If you’re considering freelance life, then you’ve probably heard a lot of positive things about freelancing. It’s easy to start thinking that freelancing is all about making tons of money with very little work on your part.
How hard can it be? However, before you trade in your nine-to-five job for a life as a full-time freelancer, keep reading. In this article, we are going to give you 14 lessons that every freelancer faces in their career because it isn’t all roses and sunshine.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Freelancing can provide the gift of time and travel. |
| Possessing in-demand skills can help freelancers charge higher rates. |
| Freelancing can be a life-changing career choice. |
| Writing effective freelance proposals increases the chances of securing projects. |
| Freelancing offers unique advantages over traditional employment. |
| Learning from the experiences of other freelancers can provide valuable insights. |
| Understanding the benefits of freelancing can help individuals make informed career choices. |
| Freelancers should continuously learn and adapt to the evolving freelance landscape. |
| Clear communication and effective project management are essential for freelance success. |
| Handling payment issues is an important aspect of freelancing. |
| Freelancing requires determination, discipline, and self-motivation. |
| Building a strong network can lead to new opportunities and collaborations. |
| Balancing work and personal life is crucial for freelancers. |
| Developing a personal brand and online presence can help freelancers stand out. |
| Freelancing can offer freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment in one’s career and lifestyle. |
1. The Difficulty In Getting Clients
It’s no secret that finding clients is the most difficult part of freelancing. Once you have them, it tends to be smooth sailing as long as you’re doing a good job. If they’re happy with your work, they’ll stay with you and refer others to you who need help with their website or app development projects.
But before all that happens, there are some things you can do to make the process easier:
- Find the right clients. You want people who will appreciate what you do and give good feedback on your work so that not only does it improve, but also so that when someone else comes along looking for a similar service (and there always will be), they’ll see how good yours was and hire you instead!
- Try reaching out to potential clients directly rather than waiting for them to find YOUR website through Google searches or whatever other methods may exist in your industry at this point in history which hopefully aren’t too outdated by now.
Traveling and having control over your time are some of the incredible gifts that freelancing can offer. Discover how freelancing gave me the gift of time and travel and find inspiration to pursue your own freelancing journey.
2. The Challenge Of Competing Against Other Freelancers
You are competing with other freelancers, and they have their skills, too. This means you have to be good at what you do.
To compete against these potential clients, you also need to be able to communicate your skills effectively; if they don’t understand what it is that makes you special and necessary, then why would they hire you? You also have to be able to market yourself to show off your skill level and experience and hopefully show that they’ve never seen anything like it before!
In addition, working with clients requires patience and courtesy it’s not easy explaining something over again when someone is frustrated or annoyed by their current situation. Finally, freelancing often involves working with other freelancers as well; this can mean collaborating on projects together or sharing contacts for new opportunities down the road (or even just helping each other out).
The key here is being able to collaborate without stepping on toes – because at the end of the day this isn’t just about making money but about building relationships with people both inside AND outside our industry.”
3. The Lack Of Job Security For Freelancers
This can be a difficult lesson for some freelancers to learn, but it’s important to understand that the lack of job security is a normal part of freelance life. It’s not always an easy concept to grasp, especially if you’ve been in permanent positions for most of your working life.
When you work as a freelancer, no matter how much work or money you have coming in from clients or employers, there are still several things that could happen:
- Your contracts could be taken away at any time because they can be revoked by either party at any moment. This is true even if there isn’t anything wrong with your work; sometimes businesses change direction and want new people on their team who align more closely with their goals (or simply want someone cheaper).
- If your contract gets canceled abruptly due to no fault of yours, there won’t necessarily be another job waiting down the road, and finding one may take months! You may have built up some savings by then and can live off those funds until something else comes along…but if not? You’ll need another source of income until then.
To succeed as a freelancer, it’s essential to possess in-demand skills that allow you to charge higher rates. Explore the top 10 freelance skills to charge more and gain insights on how to enhance your earning potential in the freelance market.
4. The Need To Find Your Own Medical And Retirement Benefits
The first thing you need to do is find your own medical and retirement benefits. You will no longer have a common corporate benefit, so now you must be sure that you can pay for your healthcare and retirement. Since the freelance life is very independent, the responsibility is all yours.
You need to make sure that you have enough money to pay for your healthcare and retirement; otherwise, things could get very bad very quickly in these areas. If something happens (like if someone gets sick) or if they want to retire early, there’s no safety net anymore like there was at their previous jobs where there were benefits provided by the company itself
Instead, it now falls on them which means more pressure on their shoulders since they must now start saving little bits at a time here or there until eventually, enough savings accumulate so as not only to have enough money saved up but also have enough leftover.
After getting taxes taken out from their paycheck every month so that they don’t run into trouble later down the road due to running out of funds needed to pay bills such as rent/mortgage payments etcetera).
5. The Absence Of Vacation Leave, Sick Leave, And Retirement Funds
Once you’re a freelancer, you are your boss. You’ll be responsible for the sick leave you take and the retirement fund you need to save for. You’ll also have to make sure that when it comes time to apply for healthcare benefits or disability insurance, you’ve done all of that paperwork on time.
In other words, if something happens and someone needs help from their company (like getting paid), they can’t turn around and blame their employer if things go wrong. They were told explicitly that this is how things work in this economy: everyone has to look out for themselves nowadays!
6. The Need To Build A Solid Reputation In Your Niche
A reputation is an image that you project to your clients and prospects. Having a good reputation will open doors for you and make it easier for you to earn new clients.
The benefits of having a good reputation are:
- You’ll get more work than people with poor reputations.
- Clients will be willing to pay higher rates (and in some cases, even buy into your services before they’re needed).
- People who’ve worked with you in the past will recommend you to others without being asked (this can lead directly to new business).
Freelancing can be a life-changing career choice, bringing numerous benefits and opportunities. Discover firsthand why one freelancer believes that freelancing is the best thing that ever happened to them, and learn how freelancing can transform your professional and personal life.
7. Work With Clients From All Over The World
The internet is a wondrous place. You can work with clients from all over the world. You don’t even have to leave your home or office to do it. It’s true that you won’t get paid a lot for the first few years of your freelancing career, but this isn’t a problem if you live in a country where the costs of living are low.
For example, many Indians earn less than $5 per day and still manage to survive. Conversely, if you live in an expensive area like New York or San Francisco then your wages will likely be higher than what they would be elsewhere due to high costs of living (although admittedly not nearly as high as they would be at some big corporate job).
8. Do Work You Love, Not Work You Hate
You should not do work you hate. You shouldn’t do work that you don’t like either, or don’t enjoy, or don’t want to do. You also shouldn’t do any kind of work that would make you feel bad about yourself when it comes time to sell your services.
When I was in my twenties, I worked at a company where the work culture was terrible; everyone hated their jobs and no one cared about what they were producing. The only thing keeping people there was the salary because it was a decent-paying job in Silicon Valley at the time (this was over a decade ago).
The company went bankrupt eventually and I learned some valuable lessons: firstly, if it doesn’t feel right then it’s probably wrong; secondly, even though this isn’t necessarily true for everyone else out there who might have had similar experiences working somewhere else but in general terms (and depending on what industry/field) if people are complaining all around then chances are there’s something decidedly wrong going on!
9. Choose When And Where You Want To Work As A Freelancer
As a freelancer, you can choose when and where you want to work. If you prefer working from home, but sometimes need the hustle and bustle of an office environment, then get a coworking space. If you’re traveling for business reasons and want to take advantage of the time away from home by making some extra money on the side no problem!
Traveling around the world is great for inspiration and recharging your creative batteries. But if it’s not practical for your career at this point, that’s okay too! You can still enjoy all of these benefits while staying put in one place (like my hometown).
10. As A Freelancer, You Can Be Your Boss And Make Your Schedule Too
You can also choose when and how you want to work. Whether it’s from home, a coffee shop, or the beach you’ll have the freedom to set your schedule and adjust your hours accordingly.
You can even take time off if you want! If there’s an event in town or someplace else fun that catches your eye, see if there are any openings at your freelance gig and go for it. You’re not beholden to anyone but yourself, so you don’t need permission (or pay) for extra days off just make sure it doesn’t conflict with any commitments you’ve made on behalf of clients!
11. You Will Get To Do New Things Every Day
The unique nature of freelancing means that you have the rare opportunity to work in a variety of different fields and on a multitude of projects. This means that you can learn new skills, work with new people, work in new places, and even tackle challenging problems or ideas. It’s like having an entire career packed into one job!
12. Freelancing Is The Ideal Way To Improve Your Skillset And Experience In Your Chosen Industry And Other Industries Too
Once you’ve spent time freelancing, you might be tempted to give up your day job and do it full-time. But there are other benefits of freelancing that go beyond the financial you can also use it as an opportunity to expand your skill set, learn new things, and improve your chances of getting a job or promotion.
As a freelancer, when you need to learn something new or look into a specific topic to complete a project, there are no restrictions on what resources or tools you use. You can read industry articles online or listen to podcasts (like this one!) until your heart is content; if there’s something more specific that I’m talking about here at any given time, feel free to click over and check out my blog post on the subject!
Writing an effective freelance proposal is crucial for winning clients and securing projects. Learn valuable tips on how to write a freelance proposal that stands out and increases your chances of getting hired for freelance opportunities.
13. You Get To Decide How Much Money You Want To Make Each Month And It’s Up To You To Make That Happen As A Freelancer
As a freelancer, it’s your job to make the most of your time, effort, and brainpower. You decide how much money you want to make each month and it’s up to you to make that happen.
You can set your rates and schedule, choose your clients and projects, and choose your location and tools for success. Once you get rolling as a freelancer it becomes an exciting race against the clock: do things right now or risk losing out on future opportunities!
14. Most Freelancers Don’t Work In An Office At A Desk All Day Long
Some people think that freelancers work in an office, or at a desk all day long. This is not the case! Most freelancers don’t work in offices at desks all day long. They get to work from the comfort of their home or anyplace else they want to!
You can take breaks whenever you want. You can start working when you feel like it, and stop when you feel like stopping too! You can even change up your schedule as often as needed—if one day isn’t working out well for one reason or another (maybe there’s too much traffic on your way back home), just try again tomorrow instead!
Freelancing offers unique advantages that distinguish it from traditional employment. Discover 11 compelling reasons why freelancing is better than working for someone else, and gain insights into the freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment that freelancing can bring to your career and lifestyle.
Final Thoughts
I hope this post has given you some great ideas for how to get started with freelancing and avoid some of the common pitfalls that come with it. Remember, there is always room to grow in your career, regardless of if you’re working in an office or as a freelancer!
Further Reading
5 Lessons I Learned as a Freelancer: Explore the personal insights and experiences of a freelancer who shares five valuable lessons learned throughout their freelancing journey.
Benefits of Freelancing: Discover the numerous advantages and benefits that come with freelancing, including flexibility, autonomy, and the potential for increased earnings.
57 Lessons I’ve Learned After 5 Years of Freelance Writing: Gain valuable knowledge and wisdom from a freelance writer who reflects on their five-year journey and shares 57 lessons learned along the way.
People Also Ask
What Is A Freelancer?
A freelancer is an independent worker who sells their services to a company or organization. They’re not employed by the company, but they’re still working for them (and getting paid).
How Do You Become A Freelancer?
The first step is to make sure you have something to offer a skill, service, or product that’s in demand. You’ll want to be able to show potential clients how you can help them with their problems, so make sure your portfolio has examples of what you’ve done in the past.
How Do I Get Clients?
It’s all about marketing yourself! You need to make sure that clients know who you are and what you do. A good way to do this is through social media, where people can see your profile page and learn about what you’re offering as well as any reviews from past clients (if any). You should also consider making a website where potential customers can learn more about what it means for them if they hire someone like yourself.
Do You Think Freelancing Is For Everyone?
No. I think it’s for people who are willing to work hard and hustle, who don’t mind being their boss, and aren’t afraid of the unknown. If that sounds like you, then yes, I do think you should give freelancing a try!
What Is The Best Way To Find Work As A Freelancer?
It depends on what kind of work you want to do. If you’re a writer, you can look for jobs on freelance websites like Upwork or Guru.com. If you’re a graphic designer, you can look on Behance and Dribbble. If you’re an editor or translator, you can try calling up companies that hire freelancers and asking them if they need help with any projects.
How Do I Get Paid As A Freelancer?
Freelancers typically get paid through PayPal or another online payment service, but some companies will pay in cash if they don’t have an online payment system set up yet (or if their clients don’t want to use one).
As long as the company has an address and phone number listed on their website, you should be able to pay them by mailing them a check or giving them cash when they come to pick up your work.
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.