I strongly believe that every freelance writer should evaluate their performance from time to time. This is something that I do at the end of every year. By evaluating my 2008 performance I will have an easier time setting goals for the upcoming year. But before you can evaluate your performance you must be organized.Â
Am I jumping the gun? Yes, I know it is only November. That being said, you want to give yourself plenty of time to get organized. If you wait until the last week of December you may find that you are short on time, and in turn you have to push your performance review back to 2009. You don’t want to do this because it is essential that you hit the ground running in the new year.
What preliminary information should you gather? There are three details that I am organizing now so that I can efficiently evaluate my 2008 performance at the end of next month:
1. Income records 2. Client details 3. 2008 goals and progress
With this information in hand I will be able to do two things: accurately evaluate my performance this year, and set new goals for 2009. I take care of both these details at the same time, and you should do the same if you want to stay on track. It is always easier to set new goals after you look over old ones. This gives you the chance to set more realistic goals, while also taking note of what did and did not work for you in the past.
Although you still have a few weeks before the end of 2008, you should begin to think about evaluating your performance for the year. If you begin to organize the proper information right now, you will find the process much more enjoyable when the end of December rolls around. Remember, the new year is right around the bend!Â
It may be hard to imagine, but there will probably come a day when you have too much work on your table. This is better than not enough work, but at the same time it can be a difficult situation to deal with. If your freelance writing load is too large you need to make some changes to better your situation. After all, having too much work can have negative impacts on your career.
If you have too much work the first thing you must do is begin to work more hours; this goes without saying. After you commit to a project and a deadline you have to finish the work. So for the time being, you should put in more hours to ensure that you meet every deadline and that every project is given your full attention.
Once you have cleared some room on your plate, you should then consider how you want to move forward. If you are not careful you will find yourself bogged down once again. In my opinion, the best thing to do is weed out low paying jobs. This may not be the best option for you, but it is definitely something to consider. I know, it can be difficult to tell a client that you can no longer work with them, but this is something that has to be done from time to time. You don’t want to spend so much time with low paying clients that you put off more valuable gigs, and in turn jeopardize future earnings.
There is nothing wrong with carrying a large load of freelance writing work. In theory, the more projects you have on tap the more money you are going to earn. But at the same time, this can lead to problems such as spreading yourself thin or burning out.
Before you decide to cut your client list make sure your freelance writing load really is too large. In other words, you don’t want to cut your list if you don’t have to. Fortunately, most freelance writers have no problem determining when they are stretched thin and working too many hours.Â
Many freelance writers never want to communicate with clients on the phone so they feel there is no reason to have a dedicated business line. Is this a good way of thinking? Even though you may never want to speak with clients on the phone you are not really in charge. In other words, if a client wants to call you or vice versa you need to go along with this. After all, speaking on the phone is often times enjoyable, time efficient, and more effective.
Whether or not you need a dedicated line for your business is up to you. For the first few years of my freelance writing career I only had one phone line. It doubled for both personal and business calls. But as my freelance writing career grew and I was making and receiving more and more calls, it came time to add a business line. Although this costs a few extra bucks each month, it has made my life easier. If my business line rings I know it is either a client who wants to talk or a buyer who is interested in doing business with me. Before my second line I never knew who was calling, or what I was getting into when I answered.
You don’t need a business phone line. I got along without one for a couple of years, and even though it was annoying at times, it was something that I dealt with. That being said, if you have the money and want to give off a more professional appearance you may want to think about adding a business line. You can do this by getting a second landline in your home, or by purchasing another cell phone plan; the choice is yours.
As you move forward with your career and begin to expand you should consider having separate phone lines for personal and business use. This is a simple move that has brought many benefits to my personal life and career.
