13 tips on freelancing
Lessons learned from 13 years as a freelancer and independent consultant
I don’t claim to have all the answers. And I’m not immune to imposter syndrome, fluctuating income or a host of other challenges from working for yourself. But I’ve come a long way since I somewhat naively set out on this path just over 13 years ago. And while it’s still a work in progress, I’ve learnt a thing or two along the way.
I last did one of these lessons learned posts after five years of working for myself, so even though it’s not a neat anniversary number, I thought it was time to update the list…
1. Do good work
Get the basics right – listen to clients, understand what they need (even if they don’t always know it or can explain it), and then deliver good work, on time, for a fair price. Show up and be consistent.
2. Define your own goals and success measures
Decide what’s important to you and what you’d like to achieve, both in the short-term and longer term. Whether it’s just having more control and flexibility, being available for the school runs, having time for hobbies or avoiding long commutes and office politics – they are your reasons and they are valid. Remind yourself of them now and again: if your motivation for freelancing is a better work/life balance, make sure you don’t just end up with a heavy workload and a work/life blur.
Carve out some time to reflect back and look ahead. Set some goals. Be realistic so they are achievable, but why not also throw in a Big Hairy Audacious Goal too, you never know. I never in a million years thought I’d be a published author, but wrote Marketing Strategy for Museums for Routledge in 2023. My next BHAG as a Swede in the UK – I’d love to work with some Swedish cultural/heritage organisations…
3. Don’t compare yourself to others
Chances are their highlight reel isn’t an indication of their full reality. Uplift others, ignore the noise and don’t be jealous. Believe in your own strengths, experience, approaches, and ideas.
4. Be your own cheerleader
Believe in yourself, you’ve got this! And blow your own horn, share testimonials and achievements publicly. Give yourself a high five to acknowledge and celebrate even your micro-achievements (sending your first invoice, being assertive on your rates, saying ‘no’ to something that was tempting but not a good fit, tackling a filing backlog, or getting your tax return submitted before Christmas). Keep a list of your achievements and what you’re good at, it can be a useful reminder if/when imposter syndrome rears its head.
5. Be brave
Step outside your comfort zone now and again (or preferably regularly – it then gets easier and the zone expands). Ask for feedback at the end of a project or if you don’t win a project, chase that late invoice, put yourself out there, go to an event on your own (you can always leave after a few minutes), write an honest social media post, apply to speak at a conference, or reach out to someone and see if they want to have a coffee or Zoom chat.
6. Look after yourself
It’s true: you can’t pour from an empty cup. Look after both your physical and mental health, whatever that means to you. Strength training, walks, a coffee and catch-up with a friend, baking, and a theatre show fill mine. Having recently listened to Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Healthby Daisy Fancourt, I’m also determined to get back to some more creativity – resuscitating my knitting and piano playing.
When Marge Ainsley and I ran training on setting up and thriving as a freelancer, we referred to the New Economics Foundations’ Five Ways to Wellbeing – five key actions to improve mental health and wellbeing: 1) Connect 2) Be active 3) Take notice 4) Keep learning 5) Give. They are great prompts.
7. Don’t take things personally
Being ghosted after submitting a proposal you’ve spent ages working on? Or not winning a new piece of work you really want? There could be countless reasons why, and many are beyond your control. It may be a them issue, not a you issue, or maybe it just wasn’t the right fit. It can be gutting. But stop the hand-wringing and move on.
8. Embrace – or make peace with – the messiness
Your workload and income are unlikely to be totally stable month to month. Temper this as much as you can (get purchase orders straight away, ask for part payments upfront, create daily routines for structure, set aside money to cover dips). And try to make the most of the advantages that come with the flexibility (you determine the hours, location and style of working and what else you do in the day).
9. Recognise and work with – or around – your strengths and weaknesses
Create systems and routines that work for you. Are you a procrastinator? Test out a range of support, from social media app blockers, to tracking your time (I find pressing play on Toggl helps focus my mind), or trying some productivity methods to see which (if any) work for you, whether it’s eating the frog or the Pomodoro Technique. Need accountability? Try an online co-working day with accountability baked in. Hate numbers and admin? Invest in an accountant, bookkeeper or a virtual assistant. Need some distance between working from home and life-ing from home? Try a walk around the block to mark the start and end of your working day, have a post-work ritual (a cuppa on the sofa?) or my favourite one I heard many moons ago – take off your “work slippers” and pop on your “home slippers” to signal the bridge between the two.
10. Learn how to say “no”
It can be uncomfortable, but be assertive. Whether it’s for a request to slash your day rate, or to a last minute and unreasonable “Can you just” client request, saying no ultimately frees you up to say yes to something better.
11. Adapt and evolve
External factors change over time – clients’ needs, audience/consumer trends, Government policy, competition and technology (AI) to name just a few… Be responsive and nimble, and don’t get complacent. But it can also be internal factors like your location, your financial circumstances, your physical and mental health, caring responsibilities, and success measures. Be in tune with these and be prepared to develop and adjust as needed.
12. Don’t forget CPD
It’s your responsibility to stay relevant and up to date. It doesn’t have to be formal, paid-for training (although the Institute for Cultural Affairs’ two-day Group Facilitation Methods course I did around 10 years ago was a gamechanger for me). Following some interesting people on social media (as a couple of examples: I always learn a lot on LinkedIn from Baker Richards’ David Reece’s posts about all things strategy, policy, pricing, and Claire Antrobus’s posts on neuroinclusive facilitation and coaching), reading sector news, listening to podcasts, and collaborating with other freelancers can all be great ways to keep learning too and don’t cost anything.
13. Build the network you need
Freelancing can be lonely, and connecting with other people can fill your cup. No one wants to be talked at and sold to. Be prepared to give, don’t just take. This is a long game, don’t expect immediate returns.
Learning, sharing, listening, and sometimes just commiserating with others. Developing freelance associates and relationships with other suppliers you can work with, refer work to and learn from is worthwhile.
If ‘networking’ itself gives you the ick, can you reframe it? Building a community, having a chat with someone, making connections? If you feel uncomfortable meeting people in-person, can you try something virtual? Or if you struggle with walking into a traditional networking room, can you try something with more structure – a facilitated session, a “netwalking” group (walking and networking), or speed networking with specific talking points? If nothing exists on your doorstep or at a time that works for you, can you organise something that does? Or would looking beyond your sector be beneficial (for example I have been to marketing and branding meetups that aren’t sector specific).
A huge thank you to clients past and present for trusting me with your projects and being open to my ideas and approaches. And to other freelance colleagues for collaborations, empathy and coffees together. Here’s to the next 13 years!
Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash