Like no other professional group, freelancers need to optimally divide their time in order to achieve the greatest possible financial return at the end of the month. Freelancers can not only benefit from the time savings and more orders through greater efficiency, but also from better customer relationships that guarantee their own long-term success. Here we have the most important tips that make daily work much more efficient.
Work more structured / keep work and private life separate
Many freelancers reject the typical “9 to 5” work model. You want to take advantage of the flexibility and freedom that independence brings. This also goes hand in hand with the fact that freelancers work longer on average than employees. But more hours don't automatically make you more efficient. In order to invest the time spent in the best possible way, a strict separation of work and private life is unavoidable. The best way to do this is to organize the working day with fixed times and breaks around your own obligations, needs and preferences.
Fast and smooth communication
Even if you sometimes think that the fastest way of communication between two people is via email, you should still avoid writing a digital message for every little thing. This not only irritates the recipient, but is also very time consuming. You can also call and ask or answer important questions by phone.
Maintain and build a network
Working independently from home does not mean that you have to work alone. On the contrary, building and maintaining a network is important – regardless of the area in which you work. When you interact with other freelancers, you can take advantage of their know-how in different areas and exchange information. To make contacts, one has to go to relevant conferences and events or work in a coworking space.
Set priorities
It sounds easier than it is to distinguish between what is important and what is not. And that alone is not enough, because it is also important to weigh up the urgency. Tasks can be very important, but not necessarily urgent. In order to maintain an overview, the tasks must be listed and then prioritized by numbering. This way you don't lose sight of the work and you know exactly what needs to be done and when.
Those who work more efficiently are more motivated. For example, an inefficient way of working means that you have to start a task over and over because you are distracted. Having to deal with the same problem over and over again sooner or later irritates everyone. Those who complete their tasks in less time have more fun at work and can take care of customer service down to the last detail – the customers will be happy!
