Freelance Matters | Project Management
I get a lot of questions about freelancing - so I've decided to create a whole Freelance Matters as a part of the Matters Series. Some of the topics will include organization, time management, accounting, landing clients, collaborating, pitching and more. Today I want to kick off the Freelance Matters series with project management.
When I first started freelancing I would have an average of 4-6 projects in the works at any given time. I was able to keep track of my deadlines and work flow in my head. A year later I typically have 12-16 projects on my to-do list at any given time - keeping track of my work load and major deadlines in my head and on random to-do lists was driving me insane. I knew I needed to get a system for project management in place. So, I went to Target and loaded up on 9" x 12" manilla envelopes and scotch tape. I introduced the job jacket into my life.
This day in age, where everything can be managed online, there is something about having a physical representation of a job in hand. It's where all the important information is stored and at a glance you can see the status of a job at any given time.
MY JOB JACKETS
Here is how I structure my job jacket, for now. I know as I grow and change so will the information I include on my job jacket. 
HEADER
1. My logo and contact information (letterhead)
2. A bold one-word description of the invitation
3. Client contact information
4. Invoice # (designated in Freshbooks) & Date Opened
MAIN CONTENT
1. Job Description & Specs: Here I include the size and print information for all the materials I'm designing.
2. Projected Timeline: Here I include all the major deadlines with little check boxes next to them.
3. Printing Information: Here is where I keep track of whether or not I've requested a print quote, which printer I'm using and the final estimate amount.
4. Shipping Information: Here is where I include when I shipped a project, the tracking # and the final shipping amount.
5. Financials at a Glance: I keep track of my financials in Freshbooks but it's good to have it on paper so I can see exactly how much I'm spending (expenses) and am making (profit) on a project.
SIDEBAR
6. Art Direction: Here is where I include a little blurb about art direction. I may have more information to go on (like in an email from my client or sketches from my notebook) but here is where I bullet point the general look and feel of a project.
7. Notes: Here is where I include any additional notes about a project. It can be anything from sketches to notes about when the client is going to be unavailable.
INSIDE THE JOB JACKET
I keep my initial design mock-ups, extra notes, my invoice and client estimate and final print specs inside the physical job jacket.
POST-IT NOTES
I have a post-it note on each job jacket with a bold deadline - this date is usually when an initial design is due or when a job is supposed to go to print.
THE STACK
I stack my job jackets in order of importance. Whatever job jacket is on top of the stack is the job I need to work on at that moment. When I finish a task I check a box off the task-list (projected timeline) and move the job jacket to the bottom of the stack.
Utilizing job jackets for project management has made freelance life so much more efficient. If you want to utilize this system for your own workflow I would recommend the following:
• Figure out your process - Take notes on how you work. What steps come first? Find points in the process where you are inefficient. For me, it was constantly having to look at my original specs for a job - which is why I include them on the front of my job jacket.
• Organize & refine your process - I clearly block out how a job comes through my office from start to finish on my job jacket.
• Be brief - Bullets and lines are your friend. It defeats the point if you are too detailed on your job jacket.
If you have any more questions about project management ask away in the comments section. I'm also available for consulting if you need help organizing your own work flow. And as always, please let me know if there are other Freelance Matters issues you would like me to address in the future.
Related Topics:
• TO-DO Matters
• Online Tools I Use for Freelancing
• All posts tagged Freelance
Is it strange that reading about anything pertaining to organization gets me excited?
Ashley - You're not the only one! I find that my posts on organization (from kitchen to freelancing) gets people reading. I wish I was more organized by nature...
Oh wow, I am looking forward to this series!! I love learning how freelance/ individual business owners do their thang. Fabulous organization advice! xo
thanks for sharing. i love it when people are open about their process. whatever process that might be. here's to a week full of organized designing with feelings of creativity and accomplishment.
Wow, pretty awesome and nifty. I'm with you on actually feeling the items as opposed to storing it online. Unless it's a bill. Email me the bill.
Kathleen, thank you so much for doing this. Your blog is in my top 3 favorite reads, and I recently switched majors to creative writing and graphic design. I'm excited about all your Freelance Matters pieces- it'll be a nice way to see my potential problems BEFORE having them, and knowing how to solve them, too!
Thanks so much again!
love, rudi
Organization like that just turns me on! lol
Thanks for sharing! I am also in the process of incorporating these jackets for my letterpress projects - lovely to see how you're doing it!
I love this idea! I used something like it for the events I managed. Except your jackets are way more organized looking and cute!
Hi Kathleen!
I've recently stumbled upon your blog and I can't stop reading it. I can't wait to read this new series on freelancing. Thank you for providing such great information.
Stephanie
Thank you so much for sharing! I lost my job in December as part of a mass layoff and I'm jumping into the freelance world as a web designer/developer in the next few weeks. I'm in the process of coding up my own site now. These posts are so inspiring to me right now.
LOSING MY MIND AT THE GENIUS OF IT ALL. Seriously Kathleen, I think you may have just fixed my life. I need to copy all of this exactly.
(Well, not exactly. You know what I mean!)
Amazing.
(And glad to hear you like Freshbooks. I've been contemplating.)
Oooo! Yeah! I'm with everyone else - organization gets me all excited. I love this idea for a series! Looking forward to the rest!
Very nice Kathleen! I really look forward to reading the rest of these posts. I think it will be helpful in my summer goal of organizing my shop and getting all of the pesky things (business license and what not) in order.
Kathleen, I'm so in love with your organization. You're absolutely brilliant. Honestly, I kinda want to work for you just to be part of all the lists and organization. Sigh. Brilliant.
You guys! I'm so flattered that you like this post. I kind of take this sort of thing for granted and honestly don't think of myself as an organized person. I'm glad it's useful to you all!
I'm not doing freelance but I can still totally appreciate how just bad ass this organization is! Kick ass!
I use a similar checklist in my domestic life. I like to keep organized and focused. I think it sounds like you're way more naturally organized that you give yourself credit for. :)
love this and am so excited about this series on freelancing!
Yes! You're super awesome for being so open about your process. I am sometimes terribly disorganized in other areas of my life (my bedroom comes immediately to mind) but am a super stickler for file organization/management on my computer, so this will be a nice way to try and keep that organization up in a physical way!
Do you have paper stock books laying around from your printer? I've tended to trust what the print shop recommends for the particular project, but would love to be able to tell them a paper stock. LOVE Cougar papers, too!
Aw, job jackets! As a former traffic manager/PM, it warms the cockles of my heart to see a Creative make their own and do such a terrific and thorough job of it. Way to stay on top of things - I know it's not easy when it's not your nature to think of these things.
Kate - I have a hard time staying organized with my samples and stuff like that but when it comes to organizing my work flow... I think may have been a traffic / production manager in a past life.
I am seriously impressed by you right now. You are a total organizational badass.
This is fantastic. Do you have any advice for composing contracts with clients??
I love seeing the layout of your process! If you don't mind, I'll be using this as a jumping point for organizing projects in the contracting company of which I am now supreme manager (time/project, office, client). Also, if it wasn't for you, I would never have found Freshbooks. You = awesome.
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