Daily Freelance Business Checklist

April 28, 2010

Being a freelance writer isn’t always about being a free spirit. Some structure can be required, especially if you have clients to answer to and want to live off your writing. A daily checklist is a good way to keep your business running well. Some days that checklist can help you prioritise and decide what to do with a busy day and other days a quick look can give you peace of mind as you take a well-earned a day off. Here are some of my checklist items:

Regular Projects

I have quite a few ongoing gigs. Some require a bit of work most days and some work in a way that allows me to work in batches. On a daily basis I need to look at my to-do list to determine where I’m at with these. Checkmarks and asterisks help me manage everything.

One Off Projects

Projects come in on a regular basis that are one-offs. Some clients have extra projects and I have a nice trickle of new clients that approach me through my business site. I keep a running list of my to-do items and checking this list daily to see where I’m at helps me not have too many late nighters or moments of panic when I realise I’ve forgotten a project. A daily look at my list keeps me on track to meet deadlines and earning goals.

Billing

We all want to get paid to write. Right? I like to keep close track of billing. Does anyone owe me money? Do I owe anyone money? I use a colour coding system on my project spreadsheet that helps me see what’s what with my invoicing. I check it regularly so I know what’s coming, what’s due, and what might be overdue and require a follow up to keep my family fed and keep the power and (the blessed) internet on.

Marketing & Networking

Marketing on a regular basis keeps the work flowing in and helps me not have to go banging on doors too often. I don’t market every day but I keep marketing on my to-do list so that I can keep that steady trickle of inquiries coming in. If I see queries start slowing down then I know to move marketing up on the priority list.

Marketing and networking can go hand in hand. Visiting some blogs and social media sites for a few minutes on a regular basis helps me network almost effortlessly. This keeps my name in the minds of customers and peers and can shine a light on me to potential customers, too. I looked on Twitter this morning and saw I hadn’t updated since last week so I’ll make sure I do some microblogging this week. I’ll probably tie it into some of my passive income efforts and marketing for my business blog as well.

Passive Income

I have about a dozen or so blogs. Some are updated regularly and some haven’t been updated in months. In a perfect world, I’d update each of them each week and check that off my list. I’m not doing that right now as work is keeping me busy but I do keep the topic of passive income on my checklist. What are my earnings at? What do my blog traffic stats look like? Can I use that statistical information to help me earn more? Paying attention to these things helps me keep money trickling in from some of my passive revenue sources, such as: Clickbank, Amazon, Google Adsense, Kontera, etc.

Some writers add extra items to their list, such as time for creative writing projects, time for print publication queries, and other things that are important to them. A list can change, depending on my priorities. It can help me prioritise, check things off as they’re done, and help me feel in control and accomplished at the end of the day. The best way for me to get my bearings when feeling overwhelmed is to clean my desk and look at my list. What’s on your freelance business checklist?