21 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Freelancing
In January 2017, I signed my first freelance client. I was working as a full-time Assistant Director of Marketing but I was completely miserable with the work on my plate and the politics at the company. As I started to think about what would be next for me, I decided I would apply my professional skills to a side hustle. Quickly, the side hustle turned into my full-time job. By December 2017, I had four retainer clients.
My last four years of freelancing have been a rollercoaster: it’s been excellent, good, bad, and very ugly — sometimes all at once. If you don’t have a thick skin or dogged personality, I recommend maybe not stepping on this ride. Freelancing isn’t for everyone. However, I believe if you’re determined to make it happen, you can find success and your spot in this freelance ecosystem. In this year, 2021, here are 21 things I’ve learned on this freelance journey:
Freelancing isn't one-size-fits-all. What works for me may not work for you. What I specialize in may be your own personal nightmare. Go after the work you want and not just what freelance projects LinkedIn dudes (you know, the ones who write all their posts one line at a time) are boasting about. Find the work that connects your drive and passion.
Every freelancer I know has a different way of finding new business. Some rely 100% referral and word of mouth, others rely on social media or paid social ads to drive their business. Most have a hybrid of tactics to funnel new clients their way. Facebook groups, word of mouth, LinkedIn posts, and creating authentic content have helped me immensely. Test different tactics to see what works for you.
The most difficult clients are the ones that typically pay the least. Yeah, I said it. The truth is the truth. Nightmare clients are usually the ones that treat you like you’re their employee and you’re at their beck and call at the drop of a hat. The worst clients are the ones that read your contract, sign your contract, but ignore contract clauses about communication, office hours, project scope, and payment terms. You have every right to get rid of a nightmare client. Set your boundaries and do not forget your worth.
Diversify your workload. Not every client needs to be a retainer client. Some of my all-time favorite opportunities were small, one-off projects and did not come with three or six month contracts.
You truly have to be a disciplined, self-starter. If you can’t manage your time and keep all your client work organized, freelancing may not be for you or you may need to hire a virtual assistant. I highly recommend committing to a specific routine and sticking to it, so you can meet deadlines. If meeting deadlines isn’t your cup of tea, maybe I suggest taking a different career path?
Don’t buy into the digital nomad façade you see on Instagram. I once spent nearly a month in Hawaii. Just because I was in Hawaii didn’t mean my life was laying on the beach and spending all day drinking Mai Tai’s. I busted my ass to keep up with my client work (especially being 10 hours behind most of my clients). My Instagram looked lush, but there was a lot of pre-trip project planning and behind the scenes client conference calls. I hate talking in cliches, but if you want to play hard, you have to work hard.
Time is money, money is time. In the beginning of my freelance days, I often entertained conversations that absolutely did not serve me and certainly didn’t pay me. It’s okay to say no when someone asks to pick your brain. It’s also okay to say, “My hourly consulting fee is…” to someone. One of my favorite bloggers, Kristin Luna of Camels and Chocolate, has an incredible blog about the pick your brain phenomenon. If you’re already freelancing or considering it, it’s a must read.
You make the rules. You are running your own circus. Recently, a potential client reached out to me and when I asked her to fill out my “new client questionnaire” so I could get more information before our initial call, she refused. She said it was a “waste of time” and that she just wanted to talk to me and she would tell me her answers on our call. First, this is not a good start to a client-freelancer relationship. Second, if a client is already calling something reasonable in your process a “waste of time,” well...yikes. I kindly but firmly told the woman I didn’t think I’d be a good fit for the project and that I wished her the best.
If a potential client asks you what else you’re currently working on and how many hours a week you’re dedicated to other clients, consider this to be a red flag. You don’t need to tell a potential client how many retainer clients you have, how many one-offs are on your plate, or how you spend your time — this has nothing to do with them and they should go into a working relationship trusting you (which means they should trust you to have the bandwidth if you agree to take the project on). Listen to what a client asks or tells you from the get-go, don’t just consider the money on the table.
Formalize an on-boarding process, so new client kick-offs seamlessly go off without a hitch. This past year, I created a flow chart that explains my specific process from the initial inquiry to the wrap-up report for the work. It is an all-encompassing process outline that lets clients dive deeper into the process. The clearer you are about how you work and expectations, the better.
Never, ever start a project without a signed contract or at least a 50% up-front deposit. Ever. Ever, ever. If you are being pressured by a new client to start a project without a contract in place or you haven’t received a deposit, kindly let the client know you can’t move forward until both are taken care of.
Just like with dating, prepare to encounter ghosts. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been ghosted by potential clients, and while it’s only happened a few times, I’ve been ghosted by clients with signed contracts (some who failed to pay and others who sign contracts and then never make another peep). RIP!
If you accept a project or opportunity and you’re asked to give a W-9, you are an independent contractor — no matter what the company, brand, or person on the phone says. If you are asked to provide a W-9 and not a W-4 but you’re expected to work Monday-Friday, 9-5pm, onsite, and you suddenly find yourself slapped with a title, you need to know one thing: You are being misclassified and you’re being treated like an employee. If you’re cool with that, proceed but make sure the company isn’t taking advantage of you.
Leave time for your own work and learning. This could mean designing social graphics in Canva or writing SEO-rich blogs to drive traffic to your website or taking an online course for copywriting, but whatever it is — make sure you are dedicating some percentage of your time to building your business and seeking out new opportunities.
Consider the expense of the tools and programs you need to get your work done and then factor them into your bottom line. If you use Canva Pro to knock out design work for clients or you decide to upgrade your AirTable account, make note and keep a record of what you use and why you use it.
Take at least two days off each week. If you find yourself working on the weekend, for the sake of your sanity and freelance workload — make sure you take another day off during the week. It’s important to have downtime because if you’re go, go, go and buried in work (I understand some weeks are just like this, no matter how you plan or schedule ahead), you will end up burying yourself with burn out. Treat yourself how you would want a boss or company to treat you.
Block off, at least, 30 minutes for a break each working day. Dance to the Spice Girls. Make yourself a fancy sandwich. Walk your dogs. Drink two more cups of coffee. Wash your face. Cry to “Funeral” by Phoebe Bridgers. Fold your laundry. Do whatever you want during that time, but make sure you’re getting some kind of break. When I first started, I’d often look at the clock and it would suddenly be 4pm and I would realize I haven’t even had a sip of water all day and I definitely didn’t have deodorant on. All this did was bring me unnecessary stress. Being busy is not a personality trait, so don’t take that persona on.
I don’t care what anyone says, don’t work for free. If a potential client says “but you will get exposure” or “you can use this in your portfolio,” remind yourself that exposure and building your portfolio (for free) won’t pay your rent. If you’re being asked to do something, you should be paid. Even if you’re brand spankin’ new to freelancing or you’re trying to build up work in a new niche, do not work for free.
Websites matter. One of the most common things I hear is, “Your website is great.” My website has been a deal closer. Build yourself a website that will engage and inform. If you don’t know how to build a website, work with someone who can execute your vision. My website was made by Let’s Go Studio.
Mistakes will be made, but learn from them. I am human and sometimes I have to learn lessons multiple times before they stick, but the key is to keep learning and keep moving forward. If you take on a client that makes you feel like a sewer rat, think about why you signed with them in the first place and the key takeaways to make sure you won’t feel like a sewer rat again. If you’re fired by a client and they had a good reason to say au revoir and peace out, take responsibility for your part. Recently, I had an ah-ha moment where I said, “I will never work with this particular niche again.” Did it take me 4 years to come to this realization after taking on multiple projects within that world? Yep. But at least now, I’m crystal clear about that niche as I move forward.
Keep immaculate records. Document everything. I keep digital documents and I often write notes, timelines, specific client needs in a notebook. Even four years into this, sometimes I go back to an old notebook to cross reference something. Whatever system works best for you, put it in place. Keep receipts.