If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a million things going on at once. Juggling work with your freelancing, family and social life can be tough, and things can slip through the cracks. For example, if you don’t keep track of your freelancing calendar, you may be missing out on great opportunities to pick up extra work or snag new clients that could keep you busy throughout the year. But how do you go about keeping track of all this? Check out these tips for keeping track of your freelancing calendar.
What is an effective freelancing calendar
It’s a scheduling tool used by freelancers and their clients, which details planned and completed work. A freelancer’s calendar helps both parties see when tasks are due, who is responsible for each one, and how much time will be required. It can also help identify potential issues with timing or resources before they become major problems. If you don’t currently use a freelancing calendar, these tips will show you how to get started and how best to use it in your business.
Setting up an effective calendar
Regardless of how disorganized you are, there’s always room for improvement. When freelancers first start out, they often make a calendar that looks like a Pinterest board — lots of pictures but no real substance. To get started on your calendar, simply find a template (I use Google Calendar because it’s free and simple) and add your upcoming projects; then start filling in all your deadlines by adding events. If you don’t have any deadlines, leave those slots blank until you need them. If you have daily or weekly repeating tasks, I recommend setting up a recurring event with instructions to remind yourself what needs to be done and when it has to be done by. You can even color-code different types of tasks so they stand out more easily! Another great trick is setting up multiple calendars: one that shows only today’s events and one that shows everything coming up in the next week or month.
Managing contacts
Depending on your role, managing contacts may or may not be a big part of your job. But regardless, it’s an important skill for freelancers to master. And because many freelancers work with people in multiple industries and multiple locations — along with those within their own organizations — being able to effectively manage contacts can be a real game-changer. Follow these steps to start better organizing your contacts and streamlining how you manage them: 1) Figure out which platforms make sense for you. 2) Get started building (and maintaining) a list.
Keeping track of time spent on different projects
Tracking time is one way to ensure that you’re billing your clients for all your work and hitting deadlines. It’s also a good way to stay organized, especially if you have multiple projects or clients — it helps prevent confusion and double booking. If you’re freelancing from home, it may be tempting to shirk on clock-watching; after all, freelancers tend to be highly self-motivated workers. But even when it comes to an independent job like freelance writing, being accountable can help motivate you — and make sure your business succeeds!
Other suggestions for making a better freelance schedule
-Be realistic about how much time each task will take — and be honest with yourself. — Write a rough schedule and divide it into two categories: tasks that you can do at any time, and those that can only be done during specific hours or days. -Schedule in buffer times so you don’t feel rushed.
-Choose your best working hours; some freelancers find mornings work better than afternoons, while others prefer late evenings when they have fewer distractions.
— Set priorities based on due dates, workloads and deadlines for projects. Consider adding non-billable hours such as networking, training and other self-development activities.
Play around with different approaches until you find one that works for you. Don’t hesitate to make changes along the way if things aren’t working out well — it takes time to figure out what kind of schedule meets both your needs and requirements from clients/employers.
Comments