Some of the benefits of freelancing is the capability to set your own hours, have flexibility, and room to grow. While freelancing has its benefits, it also requires a lot of attention and determination. Freelancing also requires a businesslike mindset. This means you can’t be just thinking of yourself as an employee—you also have to be the boss. If you have been freelancing for some time now, or are new to the field, you may want to consider these seven factors.
They could be making your freelancing work harder than it has to be.
#1 No Time Management
Many people go into freelancing with the mindset that they can work whenever they want, and for how long they choose. But, there is a caveat to that. While you can choose your own hours to work, you have to work those hours.
It may be easy to consider skipping work to relaxing on the sofa. Alternatively, you may feel like working a few hours a day. If the type of freelance work you have chosen can be done within a few hours, then do it.
However, if you know you need to sit at your desk and work for more than a few hours, you had better do it. Lacking in time management is the primary reason many freelancers fail. Poor time management skills can also lead to frustration and missing deadlines.
#2 Continually Late or Missing Deadlines
If you constantly turn in late work to your clients, despite how good your work is, they will eventually look for another freelancer. Late work only solidifies the fact that you are unreliable, even if your work is very good.
No one likes late work, especially clients. Missing deadlines, however, is worse than turning in late work. If you miss a deadline because you simply did not do the work, and do not contact the client, that points out your unreliability further.
No contact with the client regarding missing a deadline will always result in the loss of a client.
#3 Little Communication and Availability
If you pick up several clients, and rarely keep them in the loop of their projects, they will likely drop you. You may not need to update them of every single change to their project, but there are some important times when you need to keep communication open with your client. If the project is going to be late, require more research, or a section of the project needs reviewing, you must contact your client.
Additionally, not being available when your client needs you is critical. This does not mean you must be available at all times day and night. Make sure you are available during the work hours you set.
This allows clients to call between those hours if they questions or changes to their project.
Sure, they can reach you by email in your off-hours, but don’t make this your only means of communication.
#4 No Set Working Rate
While this is important, it can be a little confusing for new freelancers. You have to determine what your working rate is. For example, a freelance writer is composing 500 word articles at 5 cents per word.
That is a rate. It can vary between professions, but what is important to remember is to not fluctuate or lower your rate. If you write well, and you know your profession, do not sell yourself lower.
The problem with offering fluctuating rates is that clients may never take you seriously. Then, there is also the risk of having a few clients take advantage of your “lower” rate. Make a standard rate for specific projects and stick with them.
#5 Not Selling Yourself
A very important factor to understand in the freelance world is that you are offering either services or products. In order for your freelance venture to generate any revenue, you must sell yourself. Many new freelancers don’t recognize the fact that they must do this in order to be successful. Selling yourself does not mean going door-to-door to speak about your services or products. But, there are social media channels that you can utilize to accomplish this.
Other ways to sell yourself as a freelancer is to have a regularly updated blog, website, or a social media account. Promote what you do and reach out to potential clients regularly. Remember to include well-written content that interests people about the products or services you have to offer.
#6 Limiting your Education
If you don’t know how to do something, then take a class in it. If you can’t afford to pay for a class, do as much research as you can online.
For instance, if you continue writing about a subject you know nothing about, you will more than likely continue to put out mediocre or low-quality work. Improve your skill by doing it daily.
Freelance writers often write daily and about anything to hone their craft.
#7 Outsource
This is common knowledge for many freelancers no matter what your talent or skill is. If your work is becoming overwhelming, consider outsourcing to someone to take a bit of the load. You do have to pay this outsourced individual. So, look at your business budget and verify that you have the money to hire an outsourced person. Additionally, there are many work-for-hire sites on the Internet. Many of these offer different payment levels and options for you, so you can choose which works best for you.
Conclusion
Working as a freelancer is tough, but rewarding. Despite all the factors above, one of the most overlooked things freelancers tend to do is not plan ahead. Work will come and go in a freelance lifestyle. It is important to have your next gig or job lined up to keep paying your bills. Moreover, having an emergency fund or savings can help you in those tough times when they do happen.
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