When you are a freelancer you end up wearing a lot of hats at once. You are your own marketing agency, accountant, debt collector, and even janitor. It can be overwhelming and you can end up doing less of what actually earns you money when this happens.
You need to be more productive so you can focus on the part of your business that brings in the cash that you need to survive and thrive. Otherwise, you are running on the hamster wheel.
If this sounds like you then you need some tips on how to be more productive and focused so you can take back control of your business.
In this article, I will go over several ways that you can be more productive and use your time wisely as a freelancer.
1 – Automate
There are a lot of aspects of your work as a freelancer that you simply don’t need to do yourself. Instead of trying to do it all, use software and apps to take some work off of your plate.
For instance, you can use software to automatically populate your invoices so you don’t have to take the time to make out each one and send it off to your client. And it will also send reminders for them to pay if they don’t pay on time.
Then, there is also software that can help you write out contracts. There are live chatbots you can put on your website to answer questions a potential client has about your services so you don’t have to go back and forth in an email chain.
It’s like having a secretary to do work for you. There are a lot of apps out there that can do a lot more which you can read more about here.
2 – Outsource
What you can’t end up automating you can outsource. Some things can’t be done by software and require actual humans. Parts of your job that don’t need to be done by you can always be sent out to other freelancers who specialize in that aspect that you don’t.
Things like editing or maintaining your website can all be done by others and cheaply so you can focus on getting clients to make more money.
3 – Get Everything In Writing
What happens to far too many freelancers is that they end up doing more work than they had agreed to and for no extra money.
Make sure that every project is clearly communicated and in writing so that way it is clear exactly what work you will do, and what you want and for how much money. If things keep getting added to the project or there are loads of changes requested, then make sure you are clear that it will cost extra.
4 – Take breaks
When you have things automated and outsourced, you can take advantage of and have some “you time”. Just take a break and do some exercise or work on a hobby instead of trying to add more work to the to-do list. You’ll end up being more productive if you aren’t burnt out.
