When you are on the move, and in the process of travelling, can get no Wi-Fi connection, you definitely won’t be able to access any website from your mobile, tablet or laptop. In the world these days, we are connected to the Internet almost every time of the day, be it at work or outside of work. Without a connection, it feels like there’s nothing you can do. The best way to solve this is to spend time with stuff you can do without a connection – or make your materials accessible even when you are offline.

How do you access webpages on the Internet offline from your desktop, laptop, tablet as well as your mobile phone? In this quick guide, we will show 5 ways you can.

1. Read It – Read Now, Read Later

Read it is a Chrome extension, which allows you to access saved content from your mobile and tablet after saving the files to cloud. The best thing about Read It is that it only saves clean content by stripping off all ads and non-related content, so what you get is pure content.

To use it, go to the Read It extension page on Chrome and install it. Once completed, you will see a ‘Klip Me’ icon at the top right corner of your browser bar. Now when you browse any website and want to save the content for reading later, simply click the ‘Klip Me’ button and you will see a stripped off page with only relevant content on it. Click the ‘Save’ button at the right.

Read It only saves content and not the whole website, so when you open webpages that feature many articles in one page like a blog, for instance, chances are, you will not be able to save the article you want. But, you can still save the content of your choice by highlighting any particular content including images. To do this, highlight selected content with your mouse, and click on the Klip Me button.

Read It for web

Now if you want to access the content you saved earlier, you can open a new tab on your Chrome, and click on the ‘Klip Me’ icon. You will see all content you have previously saved for offline access. To make this content accessible on your mobile, you need to integrate Read It with your Google account so you can save all of your files in Cloud. Click the ‘Sign In’ button at the right column and proceed to allow its access with Google.

When access is granted, your files will sync to Cloud, and you can now access these saved files from anywhere by going to the Klip.me website (but you will need Internet access for the sync).

Read It for Android

Alternatively if you are using an Android phone, you can download Klip Me app from Google Play, log in with your Google account and sync. The saved files will be stored to your device, and you can now read them even when you are offline. At the time of this test, Read It is only available for Chrome browser and Android. But it still can be accessed via web at Klip.me where you will be able to push your saved content to Kindle and other ebook devices. Soon, Read It will be made available as a Safari extension so do check out the site for the latest updates.

2. Spool – Save Video and Webpages

Spool is a new startup offering you alternatives to access your saved files offline. It has not only a web application and browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, but it also provides you with Android and iOS apps, as well as a bookmarklet so you can use the service on all browsers and mobiles. Spool also allows you to integrate your account with Dropbox so you can practically save not only web pages but other file types.

At the time of this writing, Spool is only available for Beta invite, however you can override that invite by registering with your Facebook login.

Spool for Web, iOS and Android

After registration is done, you can now head over to the Spool Tools page to install the extension for Chrome or Firefox. If you are not using either browsers, you can grab the bookmarklet and proceed to download iOS/Android apps to read your saved files offline on your mobile. The best thing about using the extension is that not only will can you save pages using the Spool icon at the top of your browser, you also have other ways to save pages: by clicking on the icon, or using a right click on a link or even on a page.

Even on some pages like Facebook, you will also see the Spool icon with options to save a link.

Making Spool Accessible while Offline

By default, after saving a page, it will be accessible via Web as well as your mobile apps with an Internet connection. To make your files accessible on your mobile while offline, open your Spool app > go to Settings > check the ‘Autodownload’ box and you would have allowed automatic download over WiFi or mobile data. The sync’ed files will be automatically saved locally in your mobile, so you can access them while offline. If you are worried about space, you can always delete these files after reading them.

3. Read It Later

Read It Later is another alternative you can use to read any web content offline. What makes Read It Later stand out is the integration with many other apps that are available on the market including Pulse and Flipboard. This makes it easier to save any content from other apps straight to Read It Later, so you can read these contents later even when you are offline. You can also import contents from Instapaper and Delicious. What makes it more interesting is the user collaboration towards making Read It Later a better product, with many external applications created by the users themselves.

Read It Later Offline

To start with, register for a Read It Later account and go to the apps page to download all the necessary tools including bookmarklet, browser extension as well as mobile apps. Read It Later is available for all browsers, as well as for mobile on iOS and Android. You can use all the tools to save files.

For offline reading, all files will sync automatically to your mobile apps so you can read them even when you are offline. However you can only read your saved content on your computer offline with a Firefox extension. To make your saved files accessible offline on your computer, install the extension for Firefox.

4. Readability

Readability is a beautiful application that is available as an extension for Chrome. It also comes with a native app for Android and iOS.

To get started, go to Readability website and register an account, then head over to the Apps page to download the extension for your Chrome browser, as well as the app for your iOS and Android. There are also many other applications which integrate with Readability, available for download from the apps page. Like the others this app also syncs saved webpages to your mobile foor later reading even when you are offline.

5. Evernote

Perhaps there are many of us who are not aware that Evernote comes in handy for offline reading too. Evernote is known as a major note-saving application available across platforms and is also great for file-sharing and collaboration with friends and colleagues due to the free storage provided.

If you have not used it already, go to the Evernote page and register for an account. Then to make it easier for you to save a webpage content, download the Evernote Clipper or Clearly so you can save any contents easily to your Evernote. To access your saved content offline, download Evernote apps for Android or iOS and log in with your registered account. Go to ‘Settings’, click on ‘Offline notebook’ and select any folder or file you want to make available for offline reading.

That’s it, and now whenever your Evernote syncs, it will make your selected materials available offline.

Conclusion

With these five alternatives, you can now save your web contents for reading while out fishing on a boat or if you’re flying without a connection. There are certainly many other alternatives including some paid options like Instapaper as well as other computer-only access options, but I’m sure we prefer the idea of freemiums with mobility access and great tools.

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Quick question: Did you have a freelance contract when you first began freelancing? Yeah, me neither. Well, you should. Working without a contract is an invitation to be taken advantage of. A contract doesn’t just save you from being fleeced, it also helps streamline your work around a schedule as well as all those clarified details of what was agreed between you (the provider) and the client from the beginning. More importantly, it prevents you from double work and headaches down the line.

(Image Source: Fotolia)

If you started freelancing without a contract, I bet it wasn’t long before you felt that you needed one. Maybe a client reneged on their payment, or asked you to revise your work so many times that you wished you had a contract with a clause that charged for revisions. All it takes is that one client.

Read Also: 9 Things You Should Know About Freelancing Full-Time

The fear of contracts

We know the importance of contracts but we’re just so intimidated by them! Unless you’re a legal writer, it’s natural to fear drawing up the document we know as the contract. But here’s the thing: Using simple language is the best way to avoid confusion. You don’t need a lawyer to draft a contract. You just need to know what works for you. So grab a paper and pencil (or open up a Word document) and begin drafting your first contract. Don’t miss out on any of these clauses because you really, really shouldn ‘t freelance without them.

1. Pricing/Rates

The most important thing to ensure sustainability in your services is to make your rates clear. Put them down in writing during the intiial stages of the project. Do you charge by hour, or by complete project? Make sure your client is agreeable to the way you charge them, so they wouldn’t dispute and withhold payment thereafter.

If you’re charging by the hour, include a minimum and maximum work-hour clause. "Project Red won’t take less than X hours and no more than Y." The X is for your security – you’ll get paid for these hours even if you finish early. The Y is for your client’s security. He won’t have to pay for more than Y no matter how long it takes for you to finish the job.

2. Payment/Invoicing

Spell out a payment schedule. Do you work with a half now, half after payment schedule, or with 3 installments of 40-40-20? Some freelancers prefer 50-25-25. Everyone has a reason for their preferences. Personally, I prefer to be paid in 3 installments on bigger projects. Usually 40% upfront, 40% when I send the first draft and the final 20% when I send over the finished copy.

How you get paid also needs to be included in the contract. Do you accept payment via direct deposits, checks or PayPal? How long a grace period do you give when receiving payment? Some organizations issue payments a period of time after they receive the invoice. Make sure you have ironed out all these kinks before you start work.

Related: 10 Tips To Invoice Your Freelance Clients Professionally

3. Single Point of Contact

Oh boy! This clause is a lifesaver. If you’ve ever worked with a client where you had two or more people giving you feedback and requesting changes, you will know that this is necessary. By including the ‘single point of contact’ clause, you’re limiting your communication to one person. All the feedback and revision requests need to go through that one person – whether your client is a soloprenuer or a manager in a big firm.

The larger the team that deals with you, the more internal conflicts they have to iron out. Having a single point of contact saves you from confusion and double work. You don’t have to waste time and energy trying to satisfy three points of contact (a.k.a. people with authority to make changes) with different ideas of what they need.

4. Kill Fee

Sometimes, for reasons beyond our control, a project gets canceled after you’ve started working on it. For freelancers without a contract, it might mean that they won’t get paid for the work they have already done until the notice of cancellation. A kill fee clause saves you from being the disadvantaged party in case a project gets axed. It makes sure you’re paid for how much of the work already done since you have spent your time and effort on it, both of which could be spent on other projects that you may have on the side.

Different freelancers charge different kill fee. Some have an elaborate stage by stage kill fee schedule. Others charge a flat 50% and some charge as low as 25%. It depends on what seems fair to you – the point is to deliver some form of compensation on the work that has been done but won’t be put to use.

5. Revisions and rewrites

We’ve all had a client or project where we just can’t seem to get what they want right due to various reasons. It could be that the client is confused or fickle-minded, or a perfectionist – one who can never be satisfied no matter how many revisions you do. The worst kind is the one who changes the entire focus or direction of the project, halfway through the timeline. All prior work poured into the project could become useless, and you will be starting from scratch but without a revised deadline.

Instead of spending much of your time revising, rewriting, redesigning, recoding etc for hours, a clause in your contract can make this a painless procedure. Offer a number or free revisions/rewrites and then charge for any more the client wants done. This would at least reduce the client’s inclination to make changes as he likes, and start doing revisions that are only necessary. Most freelancers offer 2 free revisions, 3 at most depending on the nature of the work they offer.

6. ‘Scope Creep’

A ‘Scope Creep’ is exactly what you think it sounds like. It refers to that nasty little bugger who seems innocent at first but grows into a monster fast. Image a client who pays on time and appreciates your work. It’s the perfect client, right? Eventually the Scope Creep will start saying things like, "Hey, we were going through the work and realized that this will be even more awesome if xyz was added to it. Can you include that too?" You say, "Sure, it won’t take long, I’ll just quickly add that in." And that’s how it begins.

During the course of the project, this will keep repeating, and over time it will accumulate to a point where you’re doing more work than you signed up for and you’re not getting paid for it! A scope creep clause is your protection against it. Reserve your right to adjust the rates of the project should the scope of the job, or amount of work you have to do is increased significantly. This way the client knows that they are liable to pay extra for any additional requirements they want to throw in.

7. Copyrights

Depending on the kind of freelancing you do, there are different copyright options available. Freelance writers have the most copyright options such as first serial rights, print rights, electronic rights etc. For most freelancers though it boils down to owning the rights until the final payment is made.

(Image Source: Fotolia)

Copyrighting your work is a must if you want to avoid having a client run away without paying for your work or use it without permission. On the other hand, It’s also a form of protection for your client. If they have made full payment, they have already bought the copyrights from you, hence they know, and should expect to not find the work done anywhere elsewhere.

8. Deadline

No freelancer signs on a project without a deadline. A deadline is necessary. A lot of times, freelancers can set their own deadlines; other times the work is time sensitive so the client sets their own deadline. Either way, getting it down in writing is a security measure for both you and your client. For the client this prevents the freelancer from delaying the completion of the project. For the freelancer it allows for a change in the deadline in case the client does not get back with the required feedback/information/approval in time.

Having deadline will also allow you to schedule your future work even before you start working on them yet. This ensures that you don’t take in two projects that need to run simultaneously and yet stil be able to keep your working schedule filled, giving your income a bit more stability.

Related: Freelancers: 3 Ways to Motivate Yourself When You’re Running Low

Conclusion

Now that you know which clauses to include, it shouldn’t take you long to draft out a simple contract. Contrary to what you might think, this contract doesn’t have to look like a legal document. In fact, you can collect all the emails you’ve exchanged with the client, transfer the results of your discussions into the document, hammer out all the details, and compile them. Both of you should acknowledge that you have both read and agreed to the contents of the contract, sign it and each keep a copy for future reference.

Have I missed anything? Is there another clause that you think one should not freelance without?

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Firebug is a Firefox add-on with cool tools to inspect web page element, debug and develop web pages. There is however no way you can have these tools on other web browsers apart from Firefox.

Development of a similar tool for other browsers may take hard work, but it will be of great help if you could get Firebug to work on other browsers too, considering that everyone has their preferred browsers.

Well, here is where Firebug Lite comes in to solve your needs. Firebug Lite is a simpler version of Firebug but it can be used on IE, Opera, Chrome, Safari, iPad and iPhone while retaining similar options and features.

Recommended Reading: 40 Useful IPad Apps For Web Designers

Installing Firebug Lite on Opera, Safari & Chrome

With Firebug Lite, there isn’t any installation necessary. Written in Java Script, you can bookmark a Firebug Lite link and it will be ready for page inspection. So what you need to do is to simply bookmark the link below (you can also drag the link to your browser’s bookmark bar).

Firebug Lite

If you are using Chrome browser, the bookmark should appear as below, if your bookmark bar is visible.

That’s it, your Firebug Lite should now work when you need to use it.

Using Firebug Lite on Opera, Safari & Chrome

Now you can use Firebug Lite to inspect practically any web page. For this example, we will use Wikipedia.org.

When the web page is loaded, click on the Firebug Lite bookmark you saved earlier and you will see a consol box appear at the bottom of the web page.

If we close up, this is what you will see on the bottom left of the page.

Now you can see the (+) and the (-) at the starting point of many lines. The (+) means there are more lines closed under the one-liner of html, and if you highlight the line, you will see which part of the page it represents.

But if you want to make it easier to spot the lines represented by any text, photo, link or any other elements on the web page itself, click on the ‘Inspect’ button.

Now you can hover your mouse cursor to any part of the elements available on the web page, and you will see the html line highlighted. This makes it easier for you to do some inspection.

Installing Firebug Lite on iPad & iPhone

Bookmarklets doesn’t really go well with iPad and iPhone. To have Firebug Lite installed on iPad and iPhone, here’s how:

1. Bookmark this page on your iPad or iPhone.

   

2. Rename the bookmark to "Firebug".

   

3. Select and copy all the script below.

   javascript:(function(F,i,r,e,b,u,g,L,I,T,E){if(F.getElementById(b))return;E=F[i+'NS']&&F.documentElement.namespaceURI;E=E?F[i+'NS'](E,'script'):F[i]('script');E[r]('id',b);E[r]('src',I+g+T);E[r](b,u);(F[e]('head')[0]||F[e]('body')[0]).appendChild(E);E=new%20Image;E[r]('src',I+L);})(document,'createElement','setAttribute','getElementsByTagName','FirebugLite','4','firebug-lite.js','releases/lite/latest/skin/xp/sprite.png','https://getfirebug.com/','#startOpened');

4. Go to bookmark option and press "Edit". Then select "Firebug" bookmark.

   

5. Remove the original URL and paste the bookmarklet.

   

6. Choose “Done” on your keyboard.

Now, try to open any website and select "Firebug" bookmark and you’ll see a functioning Firebug at the bottom of your iPad screen.

Conclusion

Firebug Lite is by far good enough to do quick page inspection. You can view html, css and any script used to build the webpage. Although Chrome has its own Web Developer extension, Firebug Lite does not disappoint by a mile.

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