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Many people are starting off the New Year with a resolution to quit the corporate gig, release themselves from the shackles of their full-time gig and finally go it alone: freelance. This is the second of a two-part series, where writer Lori Franze polls a few of her cronies to get some sage advice from those who fly solo.
In Tuesday’s piece, I got some sweet freelance tips from art director Wendy Bloemink. On the other side of the creative spectrum is Ruth Zuchter – a writer and copy editor has been working in the industry for over 15 years. When I asked her if she’d like to share some advice for other freelancers she jumped at the chance to pay it forward, noting that she wouldn’t be where she is today without the guidance of others.
(It didn’t make any sense for me to re-write or paraphrase what Ruth shared with me being that she is a talented writer and has her own voice. So here is Ruth’s advice:)
Freelancing from an indie writer/editor’s perspective
Writing was in my blood from an early age, but when I entered the workforce after university, I went in a completely different direction. Over a decade later, I knew that there was something missing, and so, three years ago, after a lot of soul-searching and about 90% of my clients and colleagues asking why I’d leave a successful and lucrative career behind, I took the plunge in the direction of my passion: writing and editing. Here are some things I’ve learned during my time freelancing:
Mine your network
Because I’ve been successful in the marketing and media industry for almost 15 years, I’ve got a name and reputation that my network recognizes and supports. The majority (over 95%) of my work while freelancing has come directly from people that I have worked with or have had as clients in the past. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your network to let them know that you’ve got availability and that you can help them with projects that they can’t get done (or can’t get to themselves) in-house.
Find a mentor
Or at least, a group of like-minded professionals. You’ll inevitably have questions, like how to quote a new project or how to handle a particularly challenging client situation. And most of these questions will be time-sensitive — you can’t leave a project quote hanging too long, lest another entrepreneurial freelancer jump in and take your business.
Having a mentor, or better yet, a group of people that you can rely upon for sound advice will help you to make better business decisions and also, potentially offer you collaboration partners in the future.
Establish boundaries
Whether you work to live or live to work, as a freelancer you’re likely going to experience ups and downs in your schedule and life. Depending on the industry you work in, you may have seasonal work peaks and troughs – times where your business demands that you work 14-hour days for a period of time, or make yourself available on weekends, or respond to work requests while you’re on vacation.
It’s important to understand upfront that you can shape your work, so you’re not burning yourself out in your pursuit of your freelance work. Set boundaries for yourself and your clients, and be open and honest as to expectations for reasonable turn-around on work you’re taking in, or even the amount of work that you can legitimately manage at any given time.
What other tips and advice do you have for newbie freelancers? We’d like to hear from you! Leave your comments below.