Freelancing is not only lucrative; it can also be a lot of fun. However, it can also be very overwhelming if you aren’t keeping your business life in order and this is why organisation is an important key to a successful freelancing life.
Without organisation, everything will go badly wrong – Deadlines will be missed, communication with clients will break down, suppliers will be lost, and before you know it, your clients won’t be giving you much work. They will simply think that you cannot cope with the workload.
A point to ponder over: Your clients will know that as a freelancer you will have multiple clients. Your ‘job’ as the freelancer is to create the illusion that they are your ONLY client. This doesn’t take a smoke and mirrors magic trick, the only magic you’ll need is organisation. Keep on top of everything and make them believe that they are your only client.
To get organised, start with the basics… your work space. Make sure that your work area is tidy, and that there is a place for everything and everything is in its place. At the end of each workday, take five minutes to put away supplies and tidy the place up. When you walk into your tidy office the next day, you will be ready to settle down into your work. Without scratching your head trying to remember where client Smiths receipt folder is.
Next, don’t rely on your memory. You need software or a web-based service to organise your projects, deadlines, contact information, files, and anything else that has to do with your business. This will also help you to keep your accounts straight, although bookkeeping software is separate from organisation software. I’ll be covering that in another blog.
Keep it on your desk where you can see it. Those who know me or occasionally read my blogs know that I can’t function without a written on paper to-do list. My work life thrives because of it.
Review it daily, and mark off the things that you have done, and write down new tasks that have come up. This not only helps to ensure that things get done; it is also a nice record of when things were done, in case you need that information later, and the sense of satisfaction when you see the line through the task is amazing!
Some project management applications include the ability to print out and keep a to-do list. An excellent way to keep projects in order is to use the likes of Evernote
And finally!
Always be on the lookout for ways to organise your freelancing business even further. Be open to new ideas and applications, and develop schedules and processes that you can easily live with. This way, you will avoid becoming overwhelmed, and your clients will know that you have a strong handle on things and if you are feeling overwhelmed and disorganised within your freelancer business contact me. I’ll be able to help.
