Freelancing & Training: How to Find Time When You Don't Have Any

We all know the drill: training usually ends up last on the freelance to-do list, bumped down by bookkeeping, taxes, or prospecting, even though we'd love to get started! But keeping up with tech and constantly developing your skills is key to staying competitive, building your expertise, and standing out in an ever-evolving market. Stop learning, you risk being left behind - and much faster than you'd think. 

We know it’s not always easy to carve out time and organise your diary to make space for learning, and that can be frustrating. That’s why in this article, we're sharing simple methods and tools to help you embed training into your daily routine, with practical examples and insights from Yann Fontes, Senior Consultant in Digital Transformation and Sales, and a freelancer on Malt Strategy. 

With summer in full swing, now’s the perfect time to make space for upskilling and plan your next steps. Let’s dive in!

As a freelancer, your time is precious. Client work takes up 70% of your day (naturally - it's what pays the bills), 20% goes to prospecting, and the rest 10% to admin. Let’s be honest, it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and push training down the list - and then there’s procrastination: “I'll start tomorrow”. Sound familiar? But learning can actually be the engine behind your offer and the evolution of your freelance career. It’s an investment that pays off tenfold, often more than the time you put in.

The world of work is changing at breakneck speed! You hear about AI, “vibe coding” or “growth hacking” but haven’t had time to dive in? That’s exactly where training comes in. As Yann Fontes points out, “As a freelancer, I don’t need to tell anyone that our skills need to evolve constantly if we want to stand out.” Training helps you stay at the cutting edge and bring the latest innovations into your work.

Broaden your horizons and increase your value 

It’s time to shift your perspective: training isn’t a cost; it’s a strategic investment in yourself - the most valuable asset in your freelance business. Just like communication, networking or personal branding, it deserves both your budget and your time. By learning, you broaden your range of services and sharpen your expertise, making you a rare resource in a niche sector - offering higher-value services and commanding higher rates (yes, really).

Gain confidence and peace of mind 

Training gives you a solid grounding to handle complex situations. You’ll build the expertise needed to reduce stress and boost your confidence, strengthening client relationships and helping you to tackle new challenges with calm. It also nurtures your critical thinking and creativity - both highly sought-after professional skills.

Yann points out more intangible benefits:

You want to start a new training course, but everyday life catches up with you? Don’t worry - most freelancers face similar hurdles. Recognising these blockers is the first step to overcoming them.

As a freelancer, you often work to tight schedule. Urgent client work always takes priority, and billable work comes first - understandably so. 

💡 Solution: Book meetings with yourself. Treat your learning sessions like non-negotiable client meetings. Block out 30–60 minutes in your diary each week. Consistency is key to success (and to abs, but that’s another story).

Being a freelancer also means running a micro-business: prospecting, marketing, bookkeeping… All those “invisible” tasks add up fast. 

💡 Solution: Automate or delegate (hello, AI). Start by identifying the routine, low-value tasks that eat up your time. Once you’ve done that, you can either automate them with specific tools (like invoicing, project management) or delegate to a virtual assistant - or even an AI tool? Malt also helps simplify your day-to-day: prospecting, admin and invoicing are all centralised on the platform, saving you valuable time.

Procrastination and getting started 

When it comes to training, it’s all too easy to fall into the procrastination trap. It could be fear of the unknown, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content, or lack of accountability when there’s no client waiting. We all know that voice: “Just five more minutes of scrolling before I start..." 

💡 Solution: Start small. Don’t jump into huge, time-consuming courses straight away. Choose a clear, attainable learning goal. Microlearning is your best friend - think 15–20 minutes a day. Small wins will keep you motivated and build momentum.

Finding the “right” course 

With the flood of options out there (webinars, certifications, tutorials…), fear of making the wrong choice or not finding the “perfect” course can be paralysing. 

💡 Solution: Test, bit by bit. Instead of hunting for the ideal course, focus on what’s immediately relevant to your business. Ask yourself: “What can I use from this, right now?” Identify the biggest or most urgent need in your day-to-day work and look for a short, targeted resource to match. Don’t hesitate to try a free webinar or mini-course before committing.

The technological advances of our era mean you can now learn anywhere, anytime, on any topic - thanks to a wealth of tools and resources at your fingertips. 

Start by exploring free content: platforms like Malt (our Resource Center, Malt Academy, and expert-led webinars), along with specialist blogs, podcasts, videos, and e-books. The key is filtering for what’s most relevant to you. 

Beyond free options, you can also invest in paid courses such as Le Wagon (bootcamps for tech roles) and Google Cloud training. These often offer higher-quality content created by experts, with hands-on exercises and mentorship. The undeniable bonus? Recognised certifications that can give your profile a serious boost. 

AI is also playing an increasing role in professional development. For instance, Yann uses artificial intelligence to pinpoint the best resources: 

"I use AI to personalise the training newsletters I receive, based on things like the reputation of the authors, how recent the content is, and how practical it is (real projects, interactive notebooks)." 

He favours platforms like Coursera, DeepLearning.AI or Fast.AI. In his view, generative AI is transforming how we learn, and how we apply that learning in real projects.

This approach gives him a highly practical view of how to apply what he learns. And don’t forget books - the ultimate goldmine for deep learning.

You’re the only one who can decide. But before you dive in, here are some tried-and-tested questions to ask yourself:

Training isn’t a burden - it’s one of the most powerful levers for growing your freelance business. If this article has convinced you, now’s the perfect time to take action on your learning goals. Start small, choose your resources wisely, and trust your instincts. Every skill you pick up brings you closer to your goals and helps set you apart from the competition. 

To help you get started, our training partners are here to support you.

You can explore them here. 

So - ready to become the most cutting-edge freelancer on the market?