Business owners who wish there were more hours in the day, who have an idea for an altered direction, or who want to grow a business but don’t have the skills or experience often seek support from a freelancer (like me), consultant, or agency. It’s an excellent way to draw on the experience of a reliable person or team to achieve goals without employing additional staff members.
I’ve worked for myself for a few years now. It’s been the biggest learning curve with highs and lows, and I know I’m not alone as I speak to many freelancers who share similar feelings. I often get introduced to people who are considering going freelance but are unsure where to start, what to expect or where to find clients. I’m very happy to share some of my experiences with them, so I thought I’d write about them for you too.
Working for myself is the best move I’ve ever made for many reasons, but below are some things I wish I had been able to ask someone when I started out.
People don’t always get back to you after receiving a proposal
When I started, I lost count of the times someone approached me for help. I’d excitedly travel to their office, take time getting to know them and their business, talking in detail about where they are now and what they hope to achieve before writing well-thought-out and concise proposals from my pages and pages of notes, then…nothing! They vanished into thin air. It was heartbreaking.
This happened often when I belonged to a networking group where referrals meant brownie points. I soon realised that when emails and calls went unanswered I had, in fact, had a lucky escape from a potential client who no doubt would have been a nightmare to work with.
My advice is don’t put more than necessary to demonstrate you’re capable of doing a job into your proposal, otherwise people steal your ideas, and you get no reward or recognition. Try not to take being ghosted personally. It says more about them and less about you. Your perfect client will soon come along!
Don’t be shy about payment terms and chasing if you need to
One of the motivations behind my writing this piece was a situation with a former client who owed me a significant amount of money for several months.
Like most freelancers, I have to budget. I have to work out what I’m earning, when I will receive it, and when my bills need to be paid. That’s the joys of adulting, isn’t it? But how understanding would the supermarket be if I filled up a trolley but couldn’t pay because I was waiting to receive money I’d worked hard for? Could I rock up with the money when it suited me?
I advise chasing late invoices immediately, even if an invoice is just a day overdue. Most of the time, it’s a genuine oversight, and they appreciate a gentle nudge. Some of my freelance friends ask for payment (or part of a payment) upfront, so perhaps consider this for routine late payers.
Wave those knickers!
‘Wave those knickers’ is a phrase a lovely friend uses. I’m pretty shy, so I get embarrassed when people show me too much praise or attention. I get immense joy from a simple ‘thank you’ when I’ve done a job to the best of my ability, and the client is pleased.
In hindsight, I wish I’d kept more examples of my work and the impact I’ve made to build a portfolio from the beginning to demonstrate to potential new clients that I can walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
My advice is to keep a log of what you have worked on and build a portfolio of the things you are most proud of with stats and testimonials to back you up. It’ll save you a heap of time later, and you can use each of your portfolio pieces for social media posts as you go along too.
Find your tribe
I get almost all of my work via networking or word of mouth. If you’re reading this thinking, ‘I can’t possibly go networking; that’s terrifying!’ please be assured I felt the same. Talking about my business to a room of strangers gave me sleepless nights in the lead-up, but I knew it would eventually increase my confidence so I pushed myself to do it.
I soon learnt that there’s a fine line between pushing yourself and feeling proud that you achieved something so frightening and going too far and feeling even more intimidated. I believe the trick is to find the right group for you. I’ve attended some networking groups which are far too pressured and stuffy and some which are nice to do and lots of fun but not a good use of time.
There are plenty of networking groups out there, so give some a try and go with your gut feelings. If they appear to be desperate for members, or they try to pressure you into joining, there’s a reason for it!
Be open to collaborative working
Leading on nicely from networking, I want to talk about collaborative working. When I first started networking, there was always at least one person in the room who offered the same as me but had far more experience being self-employed and plenty of work. As a newbie to the freelance world, I thought they were living the dream.
I couldn’t understand why they were so keen to talk to me, after all – wasn’t I their competition? No! Far from it. Most freelancers I know have, at some point, grown beyond capacity or want to offer their clients something extra as part of a broader project they’re unable to do. Over the years, I’ve completed ‘white labelled’ work for busy agencies and worked with others, such as web designers, where I’ve led on content and the user journey, and they’ve done all the techy bits I can’t do. Working as a team also means discussing creative ideas and supporting each other, which I enjoy as I don’t cope well with isolation.
My advice is to grow your connections, including people in the same field or sector. You never know what opportunities might arise to work together.
Offer flexibility when it’s needed if you’re able, but set your boundaries when you need to
A couple of years ago, there was only me, and I had 14 clients and projects to work on. Managing my time was tricky, so when I had to (or felt I had to) drop everything to help a client out of a hole due to their lack of preparation, I would get so far behind I’d have to work late into the night or all weekend to catch up. I love my work and I’m blessed with the most amazing clients, but you know what they say about all work and no play? It’s not good for you.
Most of the time I’m happy to shuffle my diary around when something needs to be done urgently but, as I get older and grumpier, I’ve decided to ease the pressure on myself when needed. For all my new clients, I politely explain that I need a week or so to complete complex or big pieces of work and, if anyone asks me to do something which really isn’t possible, I offer an alternative timeframe that is as quick as possible but much more realistic.
My advice is to be helpful, kind and willing, but when a client repeatedly disrupts your day, don’t be afraid to push back otherwise it will keep happening.
To sum up
Going from being employed full-time to being self-employed has been the best career move I’ve ever made, but it comes with challenges. Find the right networking groups for your business and for you personally (either meeting in person or online, such as Facebook groups) and surround yourself with people who can support you. Don’t be afraid to seek help; people will probably enjoy being asked. Give yourself time to build your business and remember that not every lead will convert into a client.