3 Uncomfortable Ways To Make More Money As A Freelancer
Posted February 24, 2008 in Productivity 51 Comments »
If you really want to make a lot more money as a freelancer, you don’t have to drive yourself crazy working an enormous number of extra hours. Nor do you have to struggle to bag an A-list client who is willing to pay the rates you’ve dreamed of charging.
No, if you want to make more than you’re making right now (from the circumstances you’re in right now), you can take these three “uncomfortable” strategies to heart – and to the bank. You won’t like ‘em – but you’ll be glad you read ‘em. Let’s pull back the curtain and see how to squirm your way to better pay…
Squirming Can Be Very Good For You
As a human being, there are things that you know you should do – that you need to do – but you haven’t, because some limiting belief, insecurity or worry is holding you back from taking action. Unfortunately, those limiting factors won’t go away on their own. You’ll need to face them head on and confront your personal demons in order to break past those roadblocks that have been holding you back from earning more.
Chances are, you mentally “change the subject” when you think of these must-do items, simply to ease your troubled mind. Let’s bring them to the forefront so you can start knocking them out, one by one.
Tip #1: Track Your Actual vs. Estimated Time And See What You’re Really Up To
You tell yourself that you’re doing your best and that you’re not wasting time … but can you prove it? You could if you tracked your time, but most people don’t. The excuses start flowing easily … it would slow you down … it’s a hassle … it’s not a high-value activity.
I’ll call bull**** on those excuses. When you list out your planned schedule for the day and actually track how well you stick to it, it doesn’t slow you down. In fact, it speeds you up because you’re more aware of having to get your 10am-11am task knocked out so you can focus on the 11am one without running over schedule.
As far as it being a hassle, so is brushing your teeth, but you do it anyway because it has a minty-fresh payoff. Tracking where your time actually goes has immediate payoffs too – it helps you improve your estimating ability (critical to a freelancer), helps you reset yourself when you’ve gone off course, and helps let you see where you really stand when it comes to managing your time.
And that’s what makes this uncomfortable – tracking where your time actually goes reveals every spot in your day where you waste time, get distracted or work below your rockstar levels … and the truth hurts. It’s so much easier to avoid thinking about it. But if you “cowboy up” about it and try it – even for a week – you’ll see an instant improvement that lets you get projects done faster (which means you can fit more of them in without racking up extra hours). Give it a shot.
Tip #2: Make The Time To Take Care Of All Your Back Burner Goals
As a freelancer, it’s easy to get sucked into the swirling vortex of must-find-more-work. It’s what you need to do to survive, but you want to do much more than survive. You want to thrive, and you know what you need to do … but you just haven’t made the time to do it. There’s the blog you want to start (or make better). There’s the product you’ve been meaning to work on. The skill you’ve been meaning to improve. All those things that could boost your income … but so many of them falling victim to the tyranny of the urgent.
Think about it – if you haven’t “gotten around to it” in the last six months … what makes you think you’ll do it in the next six months? It’s not as if time is going to magically free itself up. These back burner goals won’t get done on their own. If you want to do these “gotta get to” projects that can boost your income, you’ve got to consciously decide to free up X number of hours a week to dedicate to making progress on them.
It’s uncomfortable, yes. It may mean that you set aside your lunch hour three days a week and focus on your goal while you nosh on a one-handed bag lunch (mmm, sandwiches). It may mean you block off four hours every Saturday or Sunday to show you mean business. It may mean you set the DVR to record the rest of the season of Lost so you can focus on something more meaningful on a weekly basis.
It’s uncomfortable. That’s why most people will never do it, and will face every January 1st hoping “this year will be different.” Be more than that. Get a little uncomfortable and invest your time in things that will increase your earning per hour of time you spend on your freelancing business. Which brings us to our last tip …
Tip #3: Raise Your Damn Rates, Already (Or Pull In More Per Project)
Too many freelancers underestimate what their services are worth, and it bites them hard. Are you working for less than what you think you are worth? Why? Look inside and ask yourself what the deal is … are you just intimidated by others who are more established than you are? We’ve all been there. Are you afraid to turn off clients? That’s a normal anxiety to have.
I could give you a dozen reasons why you should raise your rates (or find ways to get paid more per client), but it’s been well said elsewhere time and again. So I urge you to make this your most important priority this year. Not because you should be greedy, or hyper-focused on money, but because you should be as fairly compensated as possible for the rockin’ work you do, and not have to toil one hour longer than necessary to create the life you want for yourself.
Uncomfortable? Hell yes. Double hell yes. (Is that even a real sentence?) But if you summon up the courage to ask “how can provide more value for my clients and make them happy to pay more for it?”, it will change everything. Everything. But you gotta be willing to get uncomfortable and run like hell towards where all the rewards are.
You’ve Read This Far, Now Start Getting Uncomfortable (And Profit!).
Out of these three tips, which one resonated the most with you? Which inspired you? And most importantly, what the hell are you going to do about it? Leave your mark of courage in the comments below, and be sure to subscribe to this blog to keep getting real-world tips like these.
You know what to do,
Dave
Follow Dave Navarro as he pushes past his comfort zone in the $1000 Freelance Smackdown! with Self Made Chick Christine O’Kelly.
About the author: Dave Navarro is a business productivity coach who loves showing freelancers how to make more money and have more time for themselves. Get more of the good stuff at Rock Your Day or follow Dave on Twitter.
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51 Comments
Avonelle Lovhaug
February 25th, 2008 at 12:35 amYou’ve done an excellent job of making me squirm! These tips really hit home to mem especially the first one.
Okay…time to get seriously productive and stop wasting time on nonsense!
Kristie
February 25th, 2008 at 12:45 amThe actual time vs. estimated time one is the one that makes me squirm the most :S
Erica DeWolf
February 25th, 2008 at 1:52 amGreat post! Raising my rates is always something I have trouble with…but it’s what we have to go. Thanks for the advice!
James Chartrand - Men with Pens
February 25th, 2008 at 4:01 amThis was a good read. I certainly fit right in with number 1, overproducing and ending up wasting time. I tried to track my time once but ended up wasting more time entering data about what I was doing and forgetting to turn the damned timer off.
I definitely believe in number two – we continually work on back-burner projects bit by bit because they’re usually the ones that affect the business the most!
Dave Navarro
February 25th, 2008 at 7:05 am@Avonelle –
Glad to help. You might want to drop by my site and pick up the free “More Time Guide” – it’s great for getting you focused n productivity.
@Kristie –
Don’t just squirm … do something about it! :-)
@Erica –
Good luck with becoming more valuable-per-hour … the time spent developing skills is worth it!
@James –
No matter who I coach, no matter what income bracket they’re in or level of success they’re at, these three areas are one that most people seem to struggle with. Nobody has it “all together” – not even me. And you’re right about those ‘back burner’ projects … they’re usually critical to the growth of your business long-term!
Monika Mundell
February 25th, 2008 at 8:13 amI can identify with all 3 points. I’ve tracked my time rather successfully for one month and got a lot more productive and then I stopped (squirm)
… therefore I still waste far too much time hanging around all the joints on the net instead of getting more proactive by working on my back burner projects (double squirm).
As for raising my rates. I’ve done that consistently for the last 4 month and still going as I gain more experience. (I do aim for the $75-120/hour window. :-)
Mokokoma Mokhonoana
February 25th, 2008 at 10:15 amGreat article,
Freelancers should stop undercharging for the sake of ‘…having a project to do…”
If a client wants the best, they should hire the best!
And the best don’t come cheap!
Dave Navarro
February 25th, 2008 at 11:00 am@Monika –
Glad to hear you’ve been able to raise your rates. :-) Keep it up!
Scott
February 25th, 2008 at 11:08 amThis is one of the best Freelancing Tips articles I have ever read. I have been a full-time freelancer for over 10 years, first in the fields of web and application development, and now as a photographer. After being in business this long, you have clearly identified my three largest hurdles (I hate to squirm!). I took care of #1 a couple years ago, after being frustrated by 80 hour work weeks with only 30 billable hours. Now my timelog clearly tracks how I really spend my day. #’s 2 and 3 are sound advice for me to start doing something about!
As Monika and Mokokoma addressed regarding #3, I sometimes find myself underbidding very technical work because “I’ve done it so much that it’s easy for me”. The truth is, a freelancer’s level of compensation should be a direct correlation of their expertise, not decreased value because of increased proficiency. I am constantly having to remind myself of this.
James Paden
February 25th, 2008 at 12:08 pmGreat post, I love the attitude! I definitely need to start time tracking.
Dave Navarro
February 25th, 2008 at 12:40 pm@Mokokoma -
I hear ya! :-)
@Scott –
Thanks for the very kind words … I hope tips 2 and 3 serve you well over the next 30 days.
@James –
Thanks – Attitude is what I do :-)
Sharon Hurley Hall
February 25th, 2008 at 1:07 pmAll of these struck chords with me. I recently started tracking my time and was shocked at how much time I wasted on some days. On the other hand, I also discovered that when I DO write, I am very productive.
I am particularly guilty of putting off the back burner stuff – this is a reminder to bring it to the forefront again.
Dave Navarro
February 25th, 2008 at 2:13 pm@Sharon –
That “shock” is a great motivator to stay focused, isn’t it?
Lodewijk van den Broek
February 25th, 2008 at 2:31 pmI was halfway tip #1 when I scrolled up to check who wrote it. Hi Dave :)
Great tips, working on #1 (obviously). The other two I’m taking to heart, for when I start working as a freelancer. As of yet, I have still to start.
But I know that I need to finish a big project, before I can start on that one. Don’t want to get a renovation project on the backburner :)
Dave Navarro
February 25th, 2008 at 2:47 pm@Lode –
Hey there – good to see you!
Forest Parks
February 25th, 2008 at 3:54 pmI have a ton of projects to get started.
I also just became freelance and at present am surviving on PPP but really need to try and get some direct paid assignments.
This site and this article are very inspiring. Thanks a bunch.
Television Spy
February 25th, 2008 at 4:25 pmFreelancers generally underprice themselves, I’m noticing a lot of web freelancers (mostly in programming) are under-pricing themselves which is actually quite bad as the competition is fierce and they keep undercutting each other which has and will lead to customers expecting lower rates then the work should really entail. It’s sad that people marginalize themselves this way.
Reid Peifer
February 25th, 2008 at 4:53 pmGreat Article. I’ve been time tracking for a few months now and it’s totally changed the way I approach bidding, and working on jobs.
Christine OKelly
February 25th, 2008 at 7:04 pmPoint #2 definitely resonated with me! But then again, that’s why I’m allowing you to school me with your time management coaching. You’ve opened up a can of worms Navarro! Now that you’ve helped my bring my backburner goals into the picture, I’m realizing that those backburner goals really need to be front burner goals… Dammit Navarro! You are making me rethink my entire life!
Dave Navarro
February 25th, 2008 at 8:31 pm@Christine –
Bring it on! I’m watching my inbox to see you schedule our next call. I ain’t done with you yet!
@Reid –
Glad to see it’s working for you – it’s a real eye-opener for freelancers to see just how many hours things really take.
@TV Spy –
I agree – and it’s a difficult position for freelancers to find themselves in. There’s the pressure to underbid so that *some* money comes in … but it’s a downwards spiral. I’ve done it myself. But you have to find a way to stand out, so that you can charge what you’re really worth …
Amrit Hallan
February 26th, 2008 at 7:08 amGreat tips. Time for my clients to get worried about my rates now :-)
Nate
February 26th, 2008 at 8:13 pmGreat post, I especially liked the one about the projects that you have in the back of your head. I have them and I keep pushing them back and back when I know deep inside that they have amazing potential for residual income. I also keep thinking that eventually I’ll have more time for them and I never do!…. thats it! I am going to start blocking of a time frame each week to work on personal projects.
Joey
February 29th, 2008 at 7:55 amA great list of tips, especially #1. We all need to bring these things to the front burner once in awhile.
milo
February 29th, 2008 at 11:41 amI’ve had to raise my rates, simply because the USD went down comparing to the Euro (Munich based).
Lodewijk van den Broek
February 29th, 2008 at 4:07 pmI hope you did some forward pricing on that one Milo. I fear we’re nowhere near the end of the fall of the dollar.
milo
February 29th, 2008 at 4:15 pmI’d like to switch comepletely to the Euro as a currency, but how to explain this move to potential overseas clients ?
James Paden
February 29th, 2008 at 4:19 pmJust do it. Tell them you accept payment only in Euro’s. I’d completely understand.
Lodewijk van den Broek
February 29th, 2008 at 4:25 pmAnd it would show the effect of the decline of the dollar to Americans too, in a very direct way.
And it may speed up business. Without changing prices, you will be more expensive tomorrow than today ;)
But that’s at the same time exactly the danger of switching to euros.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens
February 29th, 2008 at 4:46 pmAs a Canadian freelancer, I prefer my dollars in my government’s recognized source of income for tax time – all that conversion drives my accountant nuts.
However, the best advice I’ve ever heard is to just tell the clients your rates and let them assume what currency you mean. They’ll choose their own 9 times out of 10, but you also get a client who is happy not to have to hassle with that one extra click for converting.
Are people that lazy that one click puts them off? Yes. Oh yes.
Dave Navarro
February 29th, 2008 at 9:40 pmNever underestimate lazy. People can be insane.
Eric Davis
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:01 pmAgree on all of them. Starting freelancing was my first push outside my comfort zone but now I’m trying to get things ramped up.
Tip #1: No way is it a hassle. I print out a few copies of the Emergent Task Timer and fill in the bubbles. Less than 10 minutes total per day and I’m tracking all the time in my business. Plus it’s fun to say that I spent 181.50 hours on Marketing this past year!
Tip #2: Like every programmer I have at least 20 programs I want to write. Some will change the world, others will help me make tea in the morning. But not having time to work on them, I’ve decided to “make” time, even if it means to more Tivo. They have to get done.
Tip #3: One piece of advise I heard is if you cannot look yourself in the mirror and say “The fee for this project is $50,000″ without laughing you are undercharging or don’t have the confidence to charge what you are worth.
Time for me to go unplug my Tivo and find a mirror.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:07 pm@ Eric – I’ve discovered Rescue Time – NO time a day, not even 10 minutes, a full graph and a weekly report. It’s freakin’ amazing for time tracking.
Sharon Hurley Hall
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:37 pm@ James: I quite agree. It is wonderful, and they keep updating it with new features. Now you can see exactly how productive you are.
Nathalie Lussier - Billionaire Woman
March 7th, 2008 at 7:11 pmI just recently started using RescueTime as well. It really is an eye opener. The number of hours spent on “procrastinating” is much higher than any of the other stuff I seem to do.
Thank you for posting this article, it really does make me squirm. But if no one ever tells you to do it, you never will.
Dustin
March 7th, 2008 at 7:34 pmI found that asking more money brought more clients and made my work was appreciated 10x more!
Robert
March 9th, 2008 at 9:56 pmI spent more actual time reading this article than I estimated. :-) Seriously, though, good points. Thank you.
Elaine McCool
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:45 pmStumbled upon this article and even though I’m not a freelancer, found that it applies equally well to independent retailers and other entrepreneurs. Thanks! I’ve always had trouble with number 3 when it comes to putting a price on handcrafted products, charging for repair work, or making custom gifts.
Stephanie Swinson
October 3rd, 2008 at 6:40 pmyou are totally in my head. Wait. If you were really in my head you’d know that I can’t put off LOST.
Melek
April 27th, 2009 at 12:47 ami finally raised my rates this month! i hemmed and hawed about it for about 6 months, and finally got tired of squirming…and not a single client complained…wish I had done it months ago.
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