![]() ![]() I'll think a little harder about pricier tools, but I can usually still calculate the time saved and how I could spend that time on other work. The time I spend on client work is worth far more than the $15/month that some tools cost. I'm quick to add tools that save me time in any way. Zapier is a no-code automation tool that lets you connect your apps into automated workflows, so that every person and every business can move forward at growth speed. But the cost is easy to justify: Zapier runs around 1,200 tasks per month-all work I would otherwise be doing manually. I'm up to a Professional plan at this point: I have so many Zaps that I needed the unlimited Zaps allowed by this tier. I was a Zapier customer long before I began writing for Zapier's blog-first at a small business, and now as a freelance writer. As long as you can fill that extra hour with billable work, it's a no-brainer. For example, if you bill clients $75/hour, the tool costs $25/month, and the tool will save you at least an hour per month, then justifying the tool is easy-even if you like to keep your expenses low. Sometimes it's easy to tell that you'll gain more than the tool costs. But is it possible that the app will actually save you more money than it costs? ![]() It's really tempting to only look at the actual cost of the tool, especially when there are so many apps in the world, and adding more subscriptions increases your monthly costs. And if you want the business to stay in business, you should support the product by paying according to how the tiers are laid out and the intended usage. If you're adjusting your usage to skirt moving to a paid plan or avoid a higher-paying plan, you're hurting the business. It's important to remember that software companies are also businesses. But a client meeting? It's a really bad look to admit that you're not willing to pay for the Pro plan (or worse, be cut off mid-sentence). Signing off and back on is fine if you're talking to friends or coworkers. Or, in my case, forgetting to hit the record button again when the 30 minutes were up.Īnd we can all relate to Zoom's 40-minute limit for free group calls. Maybe you have two people that need to use the login at the same time. When I hit the limit, I'd start a second recording within the same meeting as a workaround.īut at some point, the workarounds interfere with getting work done. I've also used Otter for meeting transcription, which has a 30-minute limit. For example, I've worked with teams that share logins or limit the number of seats (even when they may have a larger team), all to stay within the lower tier of a plan. Of course, usage means different things depending on the app. Those customers would likely stick with an app they already knew, which was Mailchimp. And as that happened, their customers' ability to pay for additional usage (contacts and email sends) would also grow. Mailchimp's freemium model was wildly successful: the company knew that as their customers grew, their customers' email lists would inevitably grow too. The company introduced the model to its customer base in 2009, and today, the product is still free for up to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month. Whenever I think of freemium software products, I think of Mailchimp. Does my usage exceed what the current plan allows? But if the features you need are locked behind a paid plan, it's time to upgrade. In some cases, software companies will target larger teams for an upgrade, so small teams and individuals can happily stay on free plans for a long time (check out some free project management tools and free CRMs, as examples). In Airtable, for example, I wanted access to additional extensions per base, sync integrations, and automatic table syncing-all of which I could only get on a paid plan. With both products-which I now pay for-eventually, I wanted access to some of the features only available on paid plans. ![]() This was the case for me with both Trello and Airtable. Whether it's a free trial or a "sneak peek" of locked features, you're likely aware of what you'll receive with an upgrade. Software companies are great at reminding you that additional features are available on paid plans. There are a few things I ask myself when moving from a free plan to a paid version of a tool-and cost is only part of the equation. While not everyone will adopt my "buy all the tools!" enthusiasm, it's definitely worth regularly exploring how paid versions of the tools you love can make your work life better. As an employee, I felt like it was needlessly hard to get my work done. I've worked for companies that were stingy with software, and it was frustrating. But while free is great, I don't mind paying for the right products. ![]()
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