Managing multiple clients as a freelancer

The beauty of being a freelancer is having the opportunity to work on different projects with multiple clients. But that can also be the challenge of being a freelancer. So how can you effectively juggle clients while still maintaining productivity and quality of work?

In this article, we share some of our tips on managing multiple clients as a freelancer.

Organise and track everything

To-do lists are great, and they work! But project management apps such as Trello and Asana are super useful tools for organising different projects. These apps are great for breaking down projects into bite-sized tasks and organising your steps. Combine these with time tracking and you’ll have an understanding of how long it takes to complete a particular task.

Estimating your time allows you to schedule your projects in a way that works for you. Your estimates for future clients will be more accurate, and you’ll be able to confidently book more clients in the future.

Have a schedule

Keeping to a schedule will be helpful when it comes to meeting important deadlines. Vary your schedule each week to help with productivity, and design a schedule that works most effectively for you. You may have one day per week that is purely admin-based, or you may prefer to time block one hour every day of the week.

When you work on client tasks, try not to multi-task as that will lessen your productivity. Schedule the creative tasks for when you’re most awake and active –this is usually in the morning. And always remember to schedule in small breaks throughout your working day.

Set aside time to communicate with clients

Messages, phone calls and emails are some of the ways clients can reach you. It’s important to set clear boundaries on when you’re going to take calls and reply to messages. You don’t need to respond to them immediately, but be sure your clients know when you or your team are available for emails or calls. Establishing this at the beginning can save a lot of time. 

When working on a big or important task, use the do not disturb feature on your phone to avoid getting distracted. Also make sure your email system on your computer is closed so you’re not tempted to keep checking it.

Be realistic

You only have so many hours in the day, so be realistic with them!

If you’re still struggling to manage all of your clients, it’s time to either begin outsourcing, take on your own staff, or stop taking on additional work.

You can use a virtual assistant such as Everything Answered to help with a variety of outsourcing needs. It’s a low-cost way of gradually growing your business and boosting efficiency. We help freelancers be more productive in all sorts of ways, including email management, telephone handling, and diary organisation. And there’s so much more to it. Please reach out for more information.