How To Stay Productive & Keep Your Sanity As A Freelance WordPress Web Developer

Running your own business is hard. You wear a lot of hats and you’re responsible for everything. After running my own freelance web development company for the last four years, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks to maintain sanity & productivity in difficult environments. For all you freelancers struggling with this, here are some tips to keep you going:

Utilize Productivity Tools

There are some great productivity tools out there to maintain your sanity, create to do list, and get s**t done. I’ve written about a few of them on WP Cover including Google Inbox & Trello. There’s dozens more out there and more than likely you probably have your own. Utilize these tools and take full advantage of them but don’t get carried away. Sometimes a good notepad and a pen can be just as efficient. Combining to many tools into one toolbox can decrease productivity in certain cases.

Automate Billing

This is where I make up a lot of time compared to other freelancers I work with. I use WHMCS and love it as a billing tool. It allows me to keep track of my hours, create quotes, create invoices, and maintain contact with past clients. I do accept credit card payments which definitely digs into the bottom line of my business but overall I think it saves me time not having to deal with lost checks, forgotten invoices, and other billing headaches.

Get Exercise

For the most part we sit in chairs all day. It’s essential for your brain to also exercise your overall body. Living here in Florida, it’s great to get out in the water and go surfing, wakeboarding, sailing, and everything else my environment allows. Depending on where you live, these activities may change but ensure you are getting some kind of physical exercise where you can ditch the phone and computer and focus on you.

Get Sleep

I can’t suggest this enough. We all wake up at 2am with that big idea to the problem we were trying to solve all day. It’s okay to make a quick note of it and implement it after you’ve gotten some Zzzzs. Resting revitalizes the brain and will make you more productive in the grand scheme.

Be Selective With Clients

This is something that comes with experience and may not yet be a possibility for you. However, once the work starts flowing and you have a substantial client base, never be afraid to tell a client you don’t think it will be a good relationship.  I say it on a regular basis these days, not because I’m trying to be rude but their needs to be a positive chemistry to work together and achieve a positive ROI for the client. If that chemistry is not there, you will spend many sleepless nights and angry days trying to make a bad relationship good.