According to research, freelancers are more content than permanent workers.
One significant reason is that freelancing permits adaptability, career development, and, often, better earnings.
Flexibility is an enormous bliss factor. And we all are familiar with the gratification that comes with better pay.
Nevertheless, the flexibility can be a well-being boon; it can also cause anxiety if not coped with appropriately.
Also, you have to deal with immense challenges with working alone, especially as a freelance project manager.
You are alone and liable for countless things, which can be both liberating and daunting.
If you are planning to jump into the life of a remote project manager, here are eight vital things you need to know to succeed.
How To Start As A Freelance Project Manager?
Stick to these tips to start your journey as a freelance project manager.
1. Build A Remarkable Portfolio
If you don’t have the work to support your statements, nobody will take you seriously as a freelance project manager.
In this industry, you must have experience in managing short- and long-term projects, team management, risk management, and commendable communication skills.
Guarantee that every project you acquire adds value to your portfolio.
Case studies, testimonials, and references are your best buddies.
Whether you have been in the field for one or ten years, you should add to your portfolio from the moment you are appointed to a new job and continue until you step out of the door.
2. Make A Schedule
If you are a remote service provider, you should make a schedule.
Many new freelancers like to approach each day like a clean slate and go with the flow.
Sadly, this is a formula for mismanaged time and missed deadlines.
When working as a freelancer, numerous things can disrupt your productive time.
To prevent these things from sabotaging your time, generate a framework for your days. This may seem a bit different for everyone.
Determine when you perform your best work and what a productive and realistic work schedule is for yourself.
After determining that, try your best to adhere to the schedule. Obviously, sometimes you will need to adjust your days.
The exquisiteness of remote work is you can do this if you know how to manage your time.
You can use freelancers’ best project management tools to manage your time excellently.
3. Set Limits Around Your Clients And Work
As a freelancer, you are in the perfect position to guard your time and knowledge and restrict anything you can’t commit to.
You need to understand your services and skills to set limitations around your time and work as a remote project manager.
You should know when to say no to projects that won’t aptly consume your skills and time and when to ask the client to raise the rate.
Remember that even though clients are our source of income, we also need to set our own rules.
4. Keep Communication Clear
Great communication is one of the best tools you can have as a freelancer.
You should maintain an open conversation with clients across all aspects of a project.
Anything from a daily email using the best communication tools for teams to a weekly status update meeting can save you from nuisances later.
It also exhibits your confidence and dependability as a freelancer.
Plus, you should be straightforward in sharing obstacles and challenges. It will make your victories greater in the eyes of your clients.
5. Use Project Management Software
It would be best to leverage the appropriate tools when your plate is full of projects.
There are countless applications and websites out there that you can use for all your admin and project management needs.
The project management timeline tool allows you to do everything in one place without switching between platforms.
Some of the features of the project collaboration tools are:
- Time tracking
- Project outline formation
- Invoice incorporation for easy, one-click payments from the clients
- Project scope formation
- Payment and expenditure tracking
- Client discovery
- Contract formation
- Client portal
6. Engage With Others
You can use LinkedIn to share information and build relationships. So, try to post daily or at least three times a week.
Produce talking points by sharing valuable content and knowledge. You can do this by:
- Posting your articles
- Sharing interesting researches
- Discussing how you solve problems in your field
- Share content and ideas from industry experts
- Show your potential audience the value you have, such as graphs or results from your previous projects
Interact with industry experts, freelance project managers, and businesses you would like to work with.
By interacting via posts and comments with others in your field, you can create relationships with individuals that could become clients in the future.
7. Keep Learning
Management tactics, organization structures, and technology transform swiftly.
Freelance project managers must stay on their toes regarding new ways of thinking and concepts, even if they have been in the field for decades.
Read books and blogs, enroll in courses, and pursue certificates to retain your hiring potential.
8. Understand Your Clients
The only way to comprehend what a project needs to deliver is to clearly understand the company’s values and goals.
You should also know if the project suits your expertise and portfolio.
You should be able to identify whether their requirements align with your values and goals.
Mutual understanding and trust are the fundamentals of a good working relationship, and freelancing is no different.
If you don’t understand who you are working with, you are putting yourself at a detriment before you even commence.
Conclusion
Freelance project management isn’t easy and the starting of a career as a freelance project manager can be tough.
Use your skills, strengths, and abilities to impress the clients who may hire you in the future.
Once you have made an effective freelancing plan and found the right project management timeline software, you will soon become a critical part of many companies’ projects.
