Balancing Act: How to Manage Time When You Have Multiple Clients

One of the most important aspects of being a successful freelancer is developing your time management skills. These allow you to schedule, work on, and complete numerous projects, with different clients, in different stages of completion, all at the same time—an absolute must if you want to grow your freelance business.

How can you manage your time and stay on track? We asked our Facebook Community for their tips. Here is what they had to say.

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“I make use of the Pomodoro method. It helps a lot. Each Pomodoro is a 25-minute cycle followed by a 5-minute break. After the fourth Pomodoro, you take a 15-minute break.”
– Christina Ramas

“I use a task manager, where I have every day’s to-do list separated by project and priority. I recommend Todoist.”
– Adriana Chionetti

“I have been struggling with this ever since I tried going to an electronic calendar. This year, I went back to a paper planner with time blocked out for each client, priority to-do lists, and recognition that sometimes I may need to erase or rearrange. I also use a big whiteboard to list my clients at a glance, crossing off jobs as I finish them. These two methods together are working.”
– Bonniejean Alford Hinde

“I am a pen and paper person. I like to write things down. So I use a spiral notebook to track all of my to-do’s for the day. I put the client’s name with their own task list and then deadlines. So I record every detail. Same routine for small and big projects, with or without deadlines. Also just be honest, set boundaries with each client, and don’t promise things you can’t deliver.”
– Fernmaiden Fuentes

“Start with a table in Word/Doc/Notepad: 1. List all your clients. 2. List the number of articles or words (for me) to be submitted that day PER Client. 3. List the time you hope to spend on it. 4. Strike off each one when complete and add your time.”
– Geo Maria George

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With a little practice, scheduling to-do’s for multiple projects will become a natural and automatic part of your workday. For more on how to optimize your day, be sure to check out Time Saving Tips for Remote Workers and 5 Ways to Keep Your Day Running Smoothly.

Editor’s note: Responses edited for grammar and spelling. The statements above are those of their authors and do not constitute the views or opinions of Upwork.

How do you manage your time when working with multiple clients? Tell us in the comments!

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