Notion is an exceptional tool for freelancers. Its versatility and customizable features make it a powerhouse for managing projects, organizing client information, tracking tasks, and so much more.
Notion’s all-in-one workspace consolidates everything you need into a single platform, allowing you to have a comprehensive view of your freelance business. Below, I’ll talk about how useful Notion can be for freelancers, based on my own experience with the platform.
Why Notion Is Good For Freelancers
Highly Flexible Tool
Notion’s flexibility is one of its standout qualities, and there really are lots of ways to use Notion as a freelancer. As a freelancer, you wear many hats and have lots of unique workflows. Notion caters to this by offering customizable templates, blocks, and a drag-and-drop interface.
You have the freedom to design your workspace to fit your specific needs, whether you’re a writer, designer, developer, or any other type of freelancer. Notion adapts to you, rather than the other way around!
Simple Collaboration
Collaboration is a breeze with Notion too. Notion’s real-time collaboration feature allows you to share pages, assign tasks, and leave comments, whether it’s with clients or other freelancers.
Everyone involved can collaborate seamlessly within Notion, ensuring that everyone stays on the same page and projects move forward smoothly. You will need a paid account to make the most of some of these features though.
Staying Organized
Notion also excels in the organization department. Freelancers deal with a myriad of information, from client details to project deadlines and research notes. Notion’s databases and customizable fields allow you to store, sort, and search through information efficiently.
You can create client databases, project trackers, content calendars, and more. With Notion, you can bid farewell to scattered documents and have all your important data at your fingertips.
The Notion Community
Furthermore, Notion has a vibrant and supportive community. Being a freelancer can sometimes feel isolating, but with Notion, you are part of a thriving community. You can find inspiration, discover new ways of using Notion, and seek help from others.
The community shares templates (many of which are specifically designed for freelancers, by freelancers), workflows, and tips that can enhance your freelance experience. It’s like having a supportive network cheering you on as you navigate your freelancing journey!
The Pros & Cons Of Notion For Freelancers
Pros Of Using Notion As A Freelancer
Versatility: Notion’s flexibility and customizable features make it adaptable to various freelance workflows, allowing you to create a workspace that suits your specific needs, no matter what they are.
All-In-One Workspace: With Notion, you can consolidate multiple tools and systems into one platform, providing a centralized hub for managing projects, tasks, clients, and more.
Collaboration: Notion’s real-time collaboration capabilities enable seamless communication and collaboration with clients, contractors, and team members, ensuring everyone stays on the same page.
Organization: Notion excels in providing organization tools, including databases, templates, and content structuring options, allowing freelancers to maintain a well-structured workspace and easily find information.
Customizability: With the ability to create templates, design layouts, and adjust views, Notion empowers freelancers to tailor their workspace to match their unique preferences and workflows.
Vibrant Community: Notion’s active and supportive community shares templates, tips, and inspiration, providing valuable resources and fostering a sense of camaraderie among freelancers. Check out the Notion subreddit specifically!
It’s Free: Finally, Notion is free! You can get a paid account if you need more collaboration abilities along with a few other features like revision history, but most freelancers will be able to get by with a free account.
Cons Of Using Notion As A Freelancer
Steep Learning Curve: Notion’s extensive features and customization options can be overwhelming at first, and it takes time to fully grasp its capabilities and make the most of all its features.
Limited Mobile Experience: While Notion offers mobile apps, the user experience is not as robust as the desktop version, which may hinder productivity when working on the go. I personally find it tough to use the mobile version of Notion because it’s so clunky compared to the desktop app (which I use 99% of the time anyway).
Lack Of Native Integrations: While Notion does offer some integrations, the range of available native integrations with third-party apps and services is limited compared to dedicated project management or communication tools.
This is only a con if you really want to be able to use those apps with Notion, and I personally find Notion to work well as a standalone app for most of my freelancing needs.
How To Get The Most Out Of Notion As A Freelancer
Plan & Design Your Workspace
Before diving into using Notion, take some time to plan and design your workspace. Consider your specific needs and workflows as a freelancer. Create a clear hierarchy of pages and sections that reflect the different aspects of your business.
Think about how you want to structure your project management, client management, and other key areas. By starting with a well-thought-out workspace design, you can set yourself up for success.
It can be quite overwhelming when you first start using Notion, so sketching out what your ideal workspace would look like before trying to create it can make things much easier.
Leverage Templates & Blocks
Notion offers a vast library of templates and pre-designed blocks that can save you time and provide inspiration. Explore the template gallery and find ones that align with your needs. These templates can serve as a foundation for your projects, client databases, content calendars, and more.
Customize them to fit your requirements, and experiment with different blocks to add extra functionality to your pages. Templates and blocks are powerful tools that can accelerate your productivity and organization, and they’re pretty easy to get the hang of.
Customize For Your Workflow
One of Notion’s key strengths is its customizability, and you can tailor your workspace to match your unique freelance workflow. Adjust views, add custom properties to databases, and create new templates to suit your specific needs.
Experiment with different setups, rearrange sections, and personalize the styling to make Notion truly yours. The more you customize Notion to align with your workflow, the more seamlessly it will integrate into your freelancing routine.
Integrate & Automate
Notion offers integrations with various third-party tools that can enhance your freelancing experience. Explore integrations with task management apps, calendars, communication tools, and more. Connect Notion with tools you already use to streamline your workflow and automate repetitive tasks.
For example, you can sync your Google Calendar with Notion to have all your deadlines and appointments in one place. Integrations can save you time and reduce manual effort, allowing you to focus on the core aspects of your freelancing business, but you don’t need to worry about these if you don’t use many other apps for your freelancing business.
Continue Learning & Exploring
Notion is a powerful tool with countless features and functionalities. Don’t stop at the basics – keep learning and exploring. Take advantage of Notion’s extensive documentation, tutorials, and community resources to discover new tips, tricks, and workflows.
Engage with the Notion community, ask questions, and share your own insights. The more you dive into Notion’s capabilities, the more you’ll uncover its hidden gems and unlock its full potential for freelancers!
Notion Templates For Freelancers
Notion offers lots of built-in templates, and the community has designed lots of others specifically for freelancers, providing ready-made solutions for common freelancing needs.
These templates can save you time and serve as a starting point for organizing different aspects of your freelance business. Either check around in the app’s template gallery for ones you can adapt, or do a Google search for “Notion Freelancing Templates” for ones created by the community.
Here are a few examples of things you can use Notion templates for:
- Project management
- Client Relationship Management (CRM)
- Content calendar
- Time tracker
Whether you need assistance with client management, project tracking, or content planning, Notion templates can provide a head start in creating an organized and efficient workspace.
Notion Is Good For Freelancers
There are lots of ways to use Notion as a freelancer, and it’s one of the most versatile tools I’ve come across for managing your business. You can try Notion out for yourself here!
Chris is the creator of Freelance Ready. He originally started freelancing (on Fiverr) while at university, writing and editing website content. He created this website to share his freelancing experience and help others on their own self-employed journeys. He is now a freelance SEO consultant and content editor. You can learn more about Chris here.
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