Achieving The Perfect Work-Life Balance As A Freelancer

The Covid-19 pandemic led many of us to discover we could work efficiently in a remote or hybrid setup, while simultaneously benefitting from a better work-life balance.

As a result, the world of IT saw a surge of consultants and tech pros take the leap into

IT freelancing. Today’s professionals value spending more time with family, friends, or on hobbies, as opposed to being bound by a rigid 9 to 5 with daily commutes.

While freelancing certainly does bring more control and autonomy, the latest study by Leapers highlights some of the drawbacks too. For instance, 75% of self-employed workers interviewed said they took less than 28 days off in 12-months. This falls below the mandatory legal right for employees in the UK. These findings show that freelancers might struggle to cultivate the balance they’d initially hoped for. 

We know the importance of a healthy work-life balance, but it’s not always easy to achieve. Running a freelance IT business and pleasing clients can be overwhelming.

In this article, we will dig deeper into why work-life balance matters and share tips to help you achieve the right balance for your business, helping you to thrive in your freelance career.

Why Is Your Work-Life Balance Important?

Finding balance in our personal life and work life is what we all strive for to be happy and content.

Of course, this balance looks different for everyone. For some, it means the flexibility to do the school run, spend more time with family or take more holidays. For others, it’s about more time spent on hobbies or increasing earnings to reach a financial goal.

Whatever your personal motivations are, a good work-life balance brings huge benefits to our mental health and wellbeing. With the right balance, we experience less stress and more joy in all areas of life. On the flip side, poor balance can lead to stress and burnout, with knock-on effects to our personal lives and relationships.

As a freelancer, sticking to healthy work hours can be tough, especially when working from home or at a client’s site. Running your own freelance business means not only working on projects but also finding clients, sending proposals, managing finances, and chasing invoices.

These tasks can seem endless and often spill over into personal time. So, why is it so tough for independent IT consultants to achieve a good work-life balance, and what can you do about it?

Separating your personal and professional life

Working from home can make it hard to set office hours or switch off from work at the end of the day.

For many IT freelancers, there simply aren’t enough hours to manage projects and the long list of business tasks.

To improve workflow and avoid stress and burnout, many self-employed IT pros turn to management companies to help them manage time-consuming admin.

Here at Hightekers, we can enhance your freelance IT business with a raft of dedicated support.

We handle:

• Invoicing
• Chasing payments
• Answering invoice queries
• Legal paperwork
• Fee collection
• Expense management
• Managing the PAYE function

This leaves you with more time to focus on freelance projects and find your work-life balance.

How to Find Your Perfect Work-Life Balance As An IT Freelancer

Achieving a perfect work-life balance as a freelance IT consultant is no small feat, but it’s essential for avoiding burnout and stress.

The reality is, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and what works for one person might not work for another. It’s vital to understand your own limits and stress triggers to develop a personalised balance that suits you and your business.

Keep in mind it’s not about a strict 50:50 split; it’s about finding harmony that allows you to be productive in your work while making the most of your personal life.

Here are our top tips for creating a work-life balance that works for you:

Set clear boundaries

Making yourself available around the clock means you will never truly switch off. Set your freelancing working hours and stick to them to give yourself the downtime you need. Allocate specific times for your business admin and other tasks so everything gets done efficiently. 

Remember, your working hours don’t have to be the traditional 9-5. One of the biggest perks of having a freelance IT business is its flexibility. If you prefer starting at 5 or 6 am or working in the evenings, that’s perfectly fine as long as you clearly define your office hours. 

Communicate your availability to your clients to manage their expectations and ensure your personal time remains uninterrupted.

Create a work schedule

Balancing multiple client tasks and administrative duties can be challenging without a clear plan. By creating a detailed work schedule, you’ll gain a better understanding of what needs to be done and what remains unfinished within your freelance business.

Identify the times of day when you are most productive and allocate your most demanding tasks to these periods. Reserve simpler tasks for less productive times. For instance, avoid checking emails while working on major projects to prevent distractions. Set specific times for checking and responding to emails so you can stay focused and efficient throughout the day.

Consider outsourcing routine tasks to a management or umbrella company

There are many umbrella or management companies that can simplify and streamline the running of your freelance IT business.

Partnering with one allows you to focus solely on projects by taking administrative burdens off your plate.

What’s more, when you join a management company you gain the benefits of being an employee – such as contracts and compliance – while still having the freedom to choose your clients.

A management company like Hightekers will take care of all your admin, making it easier for you to grow your freelance business and separate your work life from your personal life.

Hightekers: More Than An Average Umbrella Company

What sets Hightekers apart?

Firstly, we specialise in the IT and Engineering industry. This means we are more than a run-of-the-mill umbrella or management company – we have a deep understanding of the IT space and the needs of your business.

We only work with IT professionals, and we have honed our expertise to provide the best support to our growing network of IT contractors and freelancers.

Here’s what you get when you choose Hightekers:

Dedicated Expert: A dedicated account manager to handle your queries.

Professional Network: Access to over 3000 IT professionals.

PAYE Status: Assurance of PAYE status and administrative support.

Timely Payments: Guaranteed payment at the end of the month.

Contract Negotiation: Assistance with negotiating contracts to maximise your earnings.

Employee-Partner Benefits: Enjoy all the benefits of an employee-partner status.

Training and Development: Support for continuous learning and development.

HR Support: Comprehensive HR assistance.