Working as a freelancer – or running a successful side hustle – is a good way to easily earn some extra cash – especially if you have a full time job, family or other commitments that require your time and attention. I freelance part-time – usually on weekends – but I know many people that have earned so much by their side part-time freelancing that they’ve gone on to quit their full time job and simply stick to their side hustle. Freelancing also means you are your own boss: you’re in charge of your own schedule and work at your own hours or pace. This is perfect for someone like me, who is much more productive in the evenings rather than first thing in the morning!
However, working as a freelancer can also be challenging. Although it looks really easy – especially when you see countless people on social media killing it with their sales, almost seemingly overnight – there’s a lot more to it than you think. From prioritizing your time to promoting new products, there are various tools and tips to help you run your side hustle successfully in 2021.
KEEPING YOUR FINANCES STRAIGHT
Most of us feel quite daunted by the idea of keeping business accounts, invoicing clients, handling VAT and dealing with taxes – myself included! But with the right tools and approach, it can be easier than you think. For example, using freelancers invoice software from Freshbooks.com is one way of streamlining how you handle your business finances by producing professional-looking invoices at the click of a button. The right tools can keep all your accounts updated and allow you to keep an eye on how much money you’re expecting to come in and when.
BACKUP TOOLS
The last thing you want is for all the work you have done on a client’s designs, or video content you’ve created for a brand, to suddenly disappear – especially as we all know just how much time it takes to create content. It’s important to back everything up. Most of the time, you won’t even need the backup but it’s always better to have it there just in case.
Read more: 5 must have tools for setting up a side hustle
TASK AND TIME TRACKING
If you need to multitask for your freelancing, task and time tracking is essential to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Having all of your tasks mapped out in advance means you don’t forget anything and can meet deadlines without mixing your work up. Tracking your time also stops you from over-committing or underselling yourself. There are plenty of task management software that can help with this – one of my personal favourites is Toggl, as it allows me easily to download all my hours onto a spreadsheet for my clients. I also enjoy using Forest app, which helps me grow a cute virtual forest and stay off my phone/stay productive at the same time. On the other hand, some people prefer the enjoyment of putting pen to paper and creating a task or time tracking sheet, often getting creative with their Bullet Journal.
These are just three tips/tools that can help you run a freelance business in 2021, but you’ll always find lots of advice by speaking to other freelancers or joining a few freelancing Facebook groups. As I’ve said many times before, we are a generation who work beyond the typical 9-5; we set up side businesses, we run blogs, podcasts and websites, we do online surveys and in-person user studies..nearly anyone you speak to in their late 20s/early 30s will no doubt have plenty of advice to share on this subject.
What are your must have tools for running a successful side hustle? Let me know!
*Please note, this is a collaborative post but all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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