If you’re a freelancer, then one thing is for certain: you’ve got your work cut out for you. You’re the advertising, sales, communications, and production department all rolled up into one. It’s a lot to juggle, and dropping the ball can be a big disruption for you and your clients.
Thankfully, freelancing is a big industry today, so many tools and tricks can be adopted to help you out with your many responsibilities. These can be as big as a whole AI assistant to organise your calendar, or as simple as an online PDF editor for those last minute changes.
So for the time-savvy freelancer, here’s what we recommend.
1. Automate repeated tasks
Hate sending the same email to everyone? Hate writing up your invoices over and over? Well, you don’t have to do either of these manual tasks with the right technology at your disposal! In the age of innovation, there’s an app or a program designed to do it for you (i.e. Notion, Asana, MYOB, Zapier, ROBO Task, and any other project management software that piques your fancy!).
So sit down and recognise what you’re doing a lot of, then search up how to automate that process in an effective, adaptable and thus intelligent way. You might be surprised by how even the most niche tasks have an automated solution today. For example, you could use Clickup to apply your monthly invoice when you click done on a project, and then have it send an email requesting invoice approval too.
2. Have schedules for both you and your clients
Clients can be unpredictable and can interrupt your workflow and throw you completely off balance. The solution to this is to create a schedule for both you and your clients. That way they know what to expect when messaging you at 8 am and 8 pm.
With a schedule for deliverables in place, your client will know definitively when they can expect to receive their work, and you can avoid having to take on the needless task of sending them updates while you’re trying to focus on the assignment at hand. And on that same note, this also allows you to put your phone and other distractions on silent mode, so you can dive into your work and enjoy the deep-focus flow state – because sometimes improving your productivity isn’t about working more, but about organising it better.
3. Use a Client Management Software
If you’re not already using a CRM (customer relationship management) system to organise and keep track of your clients, you’ll want to jump at it. These are not only used by larger companies like advertisers but are a great tool to save you time as a freelancer.
In the simplest terms, CRM systems effectively track client and customer interactions, manage deals, and even integrate with your payment tools and other third-party programs for ease of use they remember what you know about your clients and set up interactions so you don’t have to.
There is also a wide range of different CRM systems out there for you to select from, so finding the right tool for you shouldn’t be too tricky. Just be sure to read up on reviews and watch video tutorials to find an interface that works for you.
4. Survey clients and set expectations upfront
Revisions, payment issues, and all other issues that crop up during working with a client can be minimised by agreeing on everything upfront. One of the best ways to do this is by having them fill out a form that explains your expectations and services, as well as allowing them to explain their own.
Ideally, this client onboarding or project commencement form should include details on the scope of the project (how much, what’s included, etc.), what you need from the client (like payment upfront, or relevant details), as well as milestones, deadlines and targets. Trust us, if you can develop a form that automates all your question-asking, and all of theirs too, you’ll save time and prevent miscommunications.
5. Make the most of your website
If you only have a handful of clients, you may be content just sending along emails or making calls without relying on a website. But beyond being just a virtual storefront, a website can be used to create a community, to refer people to, or to attract the attention of people who you might never have considered as potential clients.
In this regard, optimising your website can be an opportunity to branch out into digital marketing for your business, providing new opportunities for collaboration and promotion. So beyond just adding your working hours, services, email, and a few glamour shots, consider what else it could be used for – insider articles, forums, networking, and more.
6. Avoid time wasters
Even for a small business, not every project and client is worth your time. If you’re considering being underpaid or working within a skillset you’re not strong in, just say no. The time and energy you spend on these devaluing clients can be better spent elsewhere, so declining is the best option.
If you’re not comfortable with telling them no, then there’s all the more reason to practise it – otherwise, you’ll be dealing with more and more time wasters in the future. Boundary setting is a superpower in any professional context, but it’s a skill you learn to develop in overdrive as a freelancer.
Conclusion
You have to be a wiley one to keep atop the freelancer food chain. Change and evolve your strategies with the marketplace, and always work to improve. Thankfully so are app developers, so adopting a new program doesn’t have to be a pain, it can be a pleasure – save time on your invoicing, keep track of your client’s wants and needs, and allow your website to do the talking for you.
Whenever you’re slogging through work you’re not specialized in, recognise the opportunity to improve your workflow and search for methods and tools to do it. It’ll pay off more and more in the long run.