If you’re thinking about becoming a freelancer, congrats! You’re about to embark on one of the most rewarding and life-affirming journeys you could possibly imagine.
But if you’re just starting out, you might be feeling a little lost. How do you set your rates? How do you get hired? How do you account for taxes? The list goes on.
Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.
In this article, we’ll review 11 common freelancing tips and give you the truth about each one. If you choose to ignore our advice, don’t blame us when you’re doing late-night project work on Christmas Eve!
| Takeaways for Freelancers |
|---|
| 1. Stay organized with project management tools. |
| 2. Build a strong professional network. |
| 3. Don’t underestimate the power of self-promotion. |
| 4. Prioritize ongoing learning and skill development. |
| 5. Set clear boundaries with clients to maintain work-life balance. |
| 6. Consider diversifying your client base for stability. |
| 7. Always have a contract in place to protect yourself. |
| 8. Stay up to date with industry trends and best practices. |
| 9. Embrace feedback and continuously improve your work. |
| 10. Don’t be afraid to negotiate rates and contracts. |
| 11. Take care of your mental and physical well-being. |
11 Freelancing Tips You Won’t Find Elsewhere
1. You’re Going To Be Lonely
There’s this romantic idea of freelancing as the ultimate freedom to work where you want when you want, and how you want (aka in your underwear while eating cinnamon rolls). But the truth is that being a freelancer can get lonely. Sure, it’s convenient to not have someone breathing over your shoulder, or having to suffer through small talk about last night’s television lineup, but it can also get pretty boring.
Just remember that there are tons of ways to combat loneliness: co-working spaces are great for meeting like-minded people and making some new friends; if you’re able to take on long-term contracts at one company, that can help stave off isolation; or if all else fails, just don’t neglect your friends outside of work—they need you too!
Building a successful freelance career while having a full-time job is possible. Check out our article on 6 Reasons to Be a Freelancer in Addition to Having a Full-Time Job to discover why freelancing can provide flexibility, financial growth, and personal fulfillment.
2. Learn To Manage Your Time Effectively
When people think of freelancing, they often think of the freedom to work when you want, how you want. While this is true, what they don’t tell you is that a lot goes into that freedom.
If you’re working two or three jobs and trying to manage them all at once or tackling nine different projects for just one client, you need to have excellent time management skills. Make sure to give yourself realistic deadlines for each project so that you can turn around your work in good time.
In addition to making sure you’ve planned enough time to get projects done, be mindful of how much time you spend on each project. This can help prevent clients from taking advantage of freelancers and their time. If a client wants more than the amount of work that your initial fee covers, try to negotiate with them before agreeing to do more work.
3. Always Have A Back-Up Plan
You may be working with another freelancer or even a business that needs your services, but if something happens to them, you’ll need to find another source of income. It’s best to have two or three different clients so you won’t lose all your income at once.
You can start by building your own website and selling products or services on it.
You can also consider getting a part-time job that pays well.
Either way, having a backup plan will help keep you calm during your freelancing career.
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4. Do Not Be Afraid To Ask For What You Deserve
As a freelancer, you don’t have the luxury of negotiating an entire salary package. Instead, you negotiate one number: your hourly rate.
But don’t be afraid to ask for what you deserve. New freelancers often underprice themselves, but this is a mistake.
The best way to know what you should be charging is to do some research and to look at numbers from other freelancers in your industry. But make sure that their experience is comparable to yours. For example, a freelance developer with 10 years of experience won’t charge the same hourly rate as someone who’s just getting started.
5. Never Be Afraid To Say No
When you start freelancing, you can get so excited about the prospect of working for yourself that you take any client who will have you. And that’s great! You need clients. You can’t make money if you don’t have people paying you.
But sometimes clients don’t understand that they’re working with a professional or they may not realize how important it is to respect the boundaries of your contract. That means that sometimes clients ask for more than what your contract says they’ll be getting from you. This can include work outside the scope of the project, more time in the calendar to finish tasks or any number of other things.
This is not an unusual thing to happen; it happens to every freelancer at some point. The important thing is that it’s your job as a professional to enforce the expectations set forth in your contract and make sure that both parties are living up to them. Remember: A contract is there to protect everyone involved! It’s not just a roadblock or something that a client needs to get around it’s an equalizer, and it makes sure everyone knows what’s expected of them
6. You’ll Have To Deal With Your Own Healthcare
When you’re working as a freelancer, figuring out your healthcare is just another thing on your plate.
None of us do it because we like the idea of navigating our own health insurance or going to the doctor and getting a bill in the mail every other week. But when you’re young, healthy, and starting out, it’s easy to put off going to the doctor until something goes wrong.
The problem with that is that there are all kinds of routine preventative tests that can help you stay healthy and proactively treat conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure before they get worse. So even if you don’t feel like anything’s wrong with you right now, it’s worth talking to your doctor about what tests you need, then actually doing them.
7. Not All Clients Are Created Equal
What they will tell you: “Clients are going to be great! You’ll have people who are excited to work with you, and they’ll love what you make them! Clients will pay you on time, and they won’t ask for revisions that are just different ways of saying the same thing.”
What they won’t tell you: “Not all clients treat freelancers the same way. Some of them don’t take your career seriously, and others just want to get as much out of you as they can while they’re paying less than a full-time employee would cost.
There’s a chance that some clients will get angry with you when something goes wrong and take it out on your pay, even if it wasn’t your fault. Some clients might try to run the clock out on the work you do because they think that freelancers don’t deserve to be paid for their time. Others might ask for things that aren’t actually what they want, and then expect you to know how to read their minds without being told.
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8. You Can’t Take Days Off Whenever You Want
Freelancing is a great job for those who want to work on a flexible schedule and pursue their own projects. However, it’s important to keep in mind that when you’re a freelancer, you don’t get paid vacation or sick days, holidays, or weekends when you don’t work.
You might be wondering whether or not that’s really true. Well, it is! Freelancers don’t qualify for the same protections that regular employees do because they operate outside of the traditional employer-employee relationship.
Don’t let this stop you from becoming a freelancer if you really want to make it happen—just make sure to save up cash reserves so that you can afford to pay yourself during times when regular work isn’t available.
9. You Might Not Make As Much As You’d Hoped
As a freelancer, you can set your own rates, and you should! But no one tells you that might not be enough to make ends meet. If you’re used to a salary-based job where they pay your taxes and health insurance, you might not realize that you’ll need to budget for those things when you freelance.
Also, the jobs may not come as soon or as often as you’d like! It’s important to plan ahead and save money before making the leap into full-time freelancing.
10. You Can Be Your Own Boss And Make Your Own Schedule
Being your own boss and making your own schedule is so much fun! But there are some things you should know.
First of all, you’re going to have to learn how to fire yourself. You’re probably not the best boss for you—but if you really want the perks of being self-employed, you have to admit that working with a manager who’s more demanding than you are is going to help you get ahead.
And while it can be great to take off from work whenever you want, make sure that this doesn’t turn into an excuse for slacking off. When no one’s looking over your shoulder, it can be easy to get distracted by social media or other projects that make you feel like you’re working but aren’t actually earning money. You’ll want to set boundaries for yourself so that your productivity stays high when no one else is around to keep track of what you’re up to.
Finally, remember that figuring out how much time something takes is a lot harder when it’s just you doing everything. If a client asks how long something will take, give them a range rather than a specific number. And when you’re setting deadlines for yourself, try adding on an extra day or two just in case something comes up—because it
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11. No Health Insurance
No one is going to tell you about the health insurance thing. And for good reason. You can’t get it unless you’re working for someone who offers it, and if you’re a freelancer, that’s probably not going to be the case.
That doesn’t mean you’re doomed to live with no health insurance forever, though. There are ways around this!
If you want to keep your current job and freelance on the side, consider asking your employer about what happens if you work from home part-time or how they would feel about you taking an unpaid leave of absence. This could be a great way to get what you need while still maintaining some level of job security and benefits.
If none of those options work out, don’t worry too much—there are several other options available! One is that most states will allow individuals without insurance through their employers to purchase a private policy directly from insurance companies or brokers instead (usually at higher rates than if it were employer-based). Another option would be looking into government-funded plans like Medicaid or Medicare depending on your income level/age requirements.
As a freelancer, it’s crucial to develop essential skills that set you apart in a competitive market. Enhance your freelance career by mastering the key skills discussed in our article, Freelance Skills Every Freelancer Should Have. From communication to time management, these skills will contribute to your success as a freelancer.
Takeaway
I hope this article has taught you a thing or two about freelancing that you didn’t know before. I certainly learned a lot of things as I was writing it, and I’ve been doing this for months now.
Freelancing is always evolving and changing, but if you know what to expect, you should be able to adapt. Just hold onto your passion for design and be willing to take on the challenges that come with being in business for yourself. Never lose sight of the fact that you can enjoy your work if you give it a chance.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources you can explore for more freelance tips and advice:
Freelancer Guide: A comprehensive guide providing valuable tips and insights to help freelancers succeed in their careers.
Hello Bonsai Blog: A blog post offering 100 useful freelance tips to enhance productivity, manage finances, and navigate the challenges of freelancing.
Xolo Blog: A collection of 21 tips specifically tailored for first-time freelancers, covering various aspects of freelancing from finding clients to managing contracts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s The Best Way To Make Sure I’m Getting Paid?
Make sure your contract specifies how much you’re getting paid and when you’ll be paid (as well as what happens if you don’t get paid). That way, if someone doesn’t pay you, there are no questions about what they’re supposed to do or whether they owe anything at all.
What’s The Best Platform To Use?
There are several options, but we recommend Upwork as a good place to start because it has a built-in feedback system so you can build up your reputation quickly.
When Should I Raise My Rates?
When it’s time for a raise, ask for one! You shouldn’t wait too long before asking for more money—if you’ve been working with someone for a year, it’s probably time for an increase in pay or benefits
Are There Any Topics You’d Recommend Avoiding?
Avoid politics! It’s just too hot of a topic right now and it will only lead to trouble for both sides. Try writing about something more neutral such as movies or TV shows that have recently come out.
Do I Have To Be A Great Writer?
No! You just need to be a good writer, and even that will come with practice. The best part about being a freelancer is that you get to choose your projects, so you can write about subjects you feel comfortable writing about. And the more you write, the stronger your skills will become.
How Do I Decide What Freelance Work To Accept?
Deciding what assignments to take on is an important part of being self-employed. Start by getting clear on which types of jobs you actually enjoy doing, then search for those kinds of jobs online and see if they’re worth pursuing. You might find that some opportunities pay better than others.
What’s The Best Piece Of Advice You Can Give Me?
Don’t leave your day job until you’re making consistent money from your freelancing work. And even then, think very carefully about whether or not it’s worth it to quit.
I am a content writer, and I love what I do! Writing makes me feel like the words are flowing through my fingers, and then onto the keyboard, like magic. My experience as a writer has taught me that writing makes me feel good, as well as helps others to feel better too!