Are you an entrepreneur and an artist? Are your creative projects your primary source of income? Are you a victim of income fluctuations, creative block, or nightmare clients? Congratulations! You are a freelancer who needs project management software.
A wasted investment is the last thing a creative freelancer needs. Project management software can help you stay organized, communicate with clients, and manage finances. Although it won’t meet clients’ unrealistic expectations, it will allow you to do your job better.
Organization
After graduating college, I worked as a freelance graphic designer and writer for a year. It was a great job that I enjoyed. I could set my own hours and pursue a passion.
Unfortunately, I’m not the most organised person. (You should see my car). It was not unusual for me to go to bed at 10:30, wake up at 2:20, and realize that something was missing. For example, I forgot to email my client a status update. I tried everything, from sticking sticky notes to my computer screen (“Don’t forget to clock in!”) to writing notes in pen all over my left-hand (DUE: 12:30). But nothing worked.
Get project management software.
Software options include, but not limited to:
You can track your time and budget as well as your project status in one place. Plus, you get additional features that you didn’t know you needed. It’s easy to add tasks and set up alerts whenever something new happens. Once this became a routine, the entire process was smooth. No more late nights wondering what I forgot, or “Sorry, this is late!” emails. Trello, a free project management software, helped me to bring on new projects and keep things organized.
Communication
We all have had clients like that: the one who calls you every six hours and then emails you every three to update you on your project. Although you know they are calling because they are anxious about your work or have a deadline approaching, the constant interruptions can hinder your ability to complete your tasks. This is where freelancers can use project management software.
It would be so much easier if they could track your progress via the cloud.
Software can be used to help you communicate with those pesky status-checkers.
Cloud-based project management software allows clients to log in and view the progress you are making. Wrike is a tool that allows you to share information with selected clients. Your clients can view the progress of your project, view your tasks, and upload and download files through Google Drive, Gmail and Dropbox.
There are no phone calls or emails required.
Finances
“You can do this for free right?”
It is no secret that managing finances is one of the most difficult tasks freelancers have to deal with. What should your charge? How often should you bill your customers? How come you haven’t been paid yet And so on.
Project management software is a great tool. You can even find project management software specifically designed for freelancers.
Solo provides one-click billing that syncs with its time tracking service. Freckle makes it easy for you to balance your time on multiple projects. It has a fun interface with quick billing options and makes it easy to clock in hours. Pancake, for a small fee, makes it easy for clients to pay you online (and in time)
More?
Freelancing can be made easier by project management software. Are you using project management software yet? If not, why not?
Are you looking for Project Management software? Capterra’s top-rated Project Management software solutions are listed.