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If you’re a freelancer on a months-long contract, or are just going from gig to gig, one thing you’re probably tired of is people assuming that you do nothing but watch Netflix or peruse the innerwebs all day. Le sigh. Writer Melissa Ligertwood would like to set a few things straight.
One of the best things about my co-work office is that I get to share space with entrepreneurs from a diverse cross-section of crafts and industries. What do a math geek, a zen author and a self-made search marketer have in common? Every freelancer has a story….
Freelancing is fast becoming a legit career path. It has never been easier to work from home – or anywhere for that matter.
We can all agree, there are challenges. Some of them are unique to the journey, but others are pretty darn consistent no matter who you talk to. Regardless, most of us wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a small price to pay for doing what you love on your own terms. Every. Damn. Day.
Thinking about freelancing full time? You have our full support. But, we think there are some things you should know.
“Freelancing is the fear of the unknown, but also the fear of knowing. Nothing is a sure thing.” – Blair De Jong, Principal, Bdot Inc.
Prepare to hustle
Clients don’t fall from the sky. The good news is, everyone is capable of finding new clients. But are you prepared to approach complete strangers and ask for their business? I chatted with one colleague who got up every single morning and made ten cold calls to land his first project.
“It’s hard work and hustle. There’s no trick to it,” says Calin Yablonski, founder of Inbound Interactive
That project turned into a client, and then a referral and then a couple more clients. Ten years later, he has a successful agency with four full time employees and a dozen contractors. Pure sweat equity.
Freelancing is a business
Too many freelancers make the mistake of thinking their only job is to deliver a service. In reality, you spend the majority of your time running a business. Accounting, sales, client relations, marketing, administration and the list goes on.
Every freelancer I spoke with admitted it can be overwhelming to wear so many different hats.
“After leaving a desk job, it was shocking to find out how much work freelance actually is,” admits artist/designer Shaun Friesen. “My education is in fine art so understanding the necessity of practical business skills to pair with the creative has been a constant learning curve for me.”
Nothing is a sure thing
There are ups and downs in freelancing. There is rejection and financial uncertainty.
Blair De Jong, E-commerce & Digital Marketing Strategist and founder of Bdot reveals that his biggest challenge of freelancing “is the fear of the unknown, but also the fear of knowing. Nothing is a sure thing.”
I recently attended a goal-setting workshop with Erin Skye Kelly that changed the way I think about being an entrepreneur. She says that if a goal doesn’t make you pee your pants, it’s not a good goal.
Basically: bbeing in business for yourself is terrifying, and that’s ok because it’s supposed to be.
Stop procrastinating
My nickel’s worth of free advice is that it’s never too early to build your client base. Start now. One of the most effective and least risky ways to start freelancing is to freelance and work at the same time. Yes, it will exhaust you. But hey, you can use the extra money to pay off your student loans. Or go on a trip to Iceland. Whatever.
Forget about brick & mortar
The best piece of wisdom I snagged while writing this article is that you don’t need to prove your worth by pretending to be bigger than you are. Forget the expensive office with the fancy sign on the door. Those days are over. Create a comfortable work-from-home office. Then – when you can afford it – find a coworking space.
Do good work
Every small business owner will tell you that the best advertising is word-of-mouth. So while it might sound obvious, it’s worthwhile to drive the point home. The future of your business relies on your ability to understand your customer. If you can solve your customer’s problem, you will earn long term client relationships. And that translates into recurring revenue and growth through referrals, otherwise known as success.
Melissa is a professional writer based out of Calgary, Alberta, her company Content Lime Communications specializes in digital projects, social media, web content and technical writing.
Are you a freelancer? What are some of the lessons you’ve learned? We’d like to hear from you! Share your experiences in the section below.