How to work on multiple projects as a freelancer

Last week our freelancer WhatsApp group was discussing how to work on multiple projects at the same time. One of our members was looking to start doing this but was wondering about the logistics. It got me thinking that there are likely other freelancers that would like to move to this way of working but are unsure how.

With the exception of the first ever contract I did as a freelancer (after leaving NHS Digital but before founding Joy) I have always worked on multiple projects at once.

It’s not going to be for everyone. Some people will prefer immersing themselves in one subject matter at a time, context switching isn’t for everyone. Some people will prefer to keep their freelance life admin-light and will not want the organisational overhead that comes with working in this way.

For me it felt right. The driving force behind my decision was the desire to have the variety of working on multiple projects. This is something I always enjoyed about working in a design consultancy and, because of my years in this environment, something I was used to and confident I could manage.

Obviously working in this way comes with a degree of privilege, it means more than one client wants to buy your services at the same time. But if you find yourself in this situation and want to give it a go, here’s a few things to consider.

1. Three projects is the sweet spot.

   This might not be the same for everyone, especially if you’re just starting out working in this way, but I find three projects is the right amount. This is obviously dependent on the size, complexity and time commitment of each project. Mine tend to be on the smaller side, 1-2 days a week each over a 3-4 moth period.

2. It’s easier to not sell set days to clients.
   I don’t commit to working on particular projects on set days. Working in this way ensures I have the flexibility I need to wrap projects around each other and plan my weeks based on the rolling commitments of each piece of work. When I have had set days, I’ve found it to be largely inefficient unless the whole team is scheduled for team working together.

3. Planning your time is key.
   This way of working does take a bit of organising. I tend to try and have my week planned out by the Thursday the week before. I obviously have meetings booked in, which I try to group together so I don’t have half hour gaps dotted through the day. Then I hold time in my diary to do certain tasks. Over the years I’ve got fairly accurate about predicting how long it will take me to do something. I don’t have a calendly (apart from for my walk and talk conversations which I upload slots to) because I like to keep control of my diary.

4. You need to be good at setting boundaries.
   A big part of planning my time is making sure I set boundaries with clients around when they will receive something by and when I’ll be available. I find most people are fine with this as long as your communication is clear and they get what they need, when they need it. Something that has helped me strengthen my boundary setting is having Fridays off.

5. Beware of context switching overload.
   Context switching can be difficult, and again, its not the optimal way to work for some people. I find I can manage working on different projects in one day but I struggle if I have back-to-back short meetings on different things. I think with this, it’s about learning what you can manage and planning your time in a way that works for you.

6. Be careful of clashes further down the project timeline.
   I’ve been caught out by this one before. I’m good at short term planing but not as good at longer term planning. I’ve had times when workshops for 3 different projects have all fallen in the same week because I didn’t look ahead and timelines were all created separately. I haven’t found the right tool for this yet but I’d definitely recommend expanding out of Google Calendar!

I find working on multiple projects to be one of the most rewarding aspects of being a freelance service designer. I love the variety of being exposed to different subject matters and problems spaces. I love being able to stretch my brain in different ways over the same time period and I love mixing it up with who I work with.

The best thing though is being able to say ‘yes’ to work you get asked to do that you’re excited about even though you already have something on.

Hopefully these few pointers will help other freelancers out there give it a go too. If you already working in this way I’d love to hear how it’s going for you. If you’re thinking about making the shift, is there anything else you’re wondering about?

Hat tip to Charlie Fountaine for providing the inspiration for this weeks weeknote. Charlie is a fabulous freelance service designer and writes a super insightful newsletter.