Tips on how to manage multiple orders for new freelancers

Tips on how to manage multiple orders for new freelancers

In the world of freelance being busy is great and having multiple projects to manage is much more of a blessing than a curse, but that doesn’t make it any easier when there are deadlines, client expectations and budgets involved.

Here are some tips on how to manage multiple orders based on my experience:

1) PRIORITY
Every buyer wants to feel that they’re a priority. It’s important to be very genuine on how much their business means to you, but there are points where you may need to put certain priorities above others. All buyers are equally important and so are their orders but in your work flow you want to give yourself the freedom to prioritize what you want, when you want, in order to meet each buyer’s needs.

2) CREATE A CHECKLIST
To complete multiple orders, create a checklist, it is a great way to stay organized and can be the very thing that keeps you sane while also giving you a sense of satisfaction when completing orders. A checklist is a GREAT way to visualize your order’s goals and is also a very good way to see progress when a order is dragging on. You can also use checklists from a day to day perspective. For example, today, I’m working on order A, wrapping up order C and doing administrative work for 1 hour in the afternoon, etc. Even a simple outline style checklist of the day has helped me tremendously.

3) REALISTIC ABOUT DEADLINES
It’s better to set realistic then to over promise and under achieve and there’s nothing better than if possible, setting a longer deadline and being able to surprise the buyer a week early or something of the sort. It’s also very important to balance deadlines in the world of creative work. Work like Graphic and web design are creative services which means every buyer is different depending on the needs of the buyer. These are also orders that don’t have set guidelines or instructions, so creative work can take longer or shorter than similar orders. There are times where I’ve been uninspired on a order for days or weeks, then all of the sudden, inspiration hits and that’s when the order can get done quickly.

4) DELEGATE THE WORK
You may get to a point where you simply cannot take on any more work. Mentally, physically, emotionally you just cannot add on to the pile of work you already have. At the same time, you don’t want to turn away work because you may lose a potential buyer or job for good. I recommend delegating the work. This can be challenging in itself because in order to delegate you have to work with other people, assign tasks, manage other’s workflow, etc which can seem like more work. But if you can surround yourself with some talented individuals who are affordable and can represent you well, it’ll go a long way. The big lesson here…don’t be greedy! It’s very easy to want to take on a whole order by yourself and take 100% of the profit. But if doing that means you’re pushing other orders aside, getting more work backed up and stressing yourself out even more, it’s not worth it. I’d rather complete 10 orders a month and sub some of the work out if need be than to take everything on myself and keep 100% while only completed 3 or 4 orders.

I hope that helps you to manage your work flow with multiple orders.