Today there are over 59 million freelance workers in the US, as shown in a recent report from Statista that analyzes the freelance industry.

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That number is not surprising because freelancing provides freedom and flexibility, which is quite empowering. Nevertheless, it takes plenty of discipline to maintain productivity and achieve results. Most freelancers work from their homes, have several bosses or employees, and often need to be involved in different projects at once.

That makes staying on top of everything very challenging. So, we’ve prepared a list of seven helpful and field-tested tips for freelancers to stay organized.

Set Up Your Own Office Space

The best part of freelancing is being able to work from everywhere. Even though that’s certainly an advantage, you still need home office space to stay organized.

So, set up an office area in your home where you can operate, place your office supplies, and store your documentation. In addition, make sure you keep everything that’s not work-related away from the home office area.

Invest In CRM System

The right customer resource management system can streamline every part of your workday. Due to the frequency of entrepreneurs and remote work, there are plenty of these CRM systems to choose from.

Whichever CRM for freelancers you choose to go with, ensure it covers each aspect of your business. A good CRM should have features that will help you simplify your workflow, centralize your information and source, onboard, manage and pay your contractors.

When investing in a CRM system, go with one that lets you work smarter, not harder. Some of the features you should be looking for are:

• Calendar feature you can integrate with your default programs;
• A planning system that will let your clients book appointments without interrupting your workflow;
• A platform that will allow you to design your site or accept online payments safely;
• Automated billing;
• Email generation templates.

Keep A Daily Work Routine

Working during the same time every day is crucial for happiness and productivity, that’s a fact. Since freelancers usually work from their homes and supervise several projects at once, they can easily feel like they don’t have a private life.

So, no matter if you’re a morning person, a night person, or something in between, giving yourself a daily work routine that you stick to can help you specify the segregation between your personal and work life.

Don’t Commit To More Work Than You Can Actually Handle

A good freelancer plans out their work schedule weeks in advance. Also, allowing themself some free rein is one of the main rules. Taking on too many jobs at once is never a good idea, so you don’t need to jump at every opportunity.

Jumping at every opportunity can make your life unnecessarily challenging. Plus, it can force you to turn down great opportunities because your working schedule is busy with less captivating or less profitable projects.

Ascertain how long it takes you to finish certain types of work and leave up to a week of your monthly schedule open. There will be times during the year when you’ll be either busier or less busy than regular. However, if your professional life appears to be a feast or famine, you’re probably mishandling your workload.

Start Using A Time Tracking App

You’ve probably found yourself wishing you had one more additional hour in the day. Some extra time would be everything you needed to balance all in your professional and personal life. Odds are, you do have that time, but you’re not using it efficiently.

Therefore follow every activity you do for one week using a time tracking app. These apps can run in the background on your computer and keep track of your daily behavior.

After a week or more, examine the final results. You’ll be able to see in which hours of the day you’re the most productive and which of your daily activities need to be more carefully monitored.

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Establish A Filing System

Part of freelancing is the enjoyment you get from sharing your talent with people from all around the world. However, part of it is business-related.

Once you have set up a system to store and classify business files, the business part of freelancing is much easier. You can use your CRM or another cloud-based storage system to create files, arranged and labeled clearly, and save your documents.

Your filing system should contain ordinary templates you use repeatedly such as tax receipts, business licenses, and other important documentation.

Final Words

Staying organized is the principal to a productive and successful freelancing business. When your freelance work is ahead of schedule, it’s an investment in resources and time that will pay for itself repeatedly.