One of the most common problem workers face when freelancing is balancing a varied workload. This might mean sticking to deadlines when you’re working at full capacity while also finding things to do when the business is going through a quiet period.
Here are our top three tips on coping with an unbalanced workload.
Get organised
Being organised works in different ways for different people.
Some need everything on display on a wall calendar, while other need reminders the week, day and hour before the event. Whatever works for you, you should find out, and fast.
Having a workload that changes on a daily basis means you need to be on top of everything, from your washing up to your deadlines.
Daily to-do lists are a must for freelancers and small business owners in order to make sure you don’t miss anything out.
This isn’t just a handy tip for when you’re working against the clock. Slower periods can benefit from daily to-do lists as you prioritise marketing, accounts and family time into your week.
Keep up-to-date on industry news
It may not seem like knowing what’s going on in your industry will help you when you have a million projects to complete in one week, but there is one big advantage.
Being aware of changes to your industry and being able to interpret these in terms of how they could affect you personally will help you pre-empt fluctuations in your workload; which will help you better manage your business in the long run.
So have a read of the newspaper in the morning or check on your LinkedIn groups during a tea break (no matter how busy you are, there is always time for a tea break), because that two minutes spent keeping up-to-date could safeguard the future of your business.
Have a marketing strategy for your down-time
It’s normal for freelancers to experience times when things get a little slow and their work isn’t as quite in demand.
While it can be worrying, it’s perfectly natural and work will no doubt pick up again in no time. But in the meantime, it makes sense to use this time effectively and to your advantage.
Setting up a marketing strategy is a vital part of finding new clients as a freelancer, and during your quiet periods is the best time to test it out.
Are you struggling to manage your freelance workload? Or do you have a fool-proof system that works every time? Leave your comments in the section below!