The ability to stay organized is one of my best traits. In my opinion, every freelance writer needs to be organized if they are going to reach their goals. One thing you do not want to overlook is the importance of being ready when your day starts. You don’t want to spend the better part of your morning getting settled, determining what you have to do, and dealing with other similar details.
I have found that the best way to hit the ground running is to have a to-do list. If I know what needs done it is easy to move from one task to the next. There used to be a time when I did not use to-do lists. Instead, I would work directly from my email account. Soon enough I realized that this was not the best idea from an organizational point of view. As soon as I made some changes, such as using a daily to-do list, my productivity increased.
It is also essential to be ready to work from the moment you sit down at your desk in the morning. You do not want to waste any time. I always write my to-do list the night before so I can get to work without having to scour my emails account to decide what needs done first.
This may sound so simple that it is not even worth your time. But trust me, there are many freelance writers out there who struggle mightily because they have a difficult time staying organized. They don’t know what projects need completed, when they are due, or what order to work in. In turn, the result is lost time, missed deadlines, and angry clients.
Being ready to work when your day starts can go a long way in helping you become a more efficient freelance writer.
Even though it can be hard, if you work for yourself you still need to take time off when you get the chance. Many freelance writers, me included, do not like to be away from their work for too long. There is nothing wrong with loving what you do, but at some point in time you have to realize that a vacation is more than necessary at times. This leads to the question of whether or not you should tell clients when you are going to be away from your office.
Do your clients really need to know? This is the question that you really need to answer. If there is a client you speak with everyday it is probably a good idea to let them know that you will not be around. This way they know what is going on, and will not think you are avoiding them for one reason or the next.
On the other hand, if you do not talk to a given client regularly there is really no point in letting them know about your time off. As long as you stay on top of things and get them the proper work on time, you don’t have much to worry about.
As you can see, you need to handle this on a case by case basis. Of course, a lot of your answers will be based on how much time you are taking off. One day away from the office is much different than 10 days. If at all possible, attempt to stay connected during your time off. I know a lot of people don’t like to work on their vacation, but checking emails and voice messages for a few minutes per day can do wonders.
What is right for me in this department may not be right for you, and vice versa. Be sure to carefully consider how you will handle this situation.
The easiest way to land more work and make more money is to rely on the clients you already have. Of course, this is easier said than done. Some clients will always send more work your way, and others will seem to come and go.
Here are three good times to ask clients for more work:
1. Immediately following a job well done. Why send the completed project to your client without asking for more work? This doesn’t make sense. In the same email that you send your work you should ask for another job. If you did a good job, and the client needs more content, chances are that you will have another gig waiting for you in the days to come.
2. When you know you are needed. If you get the feeling that a client needs your help you should tell them more about what you offer. For example, a client may not call on you for a sales letter because they think you only write keyword articles. Let your clients know about everything you can do for them, and then stay in touch as much as possible. If a client needs content and receives an email from you, a professional writer, there is a good chance that they will ask you to get started.
3. Have you ever been working on a project for a client when you get a great idea that could help them achieve even more success? You need to share your ideas with clients. You may be writing a blog post when an idea for new website content comes to mind. The worst thing that can happen is the client saying “thanks but no thanks.†You never know when a suggestion will turn into more work. And since you were the mastermind behind the suggestion the client will see you as a more valuable part of their team.
If you are not receiving regular work from your current clients try to implement the three suggestions listed above.
