And if all of this background noise weren’t enough, there’s also the distractions inherent to working online: websurfing, social media, email, online games, and so on.

Does all this sound familiar?

It should. This is just a typical day at the office for many freelancers.

With all of these distractions going on, how can a busy freelancer make sure to get everything done?

In this post, I share over twelve easy ways to stay focused and stay on task.

How to Stay on Task

Distraction is the enemy of productivity. If you’ve ever taken a “minute” to surf the web and lost a good part of an entire day, then you know what I mean.

It’s no secret that freelancers battle distractions. Since we don’t have a boss looking over our shoulder and telling us to get back to work, it’s up to us to learn to manage distractions.

Here are thirteen tips you can use to fight distraction.

1. Use time saving tools. Some apps help you block out online distractions by eliminating your access to certain sites for a specified period of time each day. Rescue Time and Freedom are two such apps. If your main distractions are online, these apps may help you.
2. Keep regular office hours. It’s hard to stay on task and get things done if you’re never sure when you are actually going to be working. Irregular hours make it too easy to procrastinate. Instead, schedule regular working hours for yourself and keep them. When you are “at work,” don’t let yourself do anything else.
3. Have a serious talk. If others keep interrupting you with phone calls, text messages, or by dropping by it may be time to have a serious talk. Unfortunately, because many freelancers are at home all day, friends and family tend to think we are available. Sit them down and explain that while you are at home you must work.
4. Review at your debt. Debt be a huge motivator for getting things done. When the reality of your bills sinks in and you realize that you won’t be able to pay those bills unless you get your work done, it can help you to avoid distractions. Some freelancers keep major bills by their desk for added “inspiration.”
5. Maintain a separate machine for work and play. In extreme cases of Internet distraction, you may find it helpful to own a work machine that has no access to the Internet. While this method can be expensive, if you can get your daily work done without accessing the Internet, the method can also be effective.
6. Turn it off. A lot of interruptions come from things that could be turned off. So, turn the ringer on your phone off. Turn off any background distractions such as television or radio. Put your cell phone in another room to keep yourself from checking text messages. Unplug yourself now and check messages later.
7. Hire a sitter. If noisy kids are your main distraction, try hiring a sitter to keep them occupied during your working hours. You don’t necessarily have to ship them off to day care, you may able to hire someone to watch them in your own home for a few hours each day while you do your work that requires the most concentration.
8. Avoid too much multi-tasking. We are so proud of our ability to multi-task. But sometimes multi-tasking can backfire and become over scheduling. If you’re a serial multi-tasker, watch out for over scheduling. Learn to say “no” to those tasks that don’t improve your bottom line.
9. Keep a schedule. Put all of your work on a schedule, so that you don’t forget to do something important. Review and update your schedule on a regular basis. Cross out the tasks that you’ve completed and add any new tasks that have come in since the last time you reviewed your schedule.
10. Declutter. A messy office or home can be a huge distraction. It can also keep you from finding things that you need to get your work done. Take some time now to establish a system for minimizing the clutter. Find a place for everything and keep your workspace picked up.
11. Practice healthy habits. It’s hard to focus properly on work if you’re not feeling well. Keep illness at bay by practicing healthy habits on a daily basis. Eat healthy foods. Exercise. Get enough sleep. Visit your doctor regularly for the recommended checkups.
12. Picture the project completed. If you’re working on a very large project and the end doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight, imagine what it will be like when you have already completed the project. Picture yourself getting a “thank-you” email from the client or cashing in on your payment for the project.
13. Bribe yourself. If you really need to stay on task and nothing else seems to work, consider offering yourself a bribe. The bribe could be anything you enjoy but normally wouldn’t get–a special meal, a day off, the purchase of something you’ve wanted to buy for a long time…

How Do You Stay on Task?

Now that I’ve shared my best tips for staying on task, it’s your turn. What works for you? How do you stay on task?

Image by EvelynGiggles

I’m talking about To Do lists, of course. When used properly, they can really help you to manage your time.

Freelancers are busy people. There’s no doubt about it. Discussions of time management are always among the most popular topics here at Freelance Folder. That’s why today I’m going to share a very simple time management To Do list technique that I use myself.

Getting Started

While you may wish to use one of the online To Do list tools, all you really need to get started is a notebook and a pen.

I like to place each of the four lists on a separate page in a separate section in the notebook. That way, old lists can be discarded without affecting the rest of your To Do items.

Your Immediate Tasks

Your first To Do list should consist of your immediate tasks. These are typically tasks that are due within a day’s time.

I include both work-related tasks and personal tasks on that list. That way, I only have one place to look to see what I need to do each day.

Try to keep this list to a reasonable length (less than seven items). If your list is too long, you not only won’t get everything done–but you’ll get pretty frustrated. I recently had a daily To Do list with 17 items, boy was that frustrating! To trim your list, move any items that don’t really have to be done today to the second list.

You need to redo this list for the next day at the end of each day. Look at your second list to see if any of the tasks on it are due tomorrow. Also, add any new immediate tasks that came in during the day.

Your Second List

Tasks that are due within a week’s time make up your second list. It’s a good idea to write the due date beside each task on this list. Not only will this help you to update your first list, but it also helps to keep you from procrastinating and leaving all the tasks until the last day of the week.

You need to update this list daily and redo it completely at the start of every week. At the end of each day, add any new tasks that came up during the day. Remove any tasks that you’ve transferred to your first list. At the end of each week, review the list and make sure that all of the tasks are still due during the coming week. Add any tasks from your third list that will come due during the coming week.

Intermediate Planning

Your third list is used for your intermediate planning. This is for events and tasks coming up in the next few months. Be sure to right an approximate date by each item.

You need to review this list weekly to see if any items need to be moved to your weekly list (your second list). Also, add new items as you become aware of them.

Your Wish List and Your Goals

No time management method would be complete without a way for you to list your goals and dreams. That is what your fourth list is for.

Most likely, you won’t have specific due dates for the items on this list. However, you should still review this list at least once a month. Take time to brainstorm and figure out what it will take to turn your dreams and goals into reality. Add those brainstormed tasks to the lists above.

To Do List Tools

Admittedly, this is a VERY simplistic method of managing time and making sure that your deadlines get met. However, it will work for some freelancers. Sometimes, simpler is better.

For those who need more sophisticated tools, such as the ability to generate reports or interface with an invoicing system, consider one of the online To Do list tools.

Here are five top-rated To Do list tools that you may find helpful:

• HiTask–This To Do list tool allows you to work with a team. It includes file sharing, reporting, and mobile access. Great for teams.
• ToodleDo–Another helpful online To Do list tool. This tool includes a hotlist, lets you hide tasks. It also includes a scheduler and alarms.
• Remember the Milk–This is a very popular method of managing tasks. Remember the Milk interfaces with Google Calendar and can be accessed from anywhere including your phone.
• Evernote–This popular tool works more like a bookmarking/note-taking service. It can be accessed from anywhere.
• Do It Tomorrow–I was immediately attracted to the visual interface, which looks like a paper planner. This allows you to keep two short-range lists, one for today and one for tomorrow.

Most of these tools have a free version, so try several and find the one that works best for you. You can find even more apps here.

What Do You Think?

Choosing a To Do list application (or any kind of time management tool) is a very personal thing. A lot of it depends on how you work and how you prefer to organize yourself. It also depends on the needs of your clients.

I’ve shared a system that works for me. What works for you?

Image by Enderst07

Most days I face a challenging to-do list with more tasks on it than I could possibly accomplish. That’s why I make it my mission to work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The alternative, working extra hours or missing a deadline, is just not acceptable.

Of course, a mountain of self-help books, blogs, videos, and other materials already exists to help us learn to manage our time more effectively. The trouble is, like most freelancers, I just don’t have enough time to go through all those resources.

In this post, I pulled together some of the quickest and easiest time save hacks that you should be able to use right away. If you’re looking for even more time saving tips, you can find some more here.

Timesavers to Use Right Now

How can I get more things done? Have you ever asked yourself that question? I think that most freelancers have.

Well, at least I know that I have. Here are a few of the answers that I discovered to help save time:

1. Use productivity tools. It just takes a few minutes to download a productivity tool, but once you’ve got it set up on your computer you can use it to help you stay focused indefinitely. A few good productivity tools include focus booster and StayFocused.
2. Pre-plan your day. Before I end work each day, I make a list of what I need to do the next day. The most important things are always at the top of the list. The least important things are at the bottom. When I start work the next day, I already have my day mapped out for me.
3. Voicemail. Unless you know for sure that you will receive an important call at a particular time, train yourself to let your phone calls go to voicemail. Better yet, turn off the ringtone. Designate two or three times a day to listen to your voicemail and to deal with any urgent business.
4. Don’t multi-task. Multi-tasking when you’re busy may seem to be good common sense, but it’s not. Experts have found that trying to do more than one thing at the same time is counter-productive. Multi-tasking slows you down. It also causes you to be more likely to make a mistake. Do one thing at a time.
5. Use your mobile devices. I used to hate to waiting in line or in a waiting room. What I hated most about such waits was the time wasted when I had so much to do. Fortunately, now you can turn your wait time into productive time by bringing along a mobile device.
6. Pick the right project. When you choose your work projects, try to stick mostly to projects within your own area of expertise. You’ll be able to use your existing knowledge as well as apply lessons learned from earlier projects. You’ll work more quickly and your client will be happier too.
7. Don’t check email. At least, don’t check it more than two or three times a day. Checking email more often merely interrupts your workflow. The same goes for anything else that you check frequently (web stats, Facebook account, Twitter, Google+, and so on).
8. Have a life. Really. Schedule some rest and relaxation time for yourself. When you’re done, you’ll come back to work refreshed and ready to go. I always find that I work more slowly when I’m tired (and that’s not a very good use of time). I’ve also come up with some of my very best ideas after taking a break.
9. Exercise while you work. Have you been wanting to go to the gym, but can’t seem to find enough time for to work out? Good news if you’re trying to stay fit. You may be able to combine work and exercise. This special desk featured on the Lifehacker blog might just do the trick. It’s got a built-in exercise bike and space to put your laptop. (I’ve never actually tried this, but the idea intrigues me.)

Your Turn

I’ve shared my easiest timesavers with you and linked to twenty more tips that will help you save time. Now it’s your turn.

How do you save time? Share your best tips in the comments.

Image by Alan Cleaver

I first read “Getting Things Done” (GTD) by David Allen in 2007. Back then, I was working full-time in UNICEF, juggling my work responsibilities with a family.

Although I didn’t implement GTD completely, it did allow me to unclutter my entire work area (not just my desk). It allowed me to tame my overflowing email inbox. It allowed me to leave my files neatly organized for my successor.

GTD was written for corporate executives and office workers. Is it relevant and useful to freelancers as well?

If it’s any indication, I still find myself using some of the strategies I learned from GTD. When I’m in the middle of something and an idea or to-do pops into my head, I immediately write it down in my Moleskine notebook. I still file my reference materials the way I learned to do it from GTD. And when I’m overwhelmed, I sit down and ask myself, “What’s the next step?”

Because freelancers’ productivity has a direct correlation with their income, it’s essential for us to constantly find tools and systems that can help us get more quality work done, in less time, and with less stress. There’s plenty we can learn from “Getting Things Done” to help us achieve all that.

Some Take-Aways for Freelancers

• Self-management is key

David Allen asserts that we cannot manage our time, the amount of information we’re exposed to, or the priorities we have. We can only manage our actions: what we do with our time, how we handle information, and what actions we take towards our priorities.
By accepting this, we can reduce the pressure we often put on ourselves. As I’ve said in the past, “time management” is a misnomer, because no matter what we do, we only have 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Nobody else, no matter how rich or powerful or influential, gets any more or less than this.

What we can manage is ourselves. We can control our level of health and energy, so we’re at the peak of productivity when we do work. We can control whether we allow the telephone to distract us from our work. And we can control what we do, when.

• You don’t have to be stressed out

According to Allen, stress comes from all the open loops that keep nagging at our minds. Open loops are anything unfinished or unresolves in our lives, whether relating to work or our personal lives. For example, let’s say you’re trying to get some writing done. And then you remember you have to send some documents to your bookkeeper that week. You have two open loops in your mind: the writing and the documents. Most of us would brush off one item, put it at the back of your mind, and tell ourselves mentally, “I’ll do that later.” However, that open loop is still there. Because our minds can attend to only one thing at a time, having all these open loops makes us stressed out.

Allen’s solution is to capture all our open loops in a working container. Containers can be physical, such as a box for all your snail mail or a notebook for all your ideas. It can also be digital, such as a computer or your smart phone.  In the example above, we could easily write “Send documents to bookkeeper” in our calendar, and that open loop would no longer occupy our minds. We would be free to continue writing without distraction.

• Get rid of “stuff” by processing them

Another useful takeaway from “Getting Things Done” is Allen’s workflow for processing stuff (whatever is in your collection tools). His workflow is based on asking a series of questions about everything:

1. What is it?

2. Is it actionable?

3. What’s the next action?

Let’s try out this process with the things I have lying on my desk right now.

What is it?

A notebook with notes from conferences, meetings with business partners, etc.

Is it actionable?

No.

If no, Allen says you either throw it, put it in a tickler file, or file it away as a reference for later. I decide to file the notebook for future reference where it will be easy for me to retrieve.

What’s the next step?

If an item is actionable, the next question to ask is whether the next action will take less than 2 minutes to do. If it does, then do it now.

If it will take more than 2 minutes, either delegate it or defer it.

By following this process, I’ve cleared away one stack of documents that have been cluttering my desk for weeks.

The Bottom Line

“Getting Things Done” has many useful, practical and effective strategies for increasing your productivity, even if you’re a home-based freelancer.

However, it is not the end-all and be-all of productivity. For me, it lacks guidance on how to set priorities. After I have captured all my next steps for various projects, how do I decide which one item to do next?

It also isn’t for everyone. As in my case, I’ve adopted some of the strategies in GTD, and they’ve become a habit. But others just didn’t stick with me. It’s a matter of personal style and preference.

If you’re looking for a way to increase your productivity, get more organized, and reduce your stress, definitely check out “Getting Things Done.” It has helped so many other people, and it just might work for you. Keep an open mind and give it a fair try.

What Do You Think?

Have you tried GTD before? If so, what did you find most helpful? And which ones were difficult for you to implement? Post a comment below and share your thoughts.

It’s the end of the year, and you know what that means…end of year reporting! Now’s the time of the year to dig out the Excel sheets, budgets, expense reports and bank statements and start reconciling. A pain, yes…but incredibly valuable.

Freelancers and independent workers often skip this critical exercise. Moving from the end of one year to the next is approached with a somewhat oozing type of existence, only slightly punctuated by a couple weeks of either reduced or insane workloads (industry dependent, for sure).

One of the best things you can do for your business – whether you’re a solo shop or a multi-national concern, is to stop at the end of the year and take a look at how things went. For freelancers and independents, you should be looking at the following metrics:

• Total Annual Revenue - how much money did you make? This is gross, before taxes, payroll, etc.
• Year over year growth - how much did you grow from last year (as a percentage?) This is a great indicator of overall long-term health of your venture. To calculate this, use this equation: [(This Year - Last Year)/Last Year]*100. 100% growth means you doubled your business from last year, 50% means 1.5 times, and so on.
• Average Project Size - how much did you make per project? This may need to be separated into different lines of business, to account for profitability differences among your offerings. Use this to help you understand what your average sale is, and work to improve it next year. (Hint: use this to help establish a minimum project size for next year – the dollar amount which you won’t go under for a project, which helps you raise your margins).
• Revenue Per Client - this is a great metric that helps you understand the value of various clients, to establish where to spend your energy marketing in the next year – and to know which clients to show the door to. Check this metric against average project size. Those clients that are consistently below average may need to be upsold, transferred to a different line in the business, or sent packing altogether.
• Profit and Loss Statement - This isn’t really a metric, but a complete tool full of all kinds of great data. Compile a full P&L for the year, month-by-month. A profit and loss statement shows you, monthly, how much is coming in and how much is going out. Use this to apply percentages to expenses and to look for outliers where you may be spending too much money. This is a great tool to use in establishing budget priorities for the coming year.
• Revenue by Month - using your P&L, you can look at revenue on a month-by-month basis. Chart this on a line graph and look for the trends. Most industries will have periods of the year that are slower than others – for me, it’s July – September. Looking at these trendlines will help you plan cashflow next year to be more consistent in these down times.
• Average Revenue per Month - taking an average of your revenue per month over a year gives you an idea of where you’re generally running, sales-wise. Knowing that you make, on average, $6000 a month, helps you to understand when you’re having a good or bad month, and gives you a meaningful way to set sales goals. I use this to set initial sales goals for the first quarter of the year, increasing them throughout the year to get to my annual goal.
• Broad Categorized Spending - in addition to very specific categorization (budget categories like “Travel”, “Meals and Entertainment”, etc.) I create a generalized categorization to give me an overview of where money went in the year. I break this up into four categores: taxes, expenses, salary/payroll and retained earnings. Looking at these, percentage-wise, helps me assure that I’m budgeting appropriately on a strategic level. I like to retain around 15% of earnings on a yearly basis for business savings, so this quick report lets me know if I need to watch expenses, take a bigger salary or up my tax withholdings for next year.

Once you have these metrics in front of you, it’s time to set goals with them. I start monthly, choosing to think about what I’ve earned this year, and what’s a reasonable amount of growth to expect monthly. For instance, if last year I averaged $6000/month, I’ll set sales goals for the first quarter at $7500 or so. Doing this gives a realistic basis for your goals, and will feel both attainable but challenging (as goals should be).

Next, using the Broad Categorized Spending metric, it’s easy to figure out how that $7500 will be spent every month. Make sure to adjust those percentages to align with where you want to be next year – don’t copy them verbatim unless you’re happy with the past 12 months’ split. With those percentages applied to the monthly revenue goal, I’ve instantly got savings, salary, expense and tax goals for every month and the whole year. Cool, huh?

Between these 8 metrics, I get a great picture of my business on a yearly basis. As a year draws to a close, I pull these numbers together and use them to tell the story of the past 12 months, as well as give me a firm foundation on which to set next year’s goals. If you aren’t regularly looking at this information, I encourage you to give it a shot (and trust me, it takes time to organize everything) – you’ll be amazed at what you learn about your own business.

As a freelancer business owner, you probably DO want bigger bottom line–you just may not know how to get one. In case you don’t know, in a nutshell your bottom line is the money left over after you meet your expenses. (Who wouldn’t want more of that?)

In this post I share five easy tips to help you increase your freelancing bottom line. Feel free to share your own tips for improving the freelancing bottom line in the comments.

Tip #1: Lower Costs

This is the classic way to improve your bottom line and probably the most obvious. If you want to keep more of the money generated by you freelancing business, lower your expenses. Here are just a few freelancing expenses that you may be able to reduce:

• Phone systems–Phone prices have been dropping and phone services often run specials. Shop around and you may find that you can find a better deal. Don’t overlook VOIP phone options, which are often quite reasonable.
• Subscriptions–Most freelancers subscribe to one or more professional publications and they may also subscribe to professional online services as well. These costs can really add up. Ask yourself which subscriptions you really use and which services you don’t use. Drop anything you aren’t using to cut your costs.
• Hosting service–This is another service that is very competitive and therefore it is often possible to find a good deal. Before switching services, however, make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. Read over the service agreement of your current provider and any new provider you are considering carefully.
• Software tools–Before you shell out big bucks for an expensive software program, check to see whether there is a free or open source version available. Some of the better open source packages rival their more expensive counterparts.

You can probably think of additional expenses that are specific to your own situation.

One caution: sometimes a lower cost for something also means lower quality. When reducing your freelancing expenses be careful not to cut anything that might compromise the freelancing service and/or products that you provide to your clients.

Tip #2: Increase Efficiency

Another great way to improve the bottom line is to work more efficiently.

Almost all of us get distracted from time to time and distractions can lead to wasted time, which can really cut into your bottom line. Fortunately, distractions can be overcome. Here are a few tips:

• Schedule your time. Stick to your schedule. Set an alarm if you need to.
• Limit your access to time-wasting sites. One freelancer that I’ve heard of uses a separate PC for the “fun” stuff and another for work.
• Use one of the many apps like focus booster (free) or Concentrate to stay on task. (Those are just two of the many tools available.)

Another efficiency killer is disorganization. Make sure that you are organized, both online and off.

Take a look around your office. Is your physical space neat and pulled together or is it chaos? If your office is a mess, take the time to straighten it up.

Also, make sure that you have an online system for keeping track of important information such as emails, passwords, and client project files. You need to be able to find your information quickly.

Tip #3: Focus on Quality

Quality sells. If you want a healthy bottom line as a freelancer, it’s a good idea to make high quality one of your selling points.

Quality helps your bottom line because freelancers who deliver high quality products or services are able to charge more. Clients are willing to pay more for freelance work when they know that they won’t have to worry about rework or missed deadlines.

Freelancers who focus on quality also tend to have more satisfied customers since they can spend more time with their clients than those who market their services based on price or speed. Satisfied customers lead to more testimonials and referrals–which in turn leads to more business.

Tip #4: Branch Out

Are you maxed out with as much work as you can possibly handle?

You might think that having a full schedule means that your freelancing bottom line profits have hit a ceiling, but it really doesn’t have to be that way. When stores and restaurants want to expand their businesses they branch out, and you can too.

Rather than trying to do everything yourself or regularly turning projects down, consider outsourcing some of your smaller and simpler projects. Find one or two freelancers in your field who you can trust to do a good job and offer them the opportunity to subcontract with you on some of your overflow.

Of course, if you outsource projects, then you will need to take some precautions. Here are some things to be careful about:

• Reputation. Your reputation relies on the quality of your work. If you outsource work, that includes the quality of work of your subcontractors. You may want to check over their work (at least at first) to make sure that they have met project specifications.
• Cost. Since you want to work with qualified professional freelancers, you will need to pay them a fair rate for the project work that they do for you. You will also need to bill a little bit more to your client to cover the cost of the time that you will spend managing the project.
• Time. Outsourcing works best with projects that have a more flexible time schedule. You want to allow yourself enough time so that you can notify your freelancer and check their work when they are done. Of course, if a rush job cpmes up you may wish to charge extra or handle it yourself.

Tip #5: Diversify

My final tip for improving your bottom line is to diversify your freelancing business. Look for additional services or products that you can offer to your clients.

This can be done in one of two ways:

1. You can add services and products that are related to your field. For example, a writer who offers editing services.
2. You can add products and services that are complementary to your field. For example, a graphic designer who also provides web content.

If you choose to provide complementary services, you may wish to partner with or come to a reciprocal agreement with a freelancer in another field.

Your Turn

There are many ways to increase your bottom line as a freelancer. These are just a few of the easiest methods.

Can you think of any additional ways to increase your profit?

Image by stopnlook

Or so I thought.

Unfortunately, taking the “shortest” route used an extra hour. I wound up being late for my destination. My shortcut wound up being the worst way to go.

I hear about freelancers taking shortcuts all of the time. At first glance, what freelancer wouldn’t want to take a shortcut? Taking a shortcut might seem like a good idea, but unfortunately, many of those shortcuts wind up costing the freelancer.

In this post, I’ll explain what went wrong with my shortcut. I’ll also explain why freelancing shortcuts may not always work.

What Went Wrong with My Shortcut

First of all, you might be wondering why taking the shortest route didn’t work well for me. I’ll tell you the story.

When I set my GPS to find the shortest route, it looked for the route with the lowest number of miles. Theoretically, that should have also been the quickest route–but it wasn’t.

As I followed the instructions given to me by my GPS, I realized that it was taking me off the main highways. I wound up on a two-lane road with varying speed limits. Not only that, but the route took me right through the congested downtown area of several small towns.

I encountered stoplights, slow drivers, and even school zones. Needless to say, I found myself stopping often and slowing down a lot. The shortest route turned out not to be the best route.

In contrast, on the way home I took the interstate home. While the interstate route added a few extra miles to my trip, there were no stoplights, slow drivers, or school zones. The trip home was a lot easier–in fact, I saved an hour by taking the interstate.

How does this apply to freelancing shortcuts? Stay tuned…

Shortcuts Don’t Always Consider the Obstacles

It’s true, shortcuts don’t always take into consideration obstacles. Rather, they give you what might be the best route IF there was nothing else to consider.

For example, consider the shortcut route of auto following to get more social media followers. Is this a good plan? It might seem to build up your connections quickly and give you an impressive-looking fan/follower number. But is this really a helpful practice?

There are some obstacles involved in this shortcut (just like there were obstacles of stoplights, slow drivers and school zones in my shortcut).

One obstacle to auto following is that many people don’t pay any attention to who they auto follow. So, you might wind up with hundreds (or even thousands) of fans who really know nothing about you. You may even wind up with a huge number of spammers in your “connections.”

Some Shortcuts Depend on Timing

If I had driven the shortcut route in the middle of the night, I might have avoided the obstacles. There’s no traffic (to speak of) in the middle of the night, the slow drivers are at home asleep, and the school zones are turned off.

Sometimes, timing is everything. By making my journey in the middle of the day, I pretty much ensured that I would hit all of those obstacles.

Freelancing shortcuts are no different. When evaluating a freelancing shortcut consider the timing of the advice. Is this new advice, proven advice, or really old advice that’s probably out of date?

Some Shortcuts Depend on Extra Knowledge

When someone presents a shortcut, occasionally they aren’t sharing the whole picture. They may assume that you know the missing pieces, or they may intentionally withhold information so that they can sell you something.

Before deciding to take any freelancing shortcut, try to ask and get answers for as many questions as you can (especially if the shortcut involves buying something).

In my case, if I had realized that the GPS shortcut would take me right through several small towns and force me to travel on a two-lane road with lots of stoplights, I wouldn’t have chosen that route.

Your Turn

Have you ever taken a freelancing “shortcut” that turned out to be more trouble than it was worth? Share your experience in the comments below.

Image by Seth W.

Because there are already several articles at Freelance Folder featuring established productivity tools and software, today I’ll introduce ten new productivity tools that were launched in 2011. Some are cool, some are trendy, some are fun, but all of them can be of great help in the right hands.

10 Productivity Tools

Here is a list of recently launched productivity tools for freelancers and others:

1. Filegoose is a web-based document management system that suits all kinds of users, from freelancers to large companies. It was designed for multiple users, allowing teams to share all types of documents, as well as to discuss files in real-time, view detailed statistics, and much more. There’s a handy savings calculator on site that shows you just how Filegoose can benefit your business through increased productivity.
2. SocialFolders is another document management platform with added functionality. The tool helps you share content anywhere between social sites like: Flickr, Facebook, Box.net, Google Docs, Instagram and many more; or copy between sites. The content is synced automatically daily, and you can even sync your SocialFolders across all your devices.
3. Sniget is a free business platform that helps you perform all your daily tasks. It features a bundle of productivity tools including: to do lists, a browser-based spreadsheet creator, a data collection tool for applications, questionnaires, and surveys, and much more.
4. The Interviewr is a brilliant tool for those who need to schedule and conduct, you guessed it, interviews. From journalists to bloggers and even human resources departments, there could be many uses for this particular tool. Interviewr is free, and you can use it to schedule, manage and record all your interviews. You can add notes, files and links that are relevant to each specific interview, and you can even set up alerts to remind you of the date and time of the interview as well.
5. Moredays is an image-centric calendar and planner, with scrapbook functionality. The innovation consists in that that your notes will be turned into “doodles” or “graphics” and that, instead of “tags” you’ll be using visual “stamps” to categorize your content. Moredays’ Sketcher saves all timely information about a new note, helping you better keep track of your actions. You could use Moredays to record the details of a meeting with a client and potential business partner.
6. SpiderScribe is a free online mind mapping tool, that can be used to collect files, notes, events and locations, and then organize them with a relevant mind map. Things get better. You can choose to share your mind map and brainstorm collaboratively with your partners. You can even edit shared mind maps simultaneously. The maps are stored in the cloud and can be accessed from anywhere.
7. Comunitee is a twist on social news networking. It allegedly learns from your behavior what news you like to explore, discover and share, and then it automatically shares the news with your friends and followers. There’s no need to connect your Facebook or Twitter accounts or click Follow, Tweet, Like, and Share for every story you find interesting.
8. Present.me is an excellent tool to record and share PowerPoint presentations. It’s ideal if you have to give a presentation, but cannot be there in person. You present your proposal into your webcam, clicking on the slides as you would if you were presenting to an audience. Present.me splits the screen in two, showing the slides at the left, and a video recording of you at the right.
9. Nimble is a nice, clean platform that combines a series of productivity tools, with social media monitoring and engagement tools. You can use it to manage existing contacts, but also to identify business critical influencers from the most popular social networks, and import them to your Nimble UI. Nimble also connects all your contacts, calendars, and conversations into one web-based interface, and lets you monitor and manage social media conversation from within the same platform.
10. Tree.io is the ultimate suite of productivity tools, and it is free for up to three users. It includes a project management platform, automated service support, sales management, messaging, contacts management, finance management, document storing and sharing, and calendars and reports. It is compatible with all browsers, and what’s best… Tree.io Mobile* works well on all popular smartphone and tablet platforms, such as iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Bada, Palm WebOS, Symbian and MeeGo.

Your Turn

Are you using any of these new productivity tools? What is your favorite productivity tool?

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My answer is a resounding “Yes!”

Nobody can possibly do everything well. No matter how talented or hard-working you are, some skills are simply out of your reach. A person who knows what they’re doing would do a  much better job and in a shorter time. You already outsource plenty of things–hair cuts, dental care, car maintenance… Why not the  tasks necessary to manage your freelance business?

Self-employed individuals who try to cut down costs by doing everything themselves may actually be spending more. You have to spend time learning to do something well.

And then it takes you longer to get it done than if you hired someone else. Plus, you may make mistakes that could cost you big dollars.

That’s precious time and effort you’re better off spending by marketing your services and making the clients you have happy.

In this post, I’m going to talk about the top three excuses freelancers have for not outsourcing–and explain how to overcome them.

Excuse #1. “I Can’t Afford It”

This is the number one excuse freelancers make when we try to go it on our own. Especially when you’re just starting out, you may wonder why you would hire a bookkeeper, for example, or a web developer to create your website.

Keep in mind, there are many ways to get services other than paying for them, if you’re really cash strapped. Some ideas:

• Barter your services–Find someone who needs a service you provide and offer to exchange services with them. It’s a win-win! Online forums are a great way to find people to barter with.
• Allocate specific income–When you are making some money, it’s easier to outsource when you allocate a certain percentage or amount of that income to hiring others. For example, I set aside some of my regular writing income to pay for my bookkeeper and virtual assistants.
• Get an intern–For simple, low-risk tasks, look for an intern who wants to provide services in exchange for gaining experience.

Excuse #2. “It’s Hard to Find Someone Reliable”

This is another good excuse, especially because it is true. When you outsource you want someone who’s highly skilled and reliable at the same time–all for a reasonable price. This may be difficult, but it’s not impossible. These tips may help:

• Ask for referrals –Begin your hunt by asking trusted family, friends, and colleagues for their recommendations. Be clear about the skill set you’re looking for, and make sure the referrer has actually worked with the person they’re recommending.
• Interview candidates–Don’t hire someone unless you’ve spoken to them. Get them on Skype, if you can’t speak to them in person, and get a feel for how the person conducts himself and if there’s chemistry between you. I know, it’s not a romantic relationship, but you should still get along well. While you’re at it, ask for references… and call them!
• Begin with a trial period–There’s less pressure when you have some sort of a probationary period. Use the time to gauge how well you communicate with each other, how committed the person is, and if they have what it takes to do the job well.

Excuse #3. “I Don’t Have Time to Train Someone”

Here’s another good excuse, and I’m guilty of thinking it myself. Again, there are ways to get around this obstacle. Of course, the most obvious one is to hire someone who doesn’t need a lot of training. Other than that, here are some ideas:

• Use video to record training–Make a screen capture video to show how you want things done. By recording it, your new support staff can watch and go over the training as often as they need to. You’ll also be able to use the same training videos with other people.
• Use existing training–Search YouTube and other websites for existing training videos. You’ll be surprised at the amount of resources already out there.

Still Hesitant About Outsourcing?

I hope this post has shown you that it is possible for you to outsource–no matter how short on time, energy or cash you are.

Outsourcing pays off in greater productivity, peace of mind, and ultimately, increased profits. There may be an initial investment in the beginning, but the benefits are worth it.

Finally, think about it: If nobody outsourced, we’d all be out of business.

Do you have other concerns or fears about outsourcing that weren’t covered in this post? What are they?

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While the opportunity is an amazing one, and I would never choose to do anything else, it isn’t always easy. In fact, keeping to a strict schedule so I can get to all of my work on deadline can be downright nightmarish at times–mainly, because it isn’t always so simple to keep yourself accountable and on track without a task master flicking the whip behind you.

In this post, I’ll share some of the techniques I use to find the time to write.

My Struggle with Time

Besides work there are the daily parts of life that also come around to distract and eat up time. There are budgets to be made, bills to pay, groceries to get, a house to clean, a social life to maintain–not to mention the general hobbies and relaxation time. All of that while maintaining my No. 1 work priority: writing.

Not only do I write for my job–and I am doing so right now, in writing this article–but I also write for pleasure. Every day I try to create something: a poem, a haiku, a short story, a chapter on something larger–anything that will keep my creativity flowing and the words coming. This isn’t always easy with my busy schedule and the fact that I write for work. Freelancing is wonderful, but it has a way of burning you out.

It isn’t surprising that this is one of my own personal challenges. But not everyone has that issue, and the question I am asked most by friends, colleagues and others is: When do you find the time to sit down and write? I was asked this just the other day by a friend of mine who also has two young children to care for.

If this is something you are struggling with, for any reason, take heart! You are not alone. Most of us have trouble finding the time and keeping on top of things. Here are a few tips on how you can make sure to always have a few moments to get those words on paper (or a computer screen), no matter how busy you might be.

Give Yourself a Goal and Deadline

The thing is, if you aren’t writing for your livelihood, you don’t have to do it. Even those of us who turn to creativity as a means of maintaining our sanity sometimes find it easier to slip away in our stress than give in to our need to write. That is why setting a goal and a date to complete it by is very important.

Depending on what it is you are working on, your goal will be different from what might work for someone else. For example, let’s say you work mainly with poetry and short stories. So, rather than go by word count, you could go by daily writings. Just make sure you write one thing every day or maybe a few times a week. Sometimes it might be something as short as a haiku, or if you have the idea and time you could write a short story.

My friend, however, is a novelist. She sets a final date (unless a deadline is set for her) to be complete. She then calculates how much will have to be written to meet that date, keeping in mind a few days off a week where she can relax and regroup. She averages 2,000 words per day, four days a week on average. Now, she can write on days off if she has an idea or the need, but she makes sure that she makes 8,000 words minimum every single week.

Use Positive or Negative Reinforcement

I keep reading about people who claim we should only reward ourselves and never punish for missing a goal. For some this is a good idea, because most people react better to positive reinforcement. Getting something special or doing something you enjoy for a job well done is a great motivator.

But not all of us work best this way when alone. I use negative reinforcement with myself because I know I will be even more motivated if I am losing something tangible than if I am losing the chance at something positive in the future. I set mini rewards and punishments along the way at each goal. I occasionally switch them up. Then, at the end of the month, I use a big reward to push through that final stage.

Be Reasonable with Yourself

Remember that anyone can get burned out or just run out of time. Be honest about what you can handle and don’t be hard on yourself if it isn’t as much as you would like. Take breaks and stay calm, because if you get too stressed out about it you will see your productivity–and creativity–go down.

We all struggle to find the time to fit everything in we would like to do a day. But you don’t have to sacrifice your writing, no matter how much you have on your plate. Anyone can find time if they try.

Your Turn

How do you find the time to write? Do you use negative or positive reinforcement, or both?

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