So You Want To Be A Freelancer?

If you're tired of the nine-to-five and dream of working for yourself, choosing your clients, choosing your hours, and earning more than ever before, you've probably considered going freelance.

But while freelancing can give you more freedom and flexibility, it doesn't always happen overnight. You don't quit your job and suddenly have clients queuing up at your door.

So before you make the leap (or if you've made the leap and want to get off to a good start), here are some things to consider.

You'll need to do some marketing

You might have a handful of clients lined up already, or you might be starting from scratch. Either way, you'll need to do some marketing to ensure you constantly have enough work to pay your bills.

If you don't have any marketing or sales experience, check out these guides to get started.

A Simple Guide to Marketing for New Freelancers

There isn’t a secret sauce for marketing, but there are some things you can do that will increase your chance of success.

The Freelance FairytaleLisa Slater

How To Find Clients as a Freelancer

There are lots of ways to get those first few clients (and then continue getting them on an ongoing basis).

The Freelance FairytaleLisa Slater

Getting your pricing right can be tricky

It’s very easy to undervalue your skills or underestimate how long a project will take. And you're not just pricing for the time spent doing the work - you also need to factor in time spent on non-billable tasks such as admin and marketing.

Being competitive is fine, but do you really want to be known as cheap? You’ll end up only attracting low-paying work, and you’re unlikely to be able to sustain this long-term. If you get too busy doing low-paid work, you won’t have a chance to go out and win the high-paying work.

A Guide To Pricing Your Services as a Freelancer

How do you decide what to charge? How much should your clients be paying? How do you price your freelance services fairly and still make a decent living?

The Freelance FairytaleLisa Slater

Should You Discount Your Rates to Win New Business?

When you discount your rates, that discount comes straight out of your profits, which means you’re often taking a bigger hit than you think.

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You don't have to niche straight away

When you first set out, you may not know exactly which direction you want to go in. It’s fine to try a few different projects and take on some things you aren’t sure about, while you find your feet.

You’ll quickly realise what type of work you enjoy, which projects you feel most comfortable with, and which work earns the most money.

Eventually, you may decide to become a specialist. If you know what you enjoy and what you're good at, you can position yourself as an expert. You’ll be comfortable and confident, and you will become known as a specialist in this area.

Time management is essential

Many people think being self-employed means picking and choosing your hours and working when you feel like it. Unfortunately, this is only true if you learn how to manage your time effectively.

In the early days, you might experience the “feast and famine cycle” when it comes to workload. This happens when you neglect your marketing because you are busy and so have nothing lined up once the busy period ends. You then have a push on marketing and get super busy again.

As you get more regular work and become better at managing your time, you’ll get more consistency. That’s when you can start to pick and choose your hours.

How to Break the Feast and Famine Cycle

The feast and famine cycle is not inevitable – you don’t have to suffer periods of overwhelm and stress followed by periods of anxiety and panic.

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Self-employment can feel lonely

Self-employment can feel lonely, especially if you work from home. The difficult part is dealing with the self-doubt that can creep in. If you aren’t connecting with other people, how do you know if you're doing it right?

You need someone to bounce ideas off, pick you up when you have a bad day, and reassure you when a client gives bad feedback or questions your pricing.

Make sure you have a support network. Join a community, find a mentor or connect with other freelancers who you can call on for advice or encouragement.

How to Look After Your Mental Health as a Freelancer

The best way to protect your mental health is to understand what things could impact it and then put measures in place to prevent or manage them.

The Freelance FairytaleLisa Slater

When Should You Hire A Mentor (And What Can You Expect)?

I used to think business mentors were a luxury. Something for other people. What could a mentor tell me that I couldn’t learn from a book or the internet? There are hundreds of free resources on how to run a business. So I didn’t bother getting one. Not when I

The Freelance FairytaleLisa Slater

Not everyone will value what you do

Not everyone will value your skills, so it’s important you believe in yourself. Don’t let people who don’t understand what you do make you doubt your worth.

You might be new to business, but you're probably not new to your field, so don't feel as though you have to put up with less-than-desirable clients.

Setting Business Boundaries Can Protect Your Mental Health

When I started my business, I didn’t really have a plan, so I kind of just went with the flow. I made myself available to clients when they needed me, answered calls even when it wasn’t convenient, replied to emails late at night, agreed to in-person meetings even if they

The Freelance FairytaleLisa Slater

How To Deal With Negative Feedback or Rejection

Negative feedback isn’t necessarily bad - it’s something we can learn from. And getting rejected might actually turn out to be dodging a bullet.

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It’s Ok To Say ‘No’

If you don’t want to do something, be honest. Delaying it will only make it harder to refuse at a later stage.

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Everyone has different tastes. That’s why we don’t all like the same books, films or works of art. Accept that not everyone will like your style.

You will never know everything

Never stop learning. The biggest mistake you can make is thinking that you know everything. Keep reading, researching and improving.

Are You At Risk of Complacency?

When you start a business, you’re open to learning and improving. The more experienced you get, the easier it is to get complacent.

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There will always be someone ‘better’

You will get professional envy, and it’s a good thing. It’s important to admire, respect, and appreciate others in your industry. If you don't, you can get complacent.

But don't let other people's success distract you from your goals. They are at a different stage of their journey, so focus on what you're doing and what you want from your business.

You Get To Decide What Success Looks Like

Your business is your business, and it doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing or not doing. You get to decide what success looks like for you.

The Freelance FairytaleLisa Slater

You don't have to do it alone

The biggest mistake I made when I started was not asking for help when I needed it. I wanted to prove I could build a successful business by myself. That was foolish, and it held me back. You'll get where you want to be faster if you get help from someone who knows how to get there.

If you’re considering self-employment or have recently started freelancing, I can help you get off to a great start. Book one of my starter sessions and we’ll put together a strategy that plays to your strengths.