Working as a freelancer is a very different experience than working at a company or another type of traditional workplace. And while it can be stressful and exhausting, we wouldn’t trade the freedom we have for anything.
So let’s take a look at some ways that being your boss (or even just getting to work from home) means that many things in your life are very different.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Embrace uniqueness: Stand out in the freelance world by embracing your distinct skills and offerings. |
| 2. Emphasize specialization: Focus on a specific niche to become an expert in your field and attract targeted clients. |
| 3. Prioritize client relationships: Building strong connections with clients fosters trust and leads to long-term partnerships. |
| 4. Adaptability is key: Freelancers must adapt to changing market trends and client demands to remain successful. |
| 5. Value self-promotion: Actively market yourself and your services to increase visibility and gain more freelance opportunities. |
1. We Look Down At Our Phones Differently
You might have noticed that when you’re working for a company, everyone is always looking up to the boss and their co-workers. The only time anyone ever looks down is to write something down or check their phone.
But when you’re freelance, it’s very different. You don’t have a boss or co-workers watching over you so much as your computer screen. For instance, maybe someone texts you something important that requires immediate action you have to check your email immediately.
Maybe someone just posted an article on social media that completely changed the way you think about things you need to share it with your followers right away.
And hey, maybe there’s another link in those emails from clients talking about how they want more money because they’re working too hard–well then obviously this needs to be addressed immediately too!
There’s no time for playing games or doing anything other than working.
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2. Our Uniforms Are Different
You may be wondering, what does a freelancer wear? In my experience, freelancers fall into one of five categories:
- The jeans and t-shirt crowd: This is the most common look for freelancers. They’re likely to wear their hair in a ponytail or messy bun and have on no makeup at all.
- The suit people: These people tend to be older men who started as employees at large corporations but left when they could no longer afford the lifestyle that came with being part of an established company.
They still dress professionally because they are used to it and like feeling important; they often also have an affinity for bow ties and pocket squares!
- Those who wear “business casual”: This group includes people who want their outfits to reflect professionalism without being too formal think sweaters over button-downs instead of suits, comfortable shoes rather than dress shoes or boots.
Anything that makes them feel more like themselves while still looking professional!
- Those who embrace their inner hippie spirit: These folks might go barefoot every day (no matter how cold it is outside), sport dreadlocks (even if they have never smoked pot), love tie-dye clothing… you get the idea.
Their clothes aren’t necessarily cheap or even particularly fashionable; what matters most is comfortability above all else!
- And finally… those who don’t give a shit about any of this stuff!: These are usually people just starting in their career paths so there’s not much money coming in yet anyways.
3. We Feel A Different Kind Of Stress
If you’re a freelancer, you probably already know that working for yourself comes with its own unique set of challenges.
You don’t have a boss to keep you accountable for your time and productivity (and sometimes it feels like clients don’t either), and it can be easy to fall into the trap of doing everything yourself instead of delegating tasks.
The long-term effects of these things are less obvious a 2017 study found that freelancers are more likely to suffer from stress than employees but they add up over time. And while there are many benefits to being self-employed, feeling overwhelmed isn’t one of them.
Since I started my freelance career as a writer in 2014 (which eventually evolved into becoming my full-time job), I’ve struggled with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression on multiple occasions.
It wasn’t until last year when a friend recommended reading Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up that I realized how much my clutter was affecting me mentally:
My apartment was messy enough to make me feel like no one would ever want to visit me there; having an uncluttered space helped me feel happier overall.
Keeping things where they belonged made them easier for others (and myself!) to find later on down the line; etcetera ad nauseam until infinity squared infinity cubed infinity fourth power!
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4. We Handle Coffee Breaks A Little Differently
In the freelance world, coffee breaks are a little different. We don’t have to follow the same rules as office employees and cannot be counted on to show up at 9 AM every morning.
We can take breaks whenever we want and need them, but that’s not always entirely true. Because there are no real rules about when you should or shouldn’t take your break, there’s also a lot of pressure to make sure that it looks good for clients and employers alike.
While some freelancers will take their coffee breaks in groups so that they can collaborate or do something fun together like play games or talk about projects (and then say ‘I’ll get back to work now,’).
others prefer quiet moments alone with their favorite drink or snack so that they can refuel mentally before returning to work mode again later on in the day/week/month/year (or even later today if they’re feeling particularly overwhelmed).
These differences may seem small when compared with other differences between working full-time and freelancing full time but what matters here is how these seemingly insignificant details affect each person’s well-being over time and this could lead us down a whole different rabbit hole altogether.
5. We’re Not At The Mercy Of Someone Else’s Success Or Failure
One of the biggest differences between traditional employment and freelancing is that you are not at the mercy of someone else’s success or failure.
You can’t control other people’s success or failure, but you can make your own. You might be able to dodge a bullet if your company fails, but on the flip side, it could also take your job with it and leave you without anything to show for all your hard work because there won’t have been any product developed during that period.
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6. Our Bosses Are A Lot More Forgiving
In a traditional office setting, you’re beholden to your boss. You have to be at work when they tell you to be there and do what they tell you to do.
If your boss wants a project done on Friday, then it has to be done on Friday regardless of whether or not that day is inconvenient for you because of something else going on in your life. And if office politics are getting in the way of productivity and progress? Well, too bad.
But as a freelancer, these things don’t apply. You’re working for yourself, so there’s no pressure from anyone else but yourself (and the clients). Working remotely means that there is no set schedule…you can work whenever works best for YOU! And if an important event pops up during business hours? No worries just let whoever sees fit know what’s going on and take care of whatever needs taking care of!
7. Our Goals Are More Easily Reached, But Still Require A Ton Of Hard Work
As a freelancer, you have the power to set your own goals and work on them at your own pace. You can also decide what kind of work you want to do and when. This freedom is great, but it comes with some challenges as well.
Freelancers are constantly dealing with their internal struggles to stay focused on their goals and deadlines.
There’s no doubt that freelancing has its upsides, for example, we don’t have bosses or co-workers who might distract us from our work; instead, we’re only accountable to ourselves and other freelancers who understand what it means to live life as a self-employed person.
8. We Have Much More Freedom In Our Day-To-Day Lives
You can work from anywhere, at any time, and on projects that interest you. You can choose a project that is important to you and/or something you are passionate about.
This might mean working on a large-scale project or it could be something as small as finding new clients or growing your freelance business. Whatever it is, this freedom allows us to do what we want when we want without the fear of being punished or reprimanded by someone else’s schedule or needs.
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9. We Have A Strong Work Ethic
The freelance world is full of hard-working, dedicated people. It’s a community that thrives on the same thing: a strong work ethic.
We wake up early in the morning and stay up late at night to make sure we get our jobs done because if we don’t, there are consequences.
Our passion for our work comes from a deep commitment to our clients’ success not just their business success, but also their satisfaction with what they’re creating together. We want them to feel good about how much time we’re spending together because it means everything to both parties involved!
10. We Offer Ongoing Support
You may be used to dealing with freelancers who only work on a project basis. They’ll help you get things done, but once the job is over, you don’t see them anymore.
We aren’t like that. We offer ongoing support for our clients and their businesses even after we finish the projects we start together. You can expect us to be available via email or in-person meetings whenever you need us!
We want to make sure your website is running smoothly and generating new customers for your business. If something isn’t working right, say so! We’ll do our best to fix it quickly so that it doesn’t become an issue again later down the line (and keep any fees associated with fixing mistakes low).
The same goes for anything else related to online presence: if there’s anything specific about how things should look right now or moving forward that could be improved upon based on industry standards or whatever else applies specifically here at this time then let us know so that we can take action accordingly without any hesitation whatsoever.”
11. We Have Reasonable Rates
There are many reasons why we differ from your average freelancer. One of the biggest differences is that when you hire us, you’ll be getting more than just a low rate. You’re going to be paying for our experience and expertise in our field.
We also have a strong work ethic; we don’t like to waste time or money on things that aren’t necessary. Since we work with clients who require consistent communication, we’ve learned how to effectively communicate with them in order to keep things running smoothly.
It’s important for us as businesspeople to maintain this kind of relationship with our clients because it benefits both parties involved–the client gets their project done quickly and efficiently.
While we get paid on time without having any problems arise from miscommunication between ourselves and them (which usually happens when working with some other types of “freelancers”).
12. We Provide You With A Free Consultation
When you contact us, we will provide you with a free consultation. During this time, we will talk to you about your project and explain what it takes to complete it.
We will then give you a quote for the project which includes everything that is needed for completion. If there are any questions that need answering or anything else that needs clarifying with regard to your project, we will answer these things during this consultation period.
Not only does this allow us to help you make an informed decision regarding whether or not our services are best suited for your needs but also allows us to ensure that when working together on a project everything runs smoothly from start to finish.
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13. We Will Answer Your Calls And Emails Within The Same Business Day
We will answer your calls and emails within the same business day. And we mean it! We’re available 24/7, so if you need to reach us outside of regular hours, don’t hesitate. As soon as you press send on that email or call us on the phone even if it’s 2 am we will respond right away.
The reason why many freelancers struggle with this is that they have a lot going on in their lives outside work (and they should) but they also get caught up in their work too much and forget about everything else.
That’s not good for anyone involved: clients won’t be happy with slow responses; freelancers won’t be happy with themselves for letting important things slip through the cracks, and we all know how bad stress can make us feel!
Final Thoughts
I think the important thing to remember here is that we all have our styles and strengths, but we can also learn from each other. Sometimes someone will approach a freelancing task differently than we would, and their method will work great for them! It’s good to try new things out once in a while.
However, it’s still worth keeping track of how you do things now so that you know whether or not those changes were helpful. I hope this blog post helps inform your decisions about how to make your freelance career more successful and enjoyable.
If there are any other big differences between us freelancers that haven’t been covered here, let me know in the comments below so that I can add them to this blog post.
Further Reading
13 Tips to Become a Freelance Superstar: Unlock your full freelance potential with these 13 valuable tips and strategies for success in the freelancing world.
Pros and Cons of Freelancing: Delve into the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing to make an informed decision about pursuing a freelance career.
Freelancing Skills in High Demand: Stay ahead of the competition by discovering the most sought-after freelancing skills in the current job market.
People Also Ask
How Do I Become A Freelancer?
There are many ways to get started as a freelancer, but depending on what you are doing it might be easier than others.
If you already have a degree or experience in your field than it might be easier for you than getting started from scratch. If you have no experience in your field then start local and work your way up from there.
Start by posting on craigslist (make sure to include pictures) offering your services for free or at discounted rates, this will help build up some reviews that can help attract customers later down the line.
What Are Some Things I Should Look Out For Before Becoming A Freelancer?
Make sure that you know what kind of clients you want to work with before getting started because if they aren’t the right fit it could cost both of us money and time, so make sure they are someone who puts out content that aligns with yours so we don’t waste each others time!
What Are Some Tips For Working As An Independent Contractor?
Don’t forget about networking. It’s important when working remotely because not everyone knows how social media works or where they can find their ideal clients online, so make sure they’re connected through various means such as Facebook groups, Twitter chats, etc., which will help keep things going smoothly even when there isn’t any direct contact.
How Much Do You Charge?
I have a wide range of clients and the prices vary from $40 to $250 per hour. It depends on the project, location, industry and experience level of the client.
The most important thing is to have clear communication about what will be done and how much it will cost before starting any work. I always give my best advice on pricing so that both parties are comfortable with their choice if not, then there’s no point in working together.
How Do You Get Clients?
Mostly through referrals from friends or colleagues who know me well enough (and trust me) to recommend me as their freelancer when they don’t have time for some tasks themselves; sometimes directly messaging people via LinkedIn.
Sometimes getting found on Upwork or another freelancing platform through keyword searches (which isn’t necessarily easy). Overall though most of my work comes via word-of-mouth recommendations which makes me feel very grateful every day.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.