Freelance productivity tips

Challenges
I write from home. I can’t focus with all the distractions.
◼ If your budget allows, consider space at a coworking site.
◼ If you’re working from home, set aside space that is exclusively a work zone. Even if you
don’t have a room you can set aside as an office, create a space that is for “work only.”
◼ Banish distractions that are under your control. Keep your phone more than an arm’s
length away. Use “focus” mode on your browser to keep email or social media notices
from popping up.
◼ Force yourself to take short breaks every hour. You can use this time to clear your head,
respond to emails, check social media.
◼ Consider a time-tracker app to better understand how you’re allocating time and help
build a schedule. Top Tracker and Due Time Tracking are free; other apps are available
over a wide price range.
Freelancing is a business. You don’t have anyone to help you with the business.
◼ Set aside appropriate time each week for business administration tasks – tracking
expenses, making sure invoices are submitted, nagging slow-paying clients.
◼ If you don’t set aside “office hours,” things will fall through the cracks. That will cost you
money.
◼ You can look for business productivity tools, but my experience is that basic software
such as Microsoft Office or G Suite are sufficient.
◼ Time tracker apps offer invoicing ability.
Clients often want enterprise pieces as opposed to incremental developments. But
freelancers struggle to build sources if they’re not around for those incremental
developments.
◼ You have to build time into your schedule to stay up to date with sources, even though
it won’t immediately yield a story – or revenue.
◼ Use social media as a means to update incremental developments to demonstrate to
audiences, including sources, that you’re a go-to resource on these issues.