The freelance movement is huge. More and more people prefer to work at home and do the job they actually like. Besides, outsourcing a part of the job to freelancers is a great benefit for businesses because:
- they save money on workplace equipment;
- they get a wider choice of employees and can find the best fit for the company.
But being a freelancer is not that simple. Telecommuters face a number of distractions, so it is important to stay, focused, disciplined and on track of your time. That’s where time tracking tool can be at handy.
Which distractions do freelancers face?
1) The whole house is your workplace
For a freelancer, the whole house is a workplace. However, this is a wrong approach.
You might wake up energized, full of ideas and ready to work, but you decide to work lying on a couch or bed. And now you feel sleepy again.
That’s why it’s important to have a proper workplace at home. You escaped the office to have the workplace of your dream, so use that benefit. Just make sure to have a table and a place to store your papers and then decorate it as you wish. You will be more focused, yet happy.
2) Family, pets and TV
When you work from home, the problem you face is that your family thinks that you are always available. It is sometimes difficult to resist a pet or a kid who wants to play with you, or keep the TV on while working.
But you have to remember that you’re trying to make a living, so you have to stay focused.
A time tracking tool, like Yaware.TimeTracker can be at help here. It allows to track the time spent offline, i.e. away from computer and characterize it.
So, you can create offline activities like lunch, TV time, etc. and use the statistics to see how often and for how long you distract.
Analyze and use the data to become more productive.
3) Checking email too often
Another time waster that freelancers face is email.
Now, email is very important for freelancers because they often look for clients or stay tuned with the current ones. But opening an email immediately after the notification pops, will cause nothing but a headache and wasted time.
Use a time tracking tool to monitor your email use and basing on that information, schedule a couple of times a day to check and answer your emails.
4) Billing clients properly
Freelancers might bill their clients in different ways. But if it is important how much time you actually spend working, then time tracking tool is a must-have for you.
It both helps you to keep track of the time you spend working, and it also makes it easier to report to the clients. Besides, you don’t just hand them the report you wrote, you provide accurate numbers collected by an automatic system.
So, both you get well paid for your job and your customers stay happy.
Conclusion
Before becoming a freelancer, make sure it is right for you. And if you’re positive, use a time tracking tool to stay productive and succeed in your freelancing career.
Ready to track your time?
Read next: Getting Things Done: How Can Freelancers Master Productivity?
