There are many of us who, at some point in life, get uncomfortable with our 9-5 job routine. And it is true as not everyone wants to work for someone else’s dreams. Everyone has the right to choose their own path. So, if you are one of those who want to be self-employed or have recently started working independently, this post is for you.
Unlike your routine job that has various complications, the journey of being a successful self-employed person might seem somewhat easier. However, you are in the driver’s seat, and your decisions are the future-shaping factors. To help you with your new self-employed lifestyle, here are some tips and tricks!
Respect and manage time
Remember, time is the thing that led you to live a self-employed life. Either you were devoting too much time to your office or too little. So, when you start working independently, do keep a fixed schedule. If you have planned to call it a day at 6 in the evening, shut down all your work and never look at it until the next day.
To manage your time better, you can use various time management tools like:
- Clockify
- Scoro
- Clarizen
- Toggl Track
Keep your tasks aligned
As you are self-employed now, you don’t have to ask for tasks from any other person. You need to take, manage and complete your tasks all by yourself. It may seem a bit tough, but with the right tools in hand, it will be a cakewalk for you.
The basic thing that you need to do is count all your tasks for the day and list them as per their priority. There are many tools online that you can use for task management like:
- ProofHub
- Asana
- Airtable
- Trello
And others! These tools can assist you in prioritizing your tasks as well as those of your team members. You can add task details, comments, tag people, and can also view them in various interactive ways in the tools.
Keep an oversight over your money
Income will be your best motivator when you are self-employed. Of course, you will feel other personal benefits, such as finally following your dreams and taking control. Plus, you will not be limited to that one paycheck at the end of the month. Money will flow in all month around.
Now, it is not imperative that you earn the same amount each month, more or less than your paycheck. Hence, you will need a well-planned system for money management. For that, you need to have an app for receiving payments.
Apps like PayPal, TransferWise, Google Pay, etc., can help you receive and record the amount of money. If in any month you earned less, you can track that and handle your expenses accordingly.
As you will be doing your taxes also by yourself, you need to ensure that you are doing it right. If you are not sure about something, do seek help from a professional like an accountant.
Keep your data secure
No matter what kind of work you have, every small business or startup has some sensitive documents that need to be protected from unauthorized access. Moreover, as your machine, like desktop or laptop, will be connected to the internet all the time, it is necessary for you to ensure that the connection is safe.
For making your computer inaccessible to hackers and cybercriminals, you need to have powerful anti-virus software. Moreover, this is not going to be enough. What if your internet connection is unsafe? Since you are self-employed, you are welcome to work from anywhere. So, it is no news that you might stop to answer some emails at your local coffee shop. And in these places, you are tempted to connect to Wi-Fi (which makes your connection unsafe).
You need VPN software to evade these dangers related to unsafe connections. A VPN for browsing will ensure that your internet traffic is encrypted; plus, you can easily access geographically restricted content if required. Since the VPN will protect the integrity of your data, you can safely connect to any network and continue working on your tasks!
Equip yourself with necessary gadgets
Gadgets are all that can make your work easy. When working independently, make sure that you have the required gadgets and services like laptops, high-speed internet connections, headsets, and others based on your work profile.
Accept challenges and never stop learning
As you are not anymore part of a 9-5 job where a single mistake can cost you your job itself, it is best to accept new challenges and make mistakes. Yes, you may lose some clients or work initially, but you will learn a lot. It will, in turn, help you grow faster than you might not have in your job.
Know your goal
Everybody wants an easy life, but unfortunately, it is not that easy to get. If you’re going to make it easy, you need to work hard in the beginning. And you can only work hard when you know what you want in the end, what is your goal.
As per stats, 13% of startups fail just because they do not have a clear goal or lose focus. So, if you plan to begin your startup after grinding up for a few months, you need to set your priorities in line.
Final Words
To be independent is not an easy job, but there is nothing better than that when you get a hold on it. Therefore, if you plan to get off your daily 9-5 job schedule, prepare well beforehand and begin your journey to your dreams. Do keep all the mentioned points in mind to get a smooth start.