10 Things To Keep In Mind When Starting Out As A Freelancer
Posted July 2, 2008 in Uncategorized 34 Rockin' Comments »
So you’ve realized after many years that your day job is not giving you what you want and you know you have the skills to start earning money on your own. You know people out there are already doing it… and doing it really good. Think you could do it too?
Well, you definitely could and if you’ve decided to take the plunge then go for it. But before you start your freelancing career, here are 10 things you should keep in mind. I hope these will help you in your freelancing journey.
1. Don’t Quit Your Job Too Soon
Mind you, I am not saying that you should continue with your day job during the initial stages of your freelancing career. That’s because I quit my day job 3 months back and started out as a web worker and it’s been an enjoyable experience so far.
If you want to take the risk then do it but make sure you’ve done your research well and you’re confident that you’ll be able to survive without your job during the first few months. If you have any doubts then it’d probably be better to start freelancing on the side. You should not quit your job in haste. Make sure you only take calculated risks.
2. Be Prepared For The Toil
Experienced web workers know that freelancing is no child’s play and it’s hard work, usually harder than the day job. Hence if you’re determined to go solo, you should also prepare to burn the midnight oil and work a little harder, at least for a couple months. You’ll have to learn to wear many hats: accountant, marketer, customer service, etc…
3. Start Managing Your Time from Day One
Time management is probably the most common of all the problems freelancers face and keeping that in mind, try your best to manage time from day one. Make everyday schedules and stick to them. If you decide to work from home, you’ll see distractions are everywhere! Only this time you won’t get paid if you take longer breaks.
4. Avoid Procrastination
The realization of the fact that you are your own boss can further lead to a loss of self-discipline and hinder your progress as a freelancer.
Remember, you are still accountable to yourself, to your clients and of course, to your bank account :). No more paychecks every 2 weeks.
5. Be Frugal
It’s important to be frugal and invest wisely during your initial days of freelancing. The more you save, the more you’ll have to invest in future projects, marketing and growing your business.
6. Network Like Crazy!
Networking with others is essential and as a freelancer it can help you to get more work. Network as much as possible and focus on building relationships. Make friends with other designers or writers, read blogs, comment on blogs, send emails, give business cards, attend conference. You get the idea! :)
7. First Project
Your first project is very important and you should put your heart and soul into it (in fact, in all your projects). A good testimonial from a client will certainly motivate you, give you an inherent satisfaction and also help you get more clients. Think ‘long term‘.
8. Don’t Stress Yourself
Under no circumstances you should compromise your health. If you stress yourself or even get sick then you could potentially lose a lot of money. Don’t go overboard with your work and lose sleep over it.
I know it’s easier said than done, but the proverb still holds true - ‘ Health is Wealth ‘. Moreover if you stress yourself, then you’ll soon start thinking that freelancing is no better than a day job! Manage time and enjoy freelancing without being stressed. Try yoga or meditation, and take some time off for yourself (not in front of the computer!)
9. Acquire Skills
Whether you’re a blogger, a photographer or a web designer, you have to be well versed with at least the basic technical skills required to make things work. Of course, always work on sharpening your skills, but don’t stop there, keep learning new tricks and techniques.
10. Learn To Unlearn
As you start freelancing, you’ll find that a lot of your assumptions were wrong and things are not exactly like you thought they would. The catch here is that as you go on to learn and adapt to new things, you should also quickly unlearn things which you thought were useful initially but don’t seem to help anymore. You’re not at the day job anymore, things are a lot different now that you’re on your own. Try to get rid of some of the bad habits you developed when you were working 9-5.
What Do You Think ?
I hope the points will prove to be useful for budding freelancers. I’d like to know your experiences and thoughts and what else should one keep in mind when he’s starting out as a freelancer?
Cheers,
Abhijeet Mukherjee
******
About the author: Abhijeet Mukherjee is a blogger and freelance writer. He is a regular contributer for many blogs notably including DumbLittleMan.com and MakeUseOf.com. He also maintains his own blog about tech tips, productivity hacks and blogging tips - Jeet Blog
About the author: Abhijeet Mukherjee is a blogger and freelance writer. He is a regular contributer for many blogs notably including DumbLittleMan.com and MakeUseOf.com. He also maintains his own blog about tech tips, productivity hacks and blogging tips - Jeet Blog
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34 Rockin' Comments
Ross Thompson
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:54 amVery enjoyable read. Some useful information in here. I especially enjoyed your comments on learning to unlearn. Keeps things normative! Thanks.
Steven Snell
July 2nd, 2008 at 7:01 amVery nice points. I think the point about networking is especially important. i think it’s common to overlook how much of an impact that can have.
Abhijeet Mukherjee
July 2nd, 2008 at 7:03 amTrue Steven. Networking no doubt is very important for any kind of online success.
liam
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:28 amVery useful points, I think #8 is important. You need to have time to wind down and relax, physical activity and getting out the house can be a great help. You’ll find you return full of energy, and even a 10 minute walk can help focus you.
Eric
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:40 amAll points are very good. For me the biggest issue is #1 - don’t jump in too early. I am currently working full time for a big company and am close to making the switch. It’s just a matter of gauging exactly when the time is best. I feel like I just need like 2-3 more reliable clients, but then sometimes I have this voice in my head whispering Just Do It! (actually it’s not really a whisper anymore it’s become more like a shouting of “Hello?!? What are you waiting for?!?!?) :D
Robert S. Robbins
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:54 pmI’m considering making a switch from programming to design because I prefer creative work. I’m not sure that freelance design is as lucrative as freelance programming where there is a lot of work. But I’ve noticed that many designers specialize in creating themes and skins for WordPress and other open source web applications. Is that where you find the most work in web design?
Meryl K. Evans
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:46 pmExcellent points — all. Too many people think they have to quit their jobs before starting a business. Not true. It’s better to do both for a while and build up your business. I worked as a freelancer for five years before going full-time.
Marketing… that should always be part of your job.
Freelancing made it possible for me to take up tennis and to rescue a dog. So it’s a better life all around.
Melek
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:18 pmNetworking really really made my business grow. it’s best if you can get in with a small group instead of a huge Chamber group. you tend to stand out more when there are fewer people.
the thing that will make you feel most comfortable with freelancing is making sure you have a buffer. every other week i have an auto payment go into a ‘rainy day’ savings account. it’s automatic so i don’t have to think about it. that way, i always have something to fall back on if work dries up, and it’s always growing (make sure it’s in a decent interest bearing account like http://www.emmigrantdirect.com or ing.com or something)
Adam
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:24 pmVery nice and useful post.
Christina
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:14 pmExcellent post. Very helpful for sure. I especially like #10 - a lot of folks get stuck on things they “know” which can really take a huge toll on progress, etc. Its nice to be reminded that “unlearning” is just as important as learning.
Ivan Nikolic
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:07 pmExcellent article, I’m also considering to start freelance career, but I’m going to do it on the side because I don’t know how will it go (hopefully lucky :))
Abhijeet Mukherjee
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:39 pmThanks everyone for the nice comments !
Bob Younce at the Writing Journey
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:16 pmNow, I don’t advocate this, by any means, but sometimes #1 isn’t an option.
You find yourself, much like I did at the beginning of my freelance career, unemployed and unable to find work. So, you discover freelancing, you give it your all, you make every rookie mistake possible, you miss all sorts of opportunities, and you come out on the other end, five years later, more successful than you ever were in your former career.
God, I wish I’d read this article five years ago, Jeet.
Mason Hipp
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:16 pmGreat article.
I’m going to second Bob Younce that sometimes #1 doesn’t work well.
I’ve worked with several “part-time” freelancers who just couldn’t figure out how to be successful. All it took was a swift kick into full-time mode and they were doing better than they ever imagined. Sometimes it can be a chicken-and-the-egg type thing, and you’ve gotta make the jump.
- Mason
Naomi
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:19 pmI have a feeling this wise words will stay with me as I make this leap into freelancing…!
R.N.Bhagi
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:30 amHelpful points. Abhijeet why not add ten more to wake up the asleep.I would love to read further on this one
Syahid A.
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:18 amNice set of advices Jeet. I guess some are from personal experiences? :D
Antwon Davis
July 6th, 2008 at 2:05 amI am loving your tips.
Being somewhat of a beginner in the design world and a developing blogger, I find that there has to be time set aside to discover and define who you are as a freelancer, what you offer, and what makes your piece to the puzzle necessary or unique. The more I understand my value proposition and critique my vision, the more confident I become and the easier it is to network (still working on that though).
I’m not an expert… yet (lol), but I think this post covers some pretty good points on Freelancing 101.
Great post!
T H I N K | C H A N G E
Jeremy
July 6th, 2008 at 11:03 amExcellent article, I took the leap in to freelancing about a month ago because I was growing increasingly frustrated with my employment situation. To make a long story short I felt it was holding me back and I had a good feeling I could succeed on my own. Needless to say every single one of these points is important when you start out.
One thing I can add is be careful how many projects you try to take on at once. I think a lot of us try take on to much and tend to over promise in our rush to compensate for that monthly paycheck. I did, and although I thought that my scheduling was perfect I suddenly had quite a few projects that were ready to go at once. They are getting done and in no way did I let quality suffer, but sleep and leisure time became almost non-existent. I don’t think there will ever be an exact science for project planning in this line of work but with time you will learn to judge your client and the project with a bit more accuracy allowing you to create a healthy balance. Ideally you want to have a few projects going with more on the way, each one overlapping just a bit so that you are never short of work, but never working to the point of exhaustion.
Aly
July 7th, 2008 at 9:59 amNice set of advice jeet. :)
Hank Fox
July 8th, 2008 at 12:25 pmI’ll add this one:
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
Ryan Battles
July 12th, 2008 at 4:21 pmGreat article. I especially agree with the time-management pointer. I have also heard that it is important to know when to stop working. One tip that I have read before is to place a sheet over your work desk when you are done working (if you work from home). Perhaps this helps to set you into the “work mode” when you release the sheet. I also try to catch myself when I find my time being spent unproductively. If I am going to read my RSS feeds, then I set a timer for a certain amount of time so I don’t get lost reading and surfing.
Aliff Afiq
August 29th, 2008 at 3:31 amthis is just a great idea!
thanks !
Bellatrix
September 12th, 2008 at 11:13 amvery good article, it is certainly true that the things you learn in a 9-5 job do not necessarily apply to your freelance or solo job.
Mikul Gohil
September 18th, 2008 at 4:05 amFirst thanks for this wonderful artical, As i m a starter Freelancer and i m having problem to find work , i have around 3 years of exp and worked allmost all technology in web design. some of my website is world famous in design , but y i don’t know i m not getting work. Is it that i m going on a wrong way or there is any trip or trick. can any one just help me in stating it.
David Henderson
September 30th, 2008 at 10:41 amGreat write up. Thanks for the advice, will be helpful.
Paul Davis
October 10th, 2008 at 11:17 amVery useful info, not that I didn’t know this already, but its nice to see people taking note and saying it too.
I plan to start freelancing when I get a proper job (I’m only 17, and need a car, house, mac etc…) and keep doing it on the side, for at least a year until I can love off the earnings.
frank
October 10th, 2008 at 4:17 pmGreat advice.
I’m taking the dive in about 9 weeks!
Bensan George
October 11th, 2008 at 10:28 amThis was a very enjoyable read. It might be a little bit more in the future than I would like but I have got my heart set on becoming a freelancer. From what I have seen, networking would be the #1 item in this list for growing that freelancing job.
carlnunes
October 13th, 2008 at 4:21 amChoose your clients wisely.
If I’m not getting a good feeling about how the initial proposal/specs are going; I’ll let them go politely.
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