Business Development

Finding the Right Support: Get Help Moving Your Business Forward

Sometimes we know there's a problem in our business, but we don't necessarily know what's causing that problem, or how to solve it, or who to turn to for help.

So we end up going round in circles, hoping the problem will go away or the solution will suddenly present itself.

And occasionally, this does happen. We make a slight change, and it seems to fix things, or we happen to get talking to someone who can help us resolve the issue.

But this is rare. Usually, we just find temporary workarounds or learn how to manage the problem rather than eliminate it.

This can often be made worse when you're getting advice from people who have the same problem. They can't tell you how to fix it (or they would have fixed it themselves), so they just make you feel better about it.

"It's just part of freelance life"

"It's something all freelancers have to put up with"

"It's just a really tough market at the minute"

And so you carry on muddling through, never really getting the help you need.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

For every freelancer who is struggling, another freelancer is thriving. And it's not because they are special. It's because they are not ignoring problems. They are taking action.

So if you're experiencing a problem in your business, get help from someone who has solved that problem, not someone who shares the same problem.

Identify the issue

Your first step is articulating the problem or problems. Be completely honest with yourself about what you're struggling with.

"I don't get enough work"

"I'm not making enough money"

"I don't attract nice clients"

"I work too many hours"

"I feel anxious and stressed all the time"

"I don't enjoy a lot of the work I do"

"I feel like I don't have control over anything"

"I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing"

"I keep getting haggled down on price"

"I keep getting ghosted"

"I feel overwhelmed"

"I don't have good systems, so I'm always making mistakes"

"I am terrible at time management

"I always underquote"

"I often feel out of my depth"

"I don't get the type of work I should be getting"

"My competitors are more successful despite not being as good as me"

"My business is making me miserable"

Don't feel bad if you feel inadequate, and don't feel bad if you feel like you deserve better. It's ok to have self-doubt, and it's ok to have self-belief. But understanding how you feel is the first step in figuring out what you need to do.

Determine what's causing the issue

Once you've articulated the problem (or problems), you need to figure out the underlying cause. Here are some of the main causes of the most common problems freelancers face.

Ineffective marketing

If you don't get enough enquiries or you constantly attract the wrong type of enquiries (price-buyers, time-wasters, toxic clients), then it's likely you need to fix your marketing. Figure out where the gaps are. Are you visible enough? Is your messaging too vague? Are you marketing yourself in the wrong places? Are you trying to appeal to too many audiences? Is it unclear what you actually sell?

If you see your competitors getting the sort of clients you'd love and you have no idea why, it's probably because their marketing is more effective than yours.

Poor sales process

So many freelancers struggle with sales, but sales is the most important part of your business - if you aren't getting sales, you aren't making money. If you find you are constantly getting haggled down or ghosted, there's an issue with how you sell. Maybe you don't come across as confident. Maybe you come across as too desperate. Maybe you are too pushy. Maybe you are overwhelming prospects with too much choice.

And if you keep getting work you hate or clients you don't like, that's a problem with both your marketing and your sales process.

Lack of effective systems and processes

You might not be a fan of structure. You might brag about how you thrive in chaos. But like it or not, you need some systems in your business. If you don't have any, you can end up getting in a mess with your accounts, missing out on great opportunities, or failing to deliver on promises to clients. Manage your money. Manage your time. Manage your marketing. Get control of your business.

Prices too low

If your prices are too low, you have to take on extra work just to meet your targets. This often means working crazy hours, which can lead to stress, overwhelm and burnout. It also means you attract people who just want it done on the cheap rather than people who actually value what you do. This can make you feel undervalued and demotivated.

You don't value your time

If you’re constantly giving away free advice, doing free calls, and meeting random strangers for coffee to ‘explore opportunities’, you end up overworked and underpaid.

Filling your days with calls and meetings might feel productive, and helping people does feel good. But if you’re not being paid for all that time you’re giving to others, you will be busy but not profitable.

There’s a fine line between using your expertise as a marketing tool and working for free. If you don't value your time, how do you expect other people to value it?

Lack of confidence

Many freelancers I speak to don't feel confident putting themselves out there. Or they've let a string of bad clients shake their confidence. If you're regularly underquoting or discounting your prices, you aren't putting yourself forward for opportunities, or you don't feel comfortable promoting your services or positioning yourself as an expert, it's likely you need to work on your confidence.

Pride, ego or arrogance holding you back

One of the things I found really hard early on in business was asking for help. I wanted to prove I could do it by myself. I didn't want anyone to know when I was struggling, so I'd say I was busy or that business was going well even if it wasn't. My pride was holding me back, but luckily, I saw sense (eventually).

But I often see pride, ego and arrogance holding people back in other ways. They become so set in their ways that they aren't open to new things. And when their way of doing things stops working, they double down, refusing to change and blaming external factors for what isn't working in their business (it's the algorithms, it's the market, it's AI).

All too often, ego or pride get in the way of being objective.

Sometimes it’s hard to let go and walk away. It’s hard to admit we were wrong about something or that what we're doing isn't working.

You see people pumping time or money into marketing that doesn’t work or a business idea that is no longer viable because they don’t want to admit everything they have invested so far has amounted to nothing. Nobody likes to admit defeat.

Decide what kind of help you need

If you have an idea of what's causing your problems, it's easier to figure out what type of support you need.

Accountability

Sometimes it's as simple as getting others to hold you accountable. Look for coworking groups or communities where you can get a kick up the arse or a boost of motivation when you need it.

Outsourcing

Maybe you need professional support. If your accounts are in a mess, you might need to hire a bookkeeper or accountant. If your admin is chaotic, a virtual assistant might be able to get you un-muddled. And if you absolutely hate marketing or sales, you might want to look at getting someone to help you with it.

Training or consultancy

Maybe you need to upskill yourself in a specific area (for example, sales) or maybe you need a bit of guidance in a specific area (for example, marketing strategy). Getting training or bringing in a consultant to provide support in that area might be enough to fix the problem.

Ongoing support

Ongoing coaching or mentoring can be hugely beneficial. When I finally decided I needed help with my business, I worked with two mentors. The first helped me get back on track, but the second helped me build a business that actually made me happy. Now I help others do the same, and I love it.

Take meaningful action today

If you're still not quite sure what's causing the issues in your business. Or you have several problems and no idea where to start. Or you need help figuring out what type of support is going to be the most beneficial, book one of my 90-minute starter sessions.

These are designed to help you get to the root of the problem and give you an action plan so you can start moving forward.

I've been doing these 90-minute sessions since 2021 and have helped clients with all kinds of problems, from sorting out their website copy to increasing their prices to setting boundaries to putting together a realistic marketing strategy and fixing their sales process.

And if it turns out I can't help you, I'll refund your fee in full (because I'm not in the habit of leaving my clients dissatisfied for the sake of a few extra pennies in my pocket).

So if you know you need help, book a session here for only £175 and let's start fixing the gaps in your freelance business.