The Other Stuff
here are two loosely categorized aspects of freelancing. The design part and the other stuff. The design part is your cake. The other stuff is your frosting. Like peas and carrots, Ren and Stimpy and Rock and Roll, you just can’t make one part work without the other.
Because I was so shocked at how much time and effort the other stuff encompasses, I figure it’s a good thing to lay down, right off the bat, before it’s too late. When I first started freelancing, I didn’t realize just how many roles I would have to play. I call myself a designer for simplicity’s sake, but I’m also an accountant, receptionist and marketing manager. Roughly half of my time is spent taking care of billing, answering emails, keeping track of hours, managing my schedule and finances and actively pursuing new clients.
When you are running your own show, you are the only person you can depend on. If things aren’t going as well as you planned, it’s your fault. That’s the first tough lesson that I learned, but the concept is simple and the idea is obvious. It really doesn’t matter how artistically skilled you are. If you want to freelance, you have to be able to work some serious managerial magic on a daily basis. If you can’t do that, you will have a difficult time keeping everything together and running smoothly, and more importantly, a hard time keeping your beloved clients around.
I won’t lie. A year ago, I believed I would just remember who owed me what. I made poorly-labeled invoices in InDesign. I was sure I would recall exactly what I had promised in phone conversations with clients. I had a ratty notebook in which I casually jotted down important, project-related notes next to my grocery lists and my super-detailed drawings of the best way to rearrange the furniture in my apartment. Needless to say, when my mind inevitably blanked on a project, I couldn’t find the information I needed to back it up. In fact, I couldn’t remember if I had ever written it down. When I first started, it was easy for me to keep everything in check because there wasn’t a whole lot to worry about. At that time, it didn’t occur to me that when I would become incredibly busy, I’d be lost in a sea of scattered information. I’m sure the transition to full-time freelancing would have been easier if I was prepared with an arsenal of organization strategies.
These days, I use Google Apps religiously. I keep my emails organized, and when I know I’ll have a good deal of correspondence from a particular client, I make them their own tidy email folder. How orderly! I also use Google Apps to keep running to-do lists and manage my ever-evolving schedule.
Another helpful element of my new, well-structured life are time sheets. I whip up nice-looking (if it doesn’t look pretty, I probably won’t use it) blank spreadsheets in Illustrator and print them as I need them. It’s quite handy to have a clean, detailed log of the hours I spent working, what I did and when I did it all in one place. Not to mention, when it’s all filled up, there’s a feeling of accomplishment and awe at the completion of such great feats.
Invoice Machine is another exceptional tool. It’s a lovely online service that simplifies the invoicing process. There is a monthly subscription fee, but it’s well worth it. For me, it has made sending invoices and keeping track of billing a breeze.
There is a whole lot more to the other stuff, like learning everything you can about taxes, writing contracts, quotes and proposals and marketing and self-promotion. I’ve found that by staying as organized as I can helps to keep the administrative monster from eating up all of my time and sanity. If I had prepared myself for all of the other stuff that is as much a part of freelancing as the design part, I would have been a lot better off. And so will you.
Cool blog, Holly!
It’s great to read about other people going through the freelance process and get their take on everything.
I totally hear you on moving on from the “keeping track of all projects/pricing/clients in your head” method. It’s definitely a little work to get everything organized when stuff starts getting busy, but certainly pays off once you get it all figured out.
Getting to a point where you’re so busy there’s too much to keep track of is such a good feeling, too!
If anyone’s looking to explore their options, Billings is another rad program that lets you keep track of time and do invoicing/client management all from one spot. You can also design your own custom invoices – a nice bonus for everyone else who requires their materials to “look pretty” as you put it.
http://www.marketcircle.com/billings/
“If things aren’t going as well as you planned, it’s your fault.”
Like you said, an easy concept but one with huge implications. Going on vacation, think again. Keeping track of stuff in your head, no dice.
When people hear I can work from anywhere, anytime, most don’t realize that means I work all the time, everywhere.
Oh, and I second Dan’s reco of Billings. Great app.