Freelancers are more in demand today than they’ve ever been. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses and organizations are re-structuring and learning the benefits of using a freelancer.  That’s great news for freelancers; however, with that surge in potential business comes a change in defining your freelance USPs.

Project management skills can seriously up your freelancing game and give you the edge over your competitors. These include being able to plan and monitor online/offline campaigns or activity; to organize not only yourself and your work but that of your clients, too; not to mention being capable of analyzing and reviewing data, and then producing a report; or setting up templates, systems, software… the list goes on. Let’s look into the essential project management skills you should master to give you a list of USPs that go over and above your technical skills.

What are project management skills and why are they important?

Firstly, let’s just briefly explain what we mean by project management skills because whilst there are similarities to a project manager’s role, it is more simplified. That means you don’t need to be a project management professional to take advantage of their skills to upscale your freelancing capabilities.

It’s all about adding value for your client; if you are able to offer more than just the basic skills they’re looking for, not only are you able to charge more, but they are also likely to use your services consistently. That means more long term, varied and interesting work.

By learning key project management skills and having the relevant tools, where necessary, as well as your own work will be more organized and focused, the work you produce for your client will also be more efficient, and wanted.

Learning how to manage tasks on a daily basis will ensure that your projects are completed on time, deadlines are met, emails are answered and high quality work is delivered. There are three principal task management methods (there are plenty more, but these are the most used):

• The SMART method – a well-known acronym that can be applied here to create goals or milestones that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.
• The GTD (Getting Things Done) method – break down projects or workflows into five stages: Capture, Clarify, Organize, Reflect and Engage.
• The ZTD (Zen to Done) method – similar to the GTD method, projects or workflows are broken down into four elements: Collect, Process, Planning and Do. 

Whichever method you use, the basics are the same; they can all help towards improving your freelancing game.

Tips to improve your project management skills

We’ve got some simple, easy-to-do ways of integrating project management skills into your daily routine.

• Got a new project? Break it down into bite-sized tasks – it’s great to win a new job but trying to complete it without breaking it down into bite-sized chunks can be overwhelming. Of course, the best time to do this is when you are preparing your proposal but if it’s coming from an existing client that’s on a monthly retainer, you may not be given that opportunity. So, create a to-do list of manageable tasks for the job to work through. This will also give you a good idea of how long it will take you to do the job.
• Digitize your to-do lists – while to-do lists have been around a long time and are one of the most useful tools in managing your daily tasks, using pen-and-paper is old-fashioned. There are a plethora of digital to-do lists that are available as online tools and mobile apps which have a great range of features to help you organize your tasks, like color coding as well as the ability to share and collaborate with colleagues.
• Integrate your to-do lists into a calendar – having a to-do list is great, even when it’s prioritized, but it can still look daunting. So, use a digital calendar that integrates tasks from your to-do list. Set start and end dates/times, which can also be shared with others, to help you monitor your progress and balance this job with other projects.
• Collaborate and communicate – any freelancer knows that communication is paramount to getting jobs done. Make the most of the wide range of collaboration and communication tools to help you keep in contact with clients and colleagues, in real time. Everyone involved in the project will be able to clearly see the lifecycle of the job, understand their contribution, communicate any changes, updates or amendments, as well as get the client’s sign-off at each stage.
• Make the most of the latest technology – there are so many tools and productivity software and apps out there for freelancers, designed to make your daily routine more effective. Make the most of them to simplify, manage and complete your jobs but a word of warning, just because it’s the latest must-have digital tool, not all of them will suit your freelance career.

As a freelancer, managing your time, tasks, jobs and clients, as well as balancing this with family and friends, can be a struggle. Indy’s all-in-one freelancing platform provides you with all you need to make this possible.