Freelancers A to Z #029 Five Tips on How to Be a Better Freelancer
Freelancers A to Z is a series of roundup posts with captivating curated blog posts, podcasts and articles.
My purpose is to give you as a freelancer a place where you can find support and help with productivity, motivation and time management issues. Here you will find simple yet powerful hacks to improve your productivity and boost your freelance business instantly.
Are you ready?
The freelancing world is known for having the freedom to set your working hours. You can enjoy the flexibility of work while earning from home.
As great as that may sound, freelancing still requires a disciplined schedule in order to gain productive results.
Along with a productive schedule, freelancers are required to learn skills and ways to become adept at their work.
Many aspects go into freelancing and since it is virtual, it becomes hard to keep track of all things.
But since working remotely and enjoying its many perks is exciting, people all over the world are aiming at a freelance position.
Companies are also hiring freelancers instead of full-time employees.
If you want to learn the basics of freelancing, keep on reading to unleash the secrets of being a pro freelancer!
1
How to Better Organize Yourself?
Even though you might not be sitting in your office, the merging of your daily routine with your professional life is not always empowering.
Ask any freelancer you may know and they will confess that they often lose track of time.
There are days and even weeks when you become too unproductive to do anything.
In elaborate terms, this phase is called a slump; where your creative juices stop flowing. This is exactly where this blog will help you with.
It is the longest blog on this list but not anything less helpful. Overall, it is divided into 3 parts. The first one teaches you how to organize your schedule.
The second one aims to increase your productivity through organizing resources and space.
Lastly, it focuses on your mental health by decluttering and arranging thoughts in your mind.
All in all, it is a very useful blog for all the freelancers who find it difficult to manage time, meet deadlines and be at peace while working.
This is undoubtedly one of the first things to learn in order to be a freelancer because if your schedule is messy and your mind cannot concentrate, you will succeed very little.
2
Organize Your Files Like a Pro
No matter what your field is, all freelancers store their work in folders and files.
These are crucial tools which everyone uses in their work and the more organized they are, the better!
But if you are someone who is lazy or simply does not know how to organize files and folders properly, this blog post has come to your rescue.
It is a genius post that allows you to own your files and structure them the right way.
It is divided into two main portions, both of which are crucial to understanding.
The first one makes you familiar with a few unbeatable practices for organizing files and the second section of the blog goes over important file management systems to utilize.
Among practices, the blog explains the importance of having a backup platform where you should simultaneously be saving all files and categorizing them to find them immediately.
Coming to the second section, expertly guides you on how to make folders.
Some of the suggestions for folder titles offered are deadlines, clients, archives, and financials.
Reading this helpful blog will end whatever headaches you may have in sorting out files.
3
Top Tips on How to Boost Your Confidence as a Freelancer
In all types of work, confidence is key. But when you're surrounded by so many experts and talented people in the market, anyone's confidence can take a hit. If this sentiment relates to you, you might want to read this blog.
It perfectly addresses the issue of lack of confidence and guides you on how to solve it. Firstly, the blog explains what impostor syndrome is. It is a constant inability to accept one's achievements and thinking of oneself as a failure.
Many freelancers suffer from this syndrome which negatively impacts their work. Afterward, the blog lays down a total of 7 questions through a video in order to determine if the reader has impostor syndrome.
Finally, the blog goes on to share 10 ways to cope with the syndrome. These solutions are really deep and are capable of battling confidence issues.
For instance, facing the finances, highlighting one's strengths, and constantly learning are some great tips for the readers to confront the impostor syndrome head-on and evolve into a more confident and mature person.
So, if you are struggling to be confident in your freelancing work and are unable to gain more accomplishments due to it, this blog is all you need.
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4
How to Improve Your Communication Skills?
No matter how exceptional you are at what you do, it is useless if you do not know the art of communication.
This is because as a freelancer, you will always be in need of new and exciting projects but if you lack the proper knowledge of addressing clients, you will be sitting idle for an indefinite time.
Are you interested in mastering the skill of communication and getting hired immediately?
Then this blog is definitely for you! For starters, it shares a report on the issues which clients face.
Almost all of these are directly or indirectly related to the fact that freelancers are unable to maintain good communication.
Then through a hyperlink, it determines how being eloquent in communication gives freelancers an upper hand in the market.
The blog goes over some accurate benefits which communication provides.
Lastly, there are 10 communication commands which almost all clients desire for freelancers to possess.
This is a great insight because instead of guiding freelancers on how they should communicate, it goes the other way to let freelancers know what clients secretly want from you in terms of communication.
A few tips are having empathy, speaking confidently, being simple, allowing constructive feedback, and much more.
Even if you're already a master of communication, this blog is bound to teach you so much more.
5
How to Master Record Keeping as a Freelancer?
An aspect that is often not given adequate attention and care records. Nevertheless, it is the duty of freelancers to keep both client and tax records separately.
Considering how dry of a topic it really is, the article is not and it has done a great job of coaching freelancers to do this arduous task.
The article is divided into two main sections, namely freelance record keeping and how to keep track of freelance records.
These sections are further divided into different points to give a comprehensive guide.
For example, in the freelance record-keeping portion, it makes a differentiation between financial or client records to deal with them accordingly.
The client-based records revolve around communication and work whereas financial records deal with receipts, invoices, income, and taxes.
In client-based records, the blog guides how to manage contracts, copies of freelance work, proposals, communication, and quotes.
When it comes to financial records, the invoices, timesheets, expenses, and payment receipts should be sorted out.
After going through all of these documents, the blog makes things even easier to manage freelance records in various ways.
It shares different platforms where one can store records and documents and how these are useful.
Some of the names mentioned are Quickbooks, Wave Financial, Bonsai, Dropbox, Google Cloud, Outlook, and more.
Almost all of these platforms do most of the work for you so that your time and energy are saved.
6
All work and no play…
The last thing I would like to share with you is music. It has a special place in my life. For that reason I listen to music when I work. Hoverer, as some of you already know, it’s also because I want to cut off the noise caused by my neighbors.
This week a new Moby’s album. Enjoy!
Last but not least: in the next issue your playlist can appear in this place. So leave in comments your favourite music that you love to listen when you work.
One last thing
In the comments below let me know what do you think about this issue of Freelancers A to Z. Tell me what do you like, what is not so good, what do you want more of. I need to know everything.
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Take care and have a nice time
Mariusz from the Time Continuum App