Taking Charge: How Freelance Website Designers Can Master Their Business
Do you ever feel like your freelance business is running you instead of the other way around? 👀 You're 10000% not alone. Many freelance website designers struggle with this! Whether you are brand new or fully established, you may be finding yourself overwhelmed, juggling multiple projects, and struggling to meet deadlines. It kinda feels like you are in a rat wheel and everything is simultaneously going well yet you never seem to get ahead or feel less daunted by everything you could/should/would do.
But fear not! There are steps you can take to regain control and skyrocket your productivity, moving the needle essentially so you can see yourself still working in your business in 5-10-20+ years!
Here are some pointers to help you take charge of your business:
1. Streamline Your Processes:
Take a close look at your workflow and identify areas where you can streamline processes. If you find yourself lost in client admin every project OR you write out the same email daily in response to an enquiry, consider automation and templating the processes you waste precious time on manually. Implementing efficient systems for tasks like project management, client communication, and invoicing can save you time and reduce stress. Key Takeaway: Anything you can run on autopilot/with an automation – do it!
2. Set Clear Expectations:
Communicate clearly with your clients about project timelines, deliverables, and expectations from the outset. Setting clear expectations upfront can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure smoother project execution. Most clients in reality are not out to get you (though it can feel that way!) and in most cases, the reason a project turns sour comes down to fuzzy communication and everyone not being on the same page. Key Takeaway: Manage expectations from the get go and everyone should be happy with the game plan!
3. Prioritize Your Tasks:
Focus on the tasks that have the most significant impact on your business and prioritize them accordingly. Identify your most critical goals and tackle them first, then work your way down the list. Struggle to work out what is critical to complete vs what can be at the bottom of the list? We like to look at what has the closest impending deadline and that usually is somewhere at the top, especially if it means once you complete that task, you get paid! Then you want to look at any other tasks that can move the needle in terms of income or bringing in more clients and focus on those – these can often be (kinda boring) things like updating your portfolio or posting on Pinterest, but in the long run they make a huge difference to your business!
Where we often get stuck is spending waaaay too much time creating content for our various social media platforms. Here it pays to really think hard about how much output will actually effect your business, or if you just enjoy doing it for the dopamine hit when you get lots of likes and comments.
Key Takeway: Spend some time thoughtfully crafting your task list and really think about what task is a priority to move the needle vs something that could actually be more of a time suck or procrastination tactic (without you realising it!).
4. Invest in Learning:
Never stop learning and improving your skills. Whether it's attending workshops, online courses, or industry events, investing in your education can pay off in the long run by helping you stay competitive and efficient in your work. Key Takeaway: You don’t need to be super established/earning a tonne to be investing in courses, and vice versa you are never too established that you don’t need to further your learning!
5. Join a Community:
Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who understand the challenges of freelance life. Whether it's joining a Facebook group, attending networking events, or participating in a mastermind group, being part of a supportive community can provide valuable insights, advice, and encouragement. A mindfulness note here is to use these groups for your benefit, but if you ever feel like they are becoming a time suck, bringing your mood down when you doom scroll and compare yourself to others, or you really are not getting the benefit of support from that particular community and it’s all negative or fake news kinda info – leave that group ASAP. Key Takeaway: The people you surround yourself with can either lift you up and help you grow, or bring you down and become a drain. There will be a group out there that is absolutely perfect for you, do your research and always feel free to leave if it doesn’t feel quite right.
And speaking of community support, if you're looking for more guidance and inspiration to take your freelance web design business to the next level, consider joining the Profitable + Productive Website Business Bootcamp by our friend Paige Brunton. This three-day event is packed with valuable insights, strategies, and resources to help you build a successful and profitable business on your terms. And we’ll be there too!
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