In this article, I’ll give you 5 tips from my freelancing experience so far, to efficiently manage your freelance project.
Freelancing gives you the freedom to work from the comfort of your home. You are your own boss, you can work whenever you want and the best part, you don’t have to report to anyone. But everything can become a mess if you don’t know how to manage your freelance project.
I started my freelancing journey about 5 years ago. I used to work at software company but soon realized I wasn’t cut out for the 9 to 5 job. I made a switch to freelancing and let me tell you it wasn’t easy. It was tough maintaining a healthy work life balance when freelancing from the comfort of your home.
Let’s discuss about a couple of things which helped me a great deal in managing the freelance project efficiently.
1. Always Estimate Your Project
No matter how small or big your project is, make it a point to create a detailed estimate of the project.
Estimating the project gives you an idea about the scope of project and how time you need to complete the project.
Once you have estimated the project, send it for client review. If you charge on hourly basis, it gives the client a clear view of the project billing.
2. Keep An Account of Changes In Client Requirement
Most of the time it happens that the client changes requirement in the middle of project development phase. So the things that you already developed may not be required anymore. But since you spent time and effort on those requirements that needs to be billed.
A well estimated project makes it easier to accommodate such changes and keep an account of the changes in client requirements.
3. Keep The Client Well Informed About Project Progress
Once you start with project development phase, keep it a point to have weekly or bi weekly review of the project.
Keeping the client informed well informed about the project progress, makes the client confident about your work. It also helps in giving a view to the client about how the project is shaping up. Just in case the client isn’t satisfied with the project or want some modifications, it can be incorporated before it’s too late.
4. Keeping A Project Agreement In Place
I started with my first freelancing project without any clear agreement with the client.
The client assumed that my freelancing charges for the project was inclusive of the maintenance charges once the project is live.
Since it was my first project and I didn’t wanted to mess things up, I ended my maintaining the project free of cost for the next six months.
Always before you start your freelance project keep it point to maintain an agreement with the client. Make it very clear as to what your freelancing charges include and what it doesn’t.
5. Communicate Effectively
Communication plays a major role in how you manage your freelancing project.
In software development project there may be some unforeseen delays which may delay your deliverable. Make it a point to communicate it to the client if any delay in deliverable.
Give a timeslot to the client when you’ll be available online. And make it a point to reply to your client emails or messages.
Communicating and being in touch makes the client trust you and instill confidence.
Be in touch even after the project has been delivered. You never know, may be keeping a cordial relationship may help you get hold of some new projects from your old clients.
Final Thoughts
In this article, I pondered upon 5 tips to efficiently manage your freelance project. Let me know about your experience on managing freelance project ? Would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions and any other tips in the comments below.