Questions tagged [time-management]
Questions about managing schedules, timeframes and project deadlines in freelance work.
52
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4
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2
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How to say "How long will the interview process take?" without being rude?
I have 1 year of experience working as a freelancer and on average, the jobs that I find are usually very fast in the communication and bidding process. An average communication goes like this:
>&...
- 383
3
votes
1
answer
48
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How often I have to update my progress working freelance?
I am working right now with a C code for a client. I let her know that when I reach 50% of progress She will pay the first part. However I have now 80% solved because I want continue my work without ...
- 383
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3
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199
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Does anyone know of any free time tracking and invoicing software geared toward freelance software developers?
Currently I am using Clockify but I would like to know if there exists any free time tracking and invoicing software geared toward freelance software developers?
All I am finding is "paid" ...
- 183
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votes
4
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145
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When making a website which activities do you normally include in invoice?
I'm rather new to this. I am making a website for someone. It's going to be done through WordPress (so not very complicated). When invoicing them should I include just the time spent making the ...
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134
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How feasible is it to work fixed price and parttime for a client as a freelance software developer?
I have a long term client were I'm working fulltime as a freelancer. They are starting to have some financial problems due to declining sales (perhaps related to covid, I don't know). I have to work 2 ...
- 263
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2
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130
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How to create urgency for clients to provide content, answer e-mails, etc
So as the title says, how do you (freelancers, or the company you work at) create some urgency feeling so that clients don't take forever to come up with content or to reply to your e-mails? There are ...
- 133
1
vote
2
answers
51
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Good practices for dealing with clients in more distant timezones
I'm based in New Zealand and in previous years I was freelancing in Australia. I've done work for US clients on the west coast in (PST/PDT) and the timezone difference (it's about 4 hours difference ...
- 173
3
votes
1
answer
127
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Balancing life with productive work with study and research
I am a web designer / developer (front end and back end). I do that proficiently since more than 10 years, and I am appreciated and good skilled in designing and programming. I work alone in a home ...
- 816
2
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3
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181
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How to run several projects simultaneously?
Many times through my career I bumped into the situation when I had to run several projects simultaneously.
Is there any techniques available to keep track on them both?
My main concern that when ...
1
vote
1
answer
70
views
How to set a project completion deadline for a project that already got extended out?
I was hired to update a website for a client, based on a designated list of tasks. The client paid fully upfront, and we set a rough "loose" project completion estimate at 3 months. It was a fixed-fee ...
- 113
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How do time tracking application for software development freelancer work? [closed]
I would like to understand how these companies who claim keeping track of the time a freelancer works on a project do their job. So far, I have learned that some just offer a timer in their app next ...
- 111
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346
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Is it rude to be unavailable to clients when you are very busy?
excuse me for my not good English
I work as a freelance web developer for small to medium local companies and I work alone.
Sometimes it happens that I have too much works and projects going on at ...
- 816
2
votes
1
answer
105
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Is it unacceptable or not wise to email clients during the weekend?
This Exchange question here: Staying in contact with clients when I have a different sleep-wake rhythm (being a night owl or living in a different time zone) deals with the subject quite well, but it ...
- 129
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1
answer
110
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How to answer to new client's requests while having no time to work for them?
As you may have already read I had health problems, I was K.O. for 3 weeks and it was a big problem for my job for many reasons... I am still having right now hard times to keep up with previous ...
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2
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222
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Best Management tool for self-employed: Tasks, Calendar, Multiple Customers, Multiple Project, Invoice, Time-Track
I need to organize my working hours for many projects and customers due to huge work load.
I would like a web app with the following features:
Tasks
List item
Calendar
Multiple Customers
Multiple ...
1
vote
2
answers
101
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How does one ask a client if he is ready to finance research time?
While I was looking for answers to a question that has already been asked here, I stumbled upon this answer. The second "golden rule" suggests:
If it's something that will take more than 1 ...
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vote
1
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137
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How many hours can one freelance in programming part-time and still provide a good product?
I'd like to do freelancing, but I am really bothered because I do not want to get into a mess, biting off more than I can chew. The way I see it one has about 10-20 hours a week, more like 10 if they ...
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4
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167
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Decision and negotiation of long term time-consuming job
About 6 years ago I worked as a freelance web designer, developer and products photographer for a local company (15 minutes of car distance from my office) that works in the fashion industry.
At some ...
- 2,044
6
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2
answers
190
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How to handle interpersonal relationships and expectations from client's marketing department
As external freelance I manage/update a web site for a client, they have a small internal department who follows the marketing part and social networks.
They often send me emails (often in lunch time ...
- 816
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3
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194
views
How should I deal with the inconsistency of incoming work?
I am a freelance graphic designer (web/print/anything else you can think of). As with a lot of freelancers, I have busy periods and I have quiet periods when the incoming work slows down. Some of this ...
- 284
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3
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665
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Should I charge my client for mistakes I make?
I'm starting out as a freelance designer (not long left university), thus I'm continuously learning new techniques and general business etiquette.
I've had a couple projects for clients but I've ...
- 53
2
votes
3
answers
122
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Writer/editor: Building presence and social media sites
For at least a couple of years I have been trying to build awareness of my writing/copyediting communications business. I have even tried offering my services in exchange for referrals, but without ...
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1
answer
343
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Advice writing my first SLA
I have been a web developer for quite a few years now, all my clients being acquaintances or similar. I now have a more formal client that I have recently created a website for. They are interested in ...
- 123
12
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1
answer
848
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Working simultaneously for multiple clients
I am currently working for a client i like and i would like to maintain, but at the same time, being a freelancer, i would like to work for other clients in order to have a more diverse professional ...
- 223
3
votes
1
answer
110
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How to factor in freelancing alongside full-time work
I'm fairly new to freelancing but want more experience doing different projects and more money.
I am very well prepared to put in the hours and have asked my current employer who even wants to know ...
- 141
2
votes
3
answers
78
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Searching document shared by clients
One of the people who works with me has complained that a lot of clients are sharing documents with her in different "cloud" storage systems (e.g. OneDrive, DropBox, Google Docs).
Because there are ...
- 21
13
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3
answers
1k
views
How to back out of a freelance project that has gotten too big?
Last August I took on re-doing an e-commerce website. At first she only wanted a re-design, but it ended up being completely redone. Since I'm a student, I didn't charge her a whole lot for it, but we'...
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4
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110
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Quality online tool to visualize my availbility in the simplest manner?
OK, I may have overly complicated the title. But here is my issue.
I sometimes work alone, sometimes as a team of 3. Either way, I have to keep track of all time that has already been booked and time ...
- 14.2k
4
votes
2
answers
158
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Web Design Content Issue
I am currently working on two websites for separate clients and both projects ended up at the same point, a road block being some client input/information is needed regarding content, and I am ...
- 176
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votes
4
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251
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Clients ask quick jobs, how to bill
So I have been doing websites as freelancer now for some time. Couple clients likes to do small scale development now and then to their site, which is great but the problem is that they have always ...
- 141
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2
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What are proper manners when delivering project after agreed date?
Is there some general rule to follow when delivering a project after the date that was agreed upon?
Let's say you have one month to prepare the project but you deliver it in six weeks. At what point ...
- 253
9
votes
4
answers
514
views
How do you divide your time between planned and unplanned/new work?
So I know the minimum amount of money I have to earn in a week (weekly salary), I know the minimum hourly rate and I know how much hours I have to work in a week.
But every now and then I am asked ...
- 14.2k
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votes
1
answer
63
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Scheduling calls with clients in different timezones
I live in Europe, while my clients are mostly from US. Thus, the smallest timezone difference between me and my clients is -4hours, the biggest being -9hours. Yet, I also have a customer in Asia, ...
- 161
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2
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237
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How do I know my freelance team working at home?
I am a Freelance web designer and developer with a small team of freelancer. I had an office for last three years. But I felt that as a Freelancer I can do better work. So I hired various team members ...
- 303
15
votes
7
answers
2k
views
As a new freelancer, how can I improve my communication with the clients?
Recently I've become really frustrated after moving from a regular office job to freelancing.
Since I am new to freelancing, I decided to do some low-quality, cheap jobs to get some stars in my ...
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2
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2k
views
How do you motivate yourself when you're your own boss?
I've been working as a freelance developer for almost two years now, and I've managed to find myself in a pretty good situation. I'm working part time for a great client who loves me and has enough ...
- 283
14
votes
5
answers
935
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Desktop software for time tracking
Unfortunately I often have situation that I often need to go to another task or stop working for a while. That's why I need time tracking software. I prefer desktop software for Windows with one-time ...
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4
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3k
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By how much can you increase your rate if the work is urgent?
I have a small task that needs to be done and I projected to let the client pay 400 €. However, he now asked that the deadline should be set to next Saturday (in three days), and proposed to give 300 €...
- 173
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3
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454
views
Client requests for extensive task information when invoicing
I've got a long term client that I'm currently on a 15hr a week arrangement with for a flat monthly rate with the general understanding of about 3hrs a day, with flexibility on managing that. Since ...
- 945
2
votes
3
answers
100
views
How to handle multiple outstanding sales / proposals?
I am currently talking to a few potential clients about taking on near work in the near future, once I finish I current project, which has roughly four weeks of work left. The issue is that I only ...
- 608
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2
answers
299
views
How to manage a client's expectations
So I am running in to a bit of an issue, and although there are similar questions on FL nothing this specific:
How do I manage a client's expectations for a new website?
The issue arises when they ...
- 1,230
4
votes
2
answers
135
views
How to properly set tasks for a freelancer who will talk to clients only?
Based on my previous post, we decided to hire part-time freelancer who will reply to all emails and do all non-technical correspondence with the client.
Now, I am not sure how to train this person, ...
- 14.2k
4
votes
2
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531
views
How can I improve my Research & Analysis process for my future projects as a Web Developer?
Briefing:
I'm a freelance web developer and I charge by the hour. I realized that my previous Research & Analysis process was very inefficient and I'm looking to improve that to save more time ...
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58
votes
10
answers
2k
views
How do you make family understand that you need to stick to a schedule?
I'm having trouble balancing freelancing work with family. My wife thinks that just because I work at home that this means I'm available for home stuff at any hour, which creates problems in my ...
- 1,049
13
votes
4
answers
506
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Sorting out the time wasters from serious clients
I have only happy clients so far, and of course I'd like to increase this number, but I feel I'm losing a bit too much time in finding serious clients.
I have a lot of requests; asking about what's ...
user503
4
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Billing on 25, 30-minute increments?
I'm new to freelancing, and I have doubts on how to correctly bill in time increments.
While researching about how to measure the time spent on each client, I read that some people do time-dependent ...
- 269
9
votes
2
answers
480
views
Agile methodologies when developing software as a freelance?
I'd like to define the following case as the Loner Freelance Case:
The freelancer is a full-stack web designer and developer.
The client is a small company who wants a web page.
Many software ...
- 269
19
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Freelancing while being employed
Relying purely on freelancing to earn your bread can be somewhat risky and daunting. Say I want to do freelancing while also being employed (full or part time). What are the specific issues I need to ...
- 819
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1
answer
315
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Working per hour, where do you draw the line?
Take for example a (software development) project that has been estimated by the freelancer as N hours on a pay-per-hour contract.
From the perspective of the commissioner, how much buffer should be ...
- 203
18
votes
8
answers
660
views
Staying in contact with clients when I have a different sleep-wake rhythm (being a night owl or living in a different time zone)
I’m a night owl. I’m most productive/creative at night. I go to bed in the morning and sleep until late afternoon.
Being self-employed, this gives only a small timeframe for contact with clients, as ...
- 1,461