Getting and staying organised is one of the most important parts of the business side of being a freelancer. It can save a huge amount of worrying and headaches, and can make sure you don't lose track of any important leads or lose quality in your work while rushing for a deadline.



I will share with you some of the websites, programs and ways I use to stay organised – this is what has been working for me as an illustrator. I know some of you may be designers or in other fields so see this as a rough guide which can be altered to your needs.

1. Organising your emails

It may seem obvious, but when you start to get lots of emails coming in from all over the place, the gmail filters and tabs can help massively.

You can add and alter the 'Updates' tab to only show updates from various websites. If like me you run multiple online shops, you can have a whole tab dedicated exclusively to customer orders and enquiries.



As well as organising with tabs, it's helpful to stick to work hours when checking work emails, and try not to let too many build up. Avoid lots of back and forth emails by only checking your inbox a limited amount of times per day. This should help you prioritise time to the actual making rather than talking about making.

2. Tracking project leads

People commissioning you are likely to be very busy. Some sort of CRM (customer relationship management) and a way of keeping track of projects is crucial.

Don't miss out on a great opportunity because you forgot to follow up an email.