One of the traps you can easily fall into when freelancing is not working. It is too easy to put things off until another hour, day, or week. After all the only boss you have is yourself. Just like a regular job, setting business hours (operating hours) for your web design company is important. You need to set what days and times you plan to work, and then stick to them.
You’d be amazed at the things you can get done within set business hours. It helps to have a list of project to do’s or things that you would like to complete (personal projects). Then during those business hours, do them. Take one thing off the list and start doing it. When it’s completed move down on your list and keep going. I have found one of the toughest parts of being my own boss is that freelancing requires discipline to work even when you don’t want to. You don’t have that proverbial boss looking over your shoulder. It is up to you, to get things done.
Setting business hours may at first seem like you have just lost the free in freelance, however the opposite is really true. You become more free, you can accomplish more tasks, and thus you can do more of what you really want to do. If you want to take a day off, stop working an hour early, or work on a personal projects, you need to get things done. To do this you have to effectively use the time you’ve got. For effective time management and productivity I recommend the following:
- Determine how many hours you are willing to dedicate to your web design business.
- Figure out which days & times you are available to set aside.
- Establish business hours.
- Get in the habit of sticking to those hours.
- Generate a task/to do list every day.
- Maintain an overview project list (not a daily list, but a more long term scope list).
- Treat yourself as an employee.
- Expect yourself to complete tasks as if you’d be fired if you didn’t.
- Relish crossing off tasks.
- Take breaks.
- Cut out surrounding noise and distractions just like a regular job.
- Reward yourself for working hard.
- Stick to it!
Recommended reading:
- Benefits and hazards of working from home (see #1 in the negatives).
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
Do you have any tips or advice you’d like to share on getting things done or setting business hours for your web design company? Post a comment or contact me to share them.
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