Top 7 Tips for a Freelancer to Master Project Management

Freelance writers tend to spend less time in writing as they become more experienced. They build their business websites, market themselves and come up with better ideas. However, they can get overwhelmed in tracking the work deadlines, organizing their work, and connecting with their clients.

Managing projects as a freelance writer require careful identification and implementation of tools and tips to guarantee success. Here are seven tips to employ as a freelance writer to master project management. 

Create and follow a schedule

Setting a work schedule is an effective way to be focused on goals, especially for a startup. Decide what time of the day you will be starting to work daily, as this may help you adapt to a new business faster by understanding processes. 

As a freelancer working from home, the chances are that you sometimes get out of your home. Avoid working from home throughout because this may lower your productivity. Sticking to a routine such as taking some time in the mornings in the library or a coffee shop can boost your productivity and create a “work” mentality.

Rather than trying to wing it, define the due dates and schedules for goals and calls on a calendar and follow that to the latter. For efficiency and better organization, consider grouping all the related tasks together. 

Use organization tools

According to custom papers, the organization tools can enable you to track long-term and short-term projects easily. Set goals and put them in an accessible place, such as a chart with columns on a board and post notes depending on status. 

With the organization tools, it is easier to see all the work and the tasks to complete, which is so refreshing. If you prefer digital approaches, identify the task management apps that can be useful in your day-to-day work. 

Some tools can facilitate sharing screenshots of projects with your collaborators or access the ongoing projects' virtual map. You can also get a cloud-enabled storage service such as Google Drive or Dropbox to ensure the security of files. Having the files on a hard drive can make them susceptible to a loss or damage.

Create a system

If you want to be successful in project management as a freelance writer, create a workable system. This begins by figuring out the requirements of the workflow and then having a basic attack plan applicable to all the projects.

Experts from Paper Writing Pro say that based on the system’s requirements, you may choose a premium or a free project management software version that can suit your needs. Try out several tools to identify the one that can fit into your workflow best.

Plutio offers a flexible and compressive project management system that you can try first.

Create a scope of work

There could be cases of project modifications or revisions and projects taking longer than expected. Failure to take care of such may lower your productivity or bring down your income. 

Take preventive measures to ensure that your writing project does not get out of scope. Work with clients to put together thorough instructions concerning every assignment while ensuring that both of you agree on the way forward. 

Developing a document of the scope of work can be an effective way for self-protection and can enable you to set the desired expectations. Scope of work document is an informal contract detailing the deliverables of the project, timeline, and the charges attached to the project. In this document, be clear regarding the payment methods, procedures and timing. 

Focus on communicating with the clients

Effective communication skills are essential to being a successful project manager. The skills may create a long-term working relationship or break the relationship. During your communication with a hiring company or agent, go through the email body severally before clicking on the send button and pay attention to the main point in the body fast.

Effective communication with clients requires that you focus on the message’s subject line and keep it consistent to ensure that the client can easily access the work. If the message has several subjects, use a numbered list or bullets and address every issue separately. 

Avoid distractions

Distractions in the freelancing business can reduce productivity and lead to a waste of time. To strike a good balance, avoid taking wasteful or frequent breaks. A break to get into social media or watching your favorite TV episode is an addictive distraction.

To avoid being distracted by the internet, have self-control. You can also put in place an extension of tracking time that can help to limit time spent on the internet to a defined time per day. 

Apart from the internet, a cluttered working space can distract you a lot because it affects the mind. 

Clear your working space by moving all the note and digital devices and leave out only the things you need to complete a project. 

Define the time limits

Setting time-bound project goals can let you visualize the projects and come up with ways to ensure timely project completion. Each project milestone or goal must have a specific start time and a completion time. 

Track the progress of the project based on the set time. If the project is behind schedule, review the timings and set an ideal time, and find out what is causing you not to complete it on time. 

Time tracking is an essential part of any freelance project, small or big. If you charge writing projects on an hourly basis, consider time tracking apps that can help in valuing time more. 

Conclusion

Mastering project management is an important component of any freelance business and requires discipline and focus. To achieve your freelancing goals, implement the above tips on every project, large or small. Whether you are designing websites, operating an e-commerce store, or writing blogs and articles, the above productivity tips may be helpful. You can pick one tip at a time and evaluate the project performance after some time. it. Moreover, you can find loads of other tips to excel as a freelancer here on Plutio Blog.