Running a freelance business is challenging as it is, especially if you’re working on your own.

Wearing multiple hats and making sure you have enough rest—these two are not easy to balance. So it’s always great to have tools that help make things easier.

Wethos scope of work templates are among those tools. Getting clients and building that business from the ground up is already complicated, which is why we designed tools that will make other parts of freelancing—invoicing, project templates, and collaboration, among others, easier. In this creative field, it’s not really about having all the tools the world has to offer. It’s about having the right ones that work best for you.

What are scope of work templates?

So, what are scope of work templates? These things did not exist when online freelancing started many years ago, why should we care about this now?

In the simplest terms, a scope of work, also called SoW, is a document that outlines a project. This can be in PDF or Google Docs or whatever format you prefer. Its job is to detail the tasks involved to realize a project. It’s not just a doc that tells the client the step-by-step process of how you’re going to work on the project, but each scope of work template will paint a clear picture of what’s involved in every step so the client would understand exactly what he’s getting for hiring you. This also includes other important details like rates and estimated time or duration for each task.

How can scope of work templates help build your freelance business?

Pricing

Wethos’ scope of work templates include pricing data collated from the freelancers who use our platform. This is especially helpful if you’re still starting out and unsure how to go about pricing your services. And since these templates are free to use, edit, and download, you don’t have to worry about shelling out some cash. Instead, you can focus on making your own money.

Task Clarity

Scope of work templates are also very helpful in terms of maintaining clarity between you and your client. As a freelancer, you will most likely meet a client who will ask for tasks or  deliverables that are not originally what you both agreed upon. Maybe these are additional tasks the client thinks are okay to add without changing the compensation. But these things are not always easy to discern and you might find yourself saying yes to them. This is known as scope creep.

Scope of work templates will be that document you can refer to when situations like this arise, so you and your client will both be reminded what tasks are included in the agreed project and what tasks aren’t. Clarity is very important for every freelance business to succeed.

Project Timeline

Another benefit of an SoW is that it details the project timeline. It’s so easy to lose track of time and just pour your energy into one thing, one task, or one part of the project. When you have scope of work templates, you’ll see when you should finish what. Accomplishing things on time or before the deadline is one of the many joys of being a freelancer. You’d want to create a scope of work template that details this so, again, you and your client would know what to expect and when.

Tools to create scope of work templates easily and effortlessly

The question now is, how do you create a scope of work template? Is this going to take up a lot of mental energy? Are you going to waste so much time learning about it?

There are tons of resources online but if you don’t want to deal with information overwhelm, Wethos has over 100 free scope of work templates that you can explore. See how other freelancers do social media strategy, for instance. Also, see what they’re pricing. Most scope of work templates you can find online don’t include pricing suggestions — so you’d really want to make the most of this. You’d want to maximize the use of it so adding your rates is a smart move.

Another way to create scope of work templates easily is to DIY them. Yes, this will take more time but it will also be tailor-made for you and your business, so no need to rush having a new one created. DIY is especially a bright idea if you’ve already used pre-made templates and are looking to explore and customize the tasks involved in a project. This is your unique approach to the project, so of course, feel free to DIY. When you find yourself looking for ease and straightforwardness, Wethos’ scope of work templates are just here to help out.

Whether you’re new to freelancing or not, laying out what tasks a project requires is always a great idea. This goes to show you not only care about your business but also your clients. SoWs are there to help bring clarity to a relationship between you and your client. It helps avoid unplanned tasks and provides a clear schedule for you and your client to revisit when needed. At the end of the day, businesses thrive when things are well-organized. You can start organizing every project and how you’d approach each of them through scope of work templates.