17/06/2021
Happy !
Starting my small business and working freelance has provided me with many opportunities to develop and showcase my skills which I have either displayed in a portfolio to employers or developed as long standing freelance work.
However, I have learned a few important lessons since going freelance which I thought would be worth sharing.
𝟭. 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿.
I made this mistake early on and wasn't clear what my services were. Ultimately, I turned my hand to anything a client requested because I wanted the work but I didn't feel as fulfilled.
𝟮. 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.
I think every freelancer struggles with pricing their services. However, I let myself be lead by what the client was willing to pay rather than sticking to my fixed prices. Remember, you need to take into account business costs, pension, and annual leave that you would normally be paid and don't be afraid to ask for a pay rise!
𝟯. 𝗕𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.
Be realistic about how long a task will take considering preparation and research time and communicate this clearly with your client. I fell into the trap of committing myself to a large workload that I couldn't fit into my schedule to keep the client happy.
𝟰. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁.
Freelancing and working for yourself can be lonely at times and I've found reaching out to people on social media, attending networking events, and having a business mentor helpful to build a support network.
Are you a freelancer? Comment below the biggest lesson you have learned.