10 Top Time-Management Tips For Freelancers

To be a successful freelancer you have to be focused and disciplined; time management is one of the things that you will need to master, and you will find that there will be a bit of a learning curve but through trial and error you can become successful.

Now that you’ve been freelancing from home for a while, you’re beginning to see that maybe it’s not as easy as you once thought it was. Prioritize your tasks according to what’s due first. For instance, if you have a job with a deadline of 24 hours, of course, that job should be prioritized. Calendar your jobs by the due date and the amount of time needed to complete them.

The Importance of Time Management for Freelancers

Since freelancing technically means that you’re your own boss, staying on top of marketing, networking, meeting deadlines, and communicating with your clients is your responsibility. If you can’t successfully manage these items, your freelancing business can fail quickly.

Missing client deadlines can be detrimental to your business. Remember, you are your brand, and your work and professionalism matter greatly. Freelancing depends a lot on networking, word of mouth, and client testimonials - and let’s not forget - an awesome portfolio!

Managing Your Time as a Freelancer

Through a lot of trial and error, mistakes, time-tracking tools, and following these tips should get you through the rough parts until you find the routine that works best for you.

Ten Tips for Successful Freelancing

We have put together some time management tips to help you excel as a freelancer.

1. Choose a Set Schedule

Give yourself set working hours, 8 am-4 pm, etc. You must stick to your set hours, so no answering emails or business calls after your shift is over.

2. Use a Project Management System

Project management tools and apps can assist you in managing your time, your clients, and much more so that you can see what your work day looks like.

3. Prioritize

Prioritize your tasks according to what’s due first. If you have a job with a deadline of 24 hours, of course, that should be your priority task. Calendar your jobs by the due date and the amount of time to complete them.

4. Don’t Take on More Than You Can Handle

If you find that you’ve taken on more clients than you can handle, consider hiring someone to assist you. FlexJobs and Upwork may be good sites to start with.

5. Distractions Can Hurt You

Distractions can hinder your work and therefore put your work at risk of criticism from your client. TVs, kids, and other distractions should be eliminated during your chosen working hours.

6. Take Breaks

Take a short 10–15-minute break and a lunch break, just as you would if you worked outside your home.

7. Time-Blocking Is a Good Idea

Use time-blocking to see how much of a task you can complete within that timeframe. For instance, if you need to complete a spreadsheet, block out 2 hours on your calendar and see if you’re able to complete the job within that time slot.

8. What Are Your Most Productive Hours?

Figure out what your most productive hours are and use that time to work. You can get much more done when you don’t have to worry about distractions or being preoccupied.

9. Even Freelancers Need a Day Off

Working from home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take regular breaks or a day off, just as you would if you worked outside the home. Make sure your clients know what your day(s) off is.

10. Admin Days Matter

Reserve one day out of the week for your admin day. Admin days will be focused on taking care of all logistics for the new week, including:

• Manage Invoices

• Plan all meetings

• Send out contracts

• Catch up on emails

• Schedule social media business posts

Do not schedule meetings or calls with any clients on your admin day, and make sure that your clients are aware of this.

Five Time Management Tools for Freelancers

Staying on top of your deadlines can be easier with these free and paid time management apps.

1. Clockify - This allows you to set up projects for individual clients and track the amount of time spent on each task.

2. Toggl - You can log your time while working, and it supports integrations with:

• Trello

• Asana

• Todoist

• Basecamp

3. Asana - allows you to add guests when you want to share specific things with your clients, create various projects, view completed tasks, and connect with Google Calendar, create subtasks, and notes.

4. ClickUp - Allows for creating different types of project boards, content calendars, lists, etc., over 50 templates and boards for SEO management, blogs, project management, and more.

5. Google Calendar - is great for time management and can be crucial for blocking out time slots and scheduling meetings.

Being a freelancer takes time, patience, and discipline, but you can do it with great time management tools. Oh! Don't forget to check out our blog over here.