4 Tips On How To Properly Manage Your Finances As A Freelancer

4 Tips On How To Properly Manage Your Finances As A Freelancer

More young professionals choose to go for self-employment career routes. Yet, that comes with its path of difficulties. For the most part, the related income can be extremely intermittent. This makes it essential for freelancers to understand how to handle their money correctly so that they remain stable in slower periods. Follow our four guidelines to help establish a sound financial basis.

1. When To Contact An Accountant

You definitely don’t have to contact an accountant if you are simply starting out and you are gaining a reasonably solid handle on the finances. Just be sure to maintain careful records of the money you get in and out of your business evaluations. On the other hand, you may need to get in touch with an accountant to manage your business’ finances, to help you to stay as effective as possible in taxation as it is not the same situation as evasion.

This will also help you plan your future business income and growth. You may also think about changing your smaller business into a corporate business or having more incentives afterward.

Another reason to get an accountant is when you need to apply for a loan. In most nations, loans to small companies have fallen since the financial crunch. It makes it all more crucial that when you ask for a loan, you should have a strong business case. An accountant can assist you to enhance your opportunities.

Even the fact that you have an accountant might influence the bank for your side, as it means that your business is serious. Your accountant can offer facts and numbers that support your financing application using competent accounting software. They can also address any queries your bank may have concerning revenue and expenditures.

2. Personal Budgeting

The most difficult aspect of budgeting as a freelancer is that you never know when an invoice will be paid, whether a contract will be extended, or what is lying by the side. You can fight this by checking several tools on this website and by performing a variety of things.

The first step is to develop a budget with few monthly obligations, such as choosing energy bills, saving up for vehicle insurance and tax ahead of time, and limiting credit card expenses. The second is to pay yourself a fixed monthly amount from your company account to meet all of your major costs once your business is more well-founded.

Besides, create separate corporate and personal usage bank accounts. Write cheques from the business account for business spending and personal-related spending from the personal-based account. Put the corporate money and the personal income into the private account. Don’t mix up charges and payments for these accounts with credit-card accounts, keep one for businesses and one for personal accounts.

Another reason to keep both elements separated is your business expenses and income is not clearly labeled. If you wish to claim costs as withdrawals, you must be able to demonstrate that they were for business motives. It’s a pain trying to go through your personal records during tax season. Capture business costs in your company account to make claiming these withdrawals easier.

3. Examine Your Income 

The majority of freelancers earn various amounts of money each month. If you’re not organized, it might be difficult to keep track of how much money you make. Keep track of all of your revenue so you can calculate your tax liability more accurately.

It’s also a good idea to keep track of all of your company costs throughout the year in case you qualify for business deductions at tax time. In addition, organizing your income and spending now can save you a lot of worry during tax season. There are several advantages to working as a freelancer or gig-based worker, so make wise financial judgments as you manage this unusual employment lane.

Furthermore, examine pricing through the prism of your monthly income target. How can this convert into the price of your service with your monthly income goal? How many hours do you acquire to bill each month to meet your monthly revenue target if you have hour-based pricing for your services?

How many projects do you need to be working on continuously in any chosen month if you charge a fixed rate? Examining your pricing from this angle may be both annoying and enlightening. Some freelancers who go through this process may find they need to boost their fees since their existing rates require them to work more than 14 hours a day.

4. Save For Emergencies 

Overall, we advise you to consider having emergency money, after you have money left over after paying your bills. Having a year’s worth of expenditures set aside is an important objective for properly managing your freelancing income.

Your emergency money or amount will be available for you if your income falls below the level required to meet your obligations. Furthermore, having an emergency amount allows you to reject customers who don’t seem suitable for you, or if a good customer busts into a financial obstacle and won’t be able to pay you right away, you’ll have something to grip on. 

Another version for saving for emergencies is health insurance. Anytime an unforeseen financial emergency occurs, good health insurance will be the ultimate savior. It can be a disaster when you wind up in the hospital and cannot work for a lengthy time, especially if you have family or close ones who rely upon you and your revenue if you aren’t put together for this.

Many freelancers do not get private health insurance because of the projected costs, but many do not know that subsidies and other cheap solutions are offered.

In the long run, cash arrives in waves of unpredictability, so that does not imply that you are able to set retirement savings aside. Long-drawn financial objectives remain essential and should be taken into consideration. You should still save and take advantage of the tax benefits of pension funds, even if you make occasional payments.

Try to have a clear understanding of your positive cash flow every month once you receive your budget. Carve out an additional retirement saving slot in your budget. Putting aside that particular amount will continue to help you enhance your income, remember that the idea is to start as soon as feasible.

Commonly asked questions

What is the best way to manage your time as a freelancer?

1. Set clear goals and priorities: Establish specific, measurable objectives for your work and create a plan to achieve them.
2. Use a schedule or planner: Create a daily or weekly schedule to keep track of your deadlines, appointments, and other commitments.
3. Break down tasks: Break larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks that can be completed in a shorter amount of time.
4. Eliminate distractions: Minimize interruptions and distractions by closing unnecessary tabs and apps, and finding a quiet place to work.
5. Manage your email: Set specific times of the day to check your email to avoid letting it consume too much of your time.
6. Take breaks: Regular breaks can help boost productivity and prevent burnout.
7. Outsource if possible: Consider outsourcing some tasks that you don’t have the skills or time to complete.
8. Use time tracking tools: Use time tracking tools to measure how much time you are spending on different tasks, and identify areas where you can improve your efficiency.
9. Learn to say no: Be selective in the projects you take on and don’t take on too much work that you can’t handle.
10. Stay organized: Keep your work area and files organized to save time searching for things.

How do I stop procrastinating as a freelancer?

1. Set clear and specific goals: Establish what you want to achieve and create a plan to accomplish it.
2. Break tasks into smaller chunks: Divide larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps that are easy to start and finish.
3. Use a timer: Set a timer for a specific amount of time and focus on the task at hand until the timer goes off.
4. Eliminate distractions: Minimize interruptions by closing unnecessary tabs and apps, and finding a quiet place to work.
5. Use a to-do list: Make a list of tasks to complete and prioritize them by importance.
6. Find accountability: Find an accountability partner or join a support group to stay motivated and on track.
7. Reward yourself: Give yourself a reward for completing a task or achieving a goal.
8. Change your environment: Sometimes changing your working environment can help to refresh your mind and make you more productive.
9. Practice mindfulness: Take a few minutes to practice mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing or meditation to help you focus and reduce stress.
10. Just start: Sometimes the hardest part is getting started, so just begin working on the task, even if it’s just for a few minutes. The momentum will help you to keep going.

How can I organize my life as a freelancer?

1. Create a schedule: Establish a daily or weekly schedule for your work and personal tasks, and stick to it as closely as possible.
2. Use a planner: Use a physical or digital planner to keep track of deadlines, appointments, and other commitments.
3. Break down projects: Break larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks that can be completed in a shorter amount of time.
4. Prioritize tasks: Prioritize your tasks based on importance and urgency, and tackle the most important ones first.
5. Eliminate distractions: Minimize interruptions and distractions by closing unnecessary tabs and apps, and finding a quiet place to work.
6. Use time tracking tools: Use time tracking tools to measure how much time you are spending on different tasks, and identify areas where you can improve your efficiency.
7. Keep your work area clean and organized: Keep your work area clean and organized to save time searching for things.
8. Communicate with clients: Communicate with clients regularly to keep them informed of your progress, and to ensure that you are meeting their expectations.
9. Learn to say no: Be selective in the projects you take on and don’t take on too much work that you can’t handle.
10. Take breaks: Regular breaks can help boost productivity and prevent burnout, so make sure to take a break every now and then.