2 id="whystrongpasswordsmatter">Why Strong Passwords Matter</h2>
Password encryption can only prevent criminals from viewing saved credentials stored on a server&mdash;but cannot prevent hackers from guessing weak/commonly used passwords. If you <a href="https://teampassword.com/blog/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-attack-dont-reuse-passwords">reuse the same password for multiple accounts</a>, this also puts you at risk!
Encryption is most effective when users create robust, unique passwords for every account. For example, a random 32-character password with letters, numbers, and special characters hashed and salted is near impossible to guess or decode, even using a computer!
In another scenario, let's assume you have a strong 32-character password, but you use it for every account. If hackers manage to steal that password, they have access to every account using the same credentials! Your strong password is effectively useless.
<h3>Improving Your Password Management</h3>
Now that you understand password encryption and the associated vulnerabilities, you can see why strong passwords are essential.
Effective password management is crucial to protect yourself against cyberattacks or in the highly likely event of a data breach where hackers steal your credentials.
Criminals are after the low-hanging fruit&mdash;people who use weak passwords!
5 tips for creating stronger passwords:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Create strong passwords for every account. The easiest way to do this is using a password generator. <a href="https://teampassword.com/password-generator">TeamPassword has a free password generator</a> anyone can use to create passwords from 12-32 characters using uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters. We recommend creating passwords as long as the application will allow.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Never create passwords shorter than eight characters, with 12 being our recommended minimum.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Never reuse the same password for multiple accounts.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Never create passwords with your name, family member's names, or pet's names. With social media, this information is freely available. Criminals can add those names to algorithms for brute-force attacks.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Don't store passwords in digital notepads or spreadsheets. We recommend using a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">password manager like TeamPassword</a> to create and store your credentials.</li>
</ol>
&rlm;&rlm;&lrm; &lrm;
<h2>Why You Need a Password Manager like TeamPassword</h2>
We have so many accounts these days; it's almost impossible to create unique, memorable, secure passwords for each one. A password manager solves this problem.
Instead of remembering the credentials for every account, you only need to memorize the one to log into your password manager.&nbsp;
TeamPassword keeps all of your credentials safely stored and encrypted, so you never have to memorize a password again. Instead of entering your credentials, you use one of TeamPassword's browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, and Safari) to log into accounts.
<h3>Built for Teams</h3>
TeamPassword's best feature is its ability to share credentials with team members securely. Instead of sharing passwords, you provide access through TeamPassword.&nbsp;
Employees <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial">use TeamPassword</a> to log in, meaning you never share raw passwords&mdash;no more worrying about unauthorized access or sharing.
You can create groups in TeamPassword to share access with employees, clients, contractors, and freelancers. When someone no longer needs access, remove them from the group with a single click. No need to change passwords every time someone leaves a project!
<h3>Built-In Password Generator</h3>
TeamPassword features a built-in secure password manager so you can create robust passwords for every account. TeamPassword also ensures you never reuse the same credentials so that you won't fall victim to credential stuffing attacks!
With a built-in password generator, you can change passwords regularly, and TeamPassword will update the new credentials for all users!
<h3>Monitor Login Activity</h3>
TeamPassword's activity log keeps track of every action across all of your accounts&mdash;logins, password changes, new team members, sharing access, and more.
You can also set up email notifications for all TeamPassword actions so that you can react fast to any suspicious activity.
<h3>Get Your Free TeamPassword Trial</h3>
Password encryption is not enough to protect your business from password vulnerabilities! You need a robust password manager like TeamPassword to create, store, and share credentials securely.
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Password encryption is the number one component of password security. TeamPassword encrypts passwords with state-of-the-art technology to keep passwords safe.

Password encryption is the number one component of password security. TeamPassword encrypts passwords with state-of-the-art technology to keep ...

What is password encryption and how much is enough?

What is password encryption and how does it work?

In an increasingly digital world, we&rsquo;re switching more and more of our daily lives over to the Internet. While this brave new world is exciting and convenient, it&rsquo;s not without its problems.&nbsp;
The issue of unsafe passwords has been around for a while. But have you ever thought about where and how to store them?
Most of us have several passwords, and we&rsquo;re encouraged to never duplicate them. Some people simply write them all down on a piece of paper &mdash; which is fraught with danger. But others store their passwords electronically.
As you&rsquo;re about to find out, not all electronic systems of password storage are <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/10-things-you-need-to-do-to-keep-passwords-safe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">safe</a>. Here are five of the most dangerous ways to store your passwords.&nbsp;
But before we begin:
Avoid bad idea passwords and dangerous storage methods with TeamPassword. This advanced <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/why-you-need-a-password-manager" target="_blank" rel="noopener">password manager</a> features a selection of security features, including password encryption and two-step verification. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" rel="follow">free trial</a> today.&nbsp;

<h2>1. Email</h2>
Have you ever emailed yourself a password to ensure you&rsquo;re never without it? Great idea, right? Actually, emailing yourself your passwords is a really bad idea, and here&rsquo;s why:
<ul>
<li>Emails are usually sent in plain text. Without encryption, your passwords are susceptible if your email account is ever compromised.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Unsafe passwords sent via email often pass through several systems and servers. There&rsquo;ll also be a copy in your sent folder. If someone else can access your email account, your passwords become vulnerable.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Some email platforms store data locally on a drive. If someone steals your computer, phone, or tablet, your passwords become vulnerable.</li>
</ul>
A really bad idea for passwords is to send them via email &mdash; either to yourself or someone else. <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/blog/have-i-been-hacked-how-to-know-for-sure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hackers </a>and scammers are more resourceful than ever, and they can often steal your information before you realize you&rsquo;ve been compromised.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s tempting to send a quick email to yourself containing unsafe passwords when you sign up for new online services. For the sake of an extra minute or two, don&rsquo;t give fraudsters easy access to your accounts. Use an encrypted email vault to safeguard all your passwords.&nbsp;
<h2>2. Online Documents</h2>
A lot of people like the convenience of saving crucial information using online document systems such as Google Docs. But this is a bad idea for passwords, as these systems are designed for text &mdash; not sensitive data.
Yes, a password might protect your online document manager from unauthorized access. But what happens if that password is compromised? Many document software platforms don&rsquo;t offer encryption, two-step verification, or even the most basic security measures.&nbsp;
If you use online documents regularly, you&rsquo;re probably accessing your account on a regular basis &mdash; across several devices. What happens if you step away for a moment to buy a coffee, speak to a friend, or use the bathroom?
A criminal can access an unattended online document platform in seconds. And if this happens, it doesn't take a lot of effort to steal your unsafe passwords.&nbsp;
<h2>3. Instant Messaging Service</h2>
Instant messaging services provide us with a convenient way of staying in touch with friends and family. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat were designed for private online conversations &mdash; not for storing passwords.
People who store their passwords on these apps do so because they believe they&rsquo;re fully encrypted. While that&rsquo;s often the case, it&rsquo;s important to remember that instant messaging services are often left open and operating in the background.
Imagine someone picks up your phone while you&rsquo;re not paying attention. If you left your device unlocked, that person would be able to access your password in seconds.
It&rsquo;s always a bad idea when passwords are stored on instant messaging services. By nature, these apps are designed to operate in the background &mdash; alerting you when someone sends a message. And because they&rsquo;re open, anyone with the device in their hand might be able to steal your unprotected passwords.&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t fall into the trap of utilizing bad ideas for password storage. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free trial</a> with TeamPassword, and give your unsafe passwords the protection they require.
<h2>4. Online Note-taker</h2>
Developers design online note-takers for everyday lists and reminders. While they&rsquo;re great for creating to-do and shopping lists, they&rsquo;re not so good for storing unsafe passwords.&nbsp;
An app such as Apple Notes is easy to use, accessible, and convenient. But it doesn&rsquo;t offer two-step authentication, encryption, or any sophisticated form of security.&nbsp;
If your computer or mobile device is unlocked, your saved passwords are vulnerable. In many cases, a criminal would simply need to open the app to gain access to your sensitive information.&nbsp;
OK, you might be extra vigilant when it comes to keeping your phone or computer locked. But hackers are resourceful, and they&rsquo;re very good at discovering unsafe passwords. Once they access your phone, any passwords stored in your note-taking app become vulnerable.&nbsp;
<h2>5. On a Non-Password-Protected Device</h2>
Of all the bad ideas for passwords, storing them on non-password-protected devices is about the worst. You might think that your tablet or laptop never leaves your side. But if your device is ever stolen, you&rsquo;ve given the criminals the easiest possible opportunity to access your saved passwords.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re determined to store passwords on a physical device &mdash; which is never a good idea &mdash; make sure the device password is a complex combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. And it should contain at least 12 characters.&nbsp;
<h2>Use TeamPassword for Extra Protection</h2>
Remembering and safely storing a dozen or more passwords isn&rsquo;t a simple task. By locking away all your passwords in a digital vault, you get maximum protection and easy access.&nbsp;
TeamPassword offers a range of <a href="https://www.teampassword.com/security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">security features</a> &mdash; designed to keep your passwords safe. Offering two-step authentication and encryption, this powerful protection system solves the problem of unsafe passwords with ease. Sign up for a <a href="https://app.teampassword.com/dashboard#signup/testimonial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free trial</a> to see these exciting features for yourself.&nbsp;

Storing passwords inappropriately can leave you open to fraud and theft. Avoid these storage methods at all costs. | TeamPassword Blog

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