14 Tools Every Free Agent Must Have

You can spot us anywhere: We are the self-employed, the soloists, the office temps, the e-lancers, the independent contractors. Numbering about 25 million strong, we are members of Free Agent Nation.

We head up micro-businesses, and our staff usually consists of the face we greet in the mirror each morning. We do everything from running the shop to cleaning up when the day is done. But the hardest role for many of us to fill is that of being our own IT person -- that of dealing with all of our high-tech business tools while juggling myriad other roles. People who survive as free agents know how to find the tools that let them soar and how to avoid the ones that bog them in quicksand.

I declared my free agency in 1978, when I left behind the trappings of an associate professorship (in the art department at East Tennessee State University) and launched a pottery business in Chicago. Two years later, after realizing that my marketing and communications skills were stronger than my talent for creating porcelain dinnerware, I plunked down $1,795 for an Osborne computer that had dual floppy-disk drives, a pre-DOS operating system, and a teeny four-inch monitor -- and found myself captivated by the nascent personal-computer industry.

Over the past 21 years, I've crafted several successful businesses. In my current venture, I play a dual role: helping people to start and grow their own companies, and advising corporations on how to connect with this booming entrepreneurial market.

I've learned, through trial by fire and through countless conversations with other free agents, that what separates the wanna-bes from the power players is the ability to master three key areas: performing like a pro, leveraging time, and staying connected. Free agents -- as well as independent spirits who reside behind corporate walls -- know that choosing the right tools and the right support structure is critical to success.

VP of Look & Feel

In the world of free agency, small details telegraph big messages. Stripped of organizational support and the cachet of an impressive title, free agents must prove on their own that they're pros. If you are a free agent or aspire to become one, no one will think you're a pro if you look like an amateur.

Business cards printed on predesigned stock used to confer instant professionalism. Not anymore. This canned approach now reeks of home-grown bootstrapping. By using iPrint.com, a leading online print shop, you can create high-quality business cards. The site is open for business around the clock, and it's fully automated: With the click of a mouse, you choose from various typefaces, graphic elements, paper stocks, and ink colors.

The site's interactive desktop-publishing capabilities let you easily tweak a design, proofread changes -- even incorporate your company's logo. Once you've designed a card, it's a snap to extend the image you've created to other items, such as letterhead and labels. Your order will be printed by one of iPrint.com's commercial partners and delivered to your office within a few days.

Coordinates: $15.99 for 250 cards. iPrint.com, www.iprint.com

You'll still need a laser printer for day-to-day work. To conserve office space, some free agents opt for an all-in-one machine that can not only print but also fax, copy, and scan. But that's a risky tack to pursue: If the unit goes down, all of your productivity goes down with it. In my office, I use stand-alone machines for everyday use and a so-called multifunction device as a backup.

The HP LaserJet 2100 is a solo printer that can grow as your business grows. Designed for individual users and for small groups, the 2100 delivers acutely readable images at a fast-forward speed (10 pages per minute). As your output increases, you can upgrade the printer's memory from 4 MB to 8 MB ($56); add a second, 250-sheet paper tray to achieve a total capacity of 600 sheets ($149); and expand the machine's networking capabilities by adding an internal print server ($239). Just beware of the hidden cost of consumables, such as toner. A toner cartridge for the HP LaserJet 2100 costs $83 and prints up to 5,000 pages.

Coordinates: $699. HP LaserJet 2100, Hewlett-Packard Co., www.hp.com