So, You Want To Become A Freelancer?

I’ve been a freelancer for nearly a decade. I’ve not been a salaried employee since 2014, and, frankly, I don’t think I’d have it any other way. Having experienced 9 years’ of freedom, independence and control over my career path, I still love the freelance life. But, I’d be lying if I said that freelancing was a journey that everyone should consider.

There have been ups, downs and some harsh learning experiences along the way. And there have certainly been times when I’ve questioned whether becoming a freelancer was the right decision. But there have also been MANY moments where I’ve been extremely glad to have left the corporate world and the never-ending rat race behind.

Going freelance could well be the best career decision you ever make.

So, should you jack in your job and become a freelancer? And what are the fundamental challenges you’re likely to face when you go self-employed? 

1. You’re the entire business (and the buck stops with you)

When you start out as a freelancer, you’re essentially founding your own micro business. And guess who’s in charge of running that business…yep, it’s YOU! 

You’re the Chief Executive of Everything (CEE) in a freelance business, and that means you have a huge amount of responsibility on your plate. Finding clients, managing your accounts, paying your taxes, managing your time, maintaining relationships with your existing clients: all of these elements of the business fall in your lap – as well as doing the actual client work.

If you’re methodical, organised and able to prioritise your workload, being the CEE isn’t really a problem. After all, having complete control over your business is one of the major attractions of going solo. So, if you thrive on ‘getting things done’ freelancing will be a piece of cake.

2. Finding (and losing) clients can be tough!

Without paying clients, you don’t have a business. So it’s vital to have a pipeline of prospects and existing clients to approach when you’re looking for new work. 

In my case, a large chunk of my clients came from the accounting technology sector, as that’s where my network came from. If you have an industry or sector niche from previous roles then plough that niche and get word out that you’re now a free agent and available for work.

The trick is to find out where a potential client may need your skill set, and to make it easy for them to hand this workload over to you. Business owners and department heads are busy people. If you can take on the workload, deliver exceptional work and do it on time, they’ll love you.

The flipside is the slightly sickening feeling when you lose one of these clients. 

Sometimes it’s painfully clear that a client is about to ditch you. Other times it comes out of the blue and you’re completely blindsided. Try not to take being sacked too personally – as the client will no doubt say ‘Sorry, it’s not you. It’s just business’. But, let me tell you, it still smarts when a valued relationship suddenly comes to an abrupt end.

To keep your client base healthy:

• Build up a stable portfolio of clients – create as wide a network of clients and contacts as possible. And never (and I mean NEVER) work for just one business. Putting all your eggs in one basket is a very bad idea and puts you at risk if that company goes down the tubes. 
• Constantly be on the look-out for new opportunities – the more irons you have in the fire, the better. Keep an eye on news about your niche sector or industry and contact any business that might need your services. I’ve won plenty of work just by approaching a rep at a conference and then getting the gig to provide their content support.
• Ditch the clients that are a pain in the arse – bad and annoying clients are more trouble than they’re worth. If a client is making unfair demands on your time, failing to reply to emails or (worst of all) not paying you on time, get rid of them. There are plenty of other businesses who will be much more pleasant to work with. 
• Dial up your business development when you lose a client – if a client sacks you, that’s a golden opportunity to increase your business development activity. Get on your socials and make it clear you’re looking for work, and approach every contact in your network to see if anyone is in need of help and support at the present time. 

3. Getting paid on time is a nightmare

One of the MAJOR bugbears of freelancing is late payment by your clients. Every business, however big or small, needs healthy cashflow. When a client doesn’t stick to your payment terms, or simply forgets to pay you on time, this can cause major issues for your finances. 

I’ve worked with clients that settle the bill the day they receive the invoice. I’ve had clients that always pay me before the 30-day payment terms are up. And I’ve also had clients that have taken 60 or 90 days to settle an invoice that should have been paid within a month of the invoice date. Businesses vary greatly – but having to chase for payment can become a major headache if your clients simply refuse to pay on time.

To relieve at least some of the pain:

• Set very clear payment terms – whether your payment terms are on 14 or 30 days from the receipt of the invoice, make sure you’re totally transparent with this payment expectation from the start of the business relationship. Quote the payment terms on your invoices and make it clear that you expect to be paid on time, every time. 
• Always quote a PO number or reference if it’s needed – as soon as your quote has been accepted, or the work has been commissioned, ask your client contact to get you a PO number for the job. Quote this PO clearly in the reference space of your online invoice and attach an electronic copy of the purchase order, if they send you one.
• Find out who is actually paying the bill – always try to get an email address for the accounts payable team, or the finance team member who will physically pay your bill. CC them in on the invoice when sent and include them in any chaser emails.
• Use your accounting software to send chaser emails – the invoicing features in accounting software, like Xero, allow you to automatically send a chaser email to the client. This saves you an admin task and also helps to speed up payment.
• If all else fails, withdraw your services – when chasing late payment, being polite and persistent can often get the job done. Try calling the client directly to find out when payment can be expected. And if the cash doesn’t appear, withdraw your services and un-share any digital assets you’ve worked on until payment is made and has cleared.

4. Building a good client relationship takes time, effort and a lot of hard work

9 years’ of freelancing has taught me one thing very clearly: never assume that people will do what you expect them to. 

The freelance road is a twisting and turning one, where unexpected clients can appear out of nowhere, and trusted customers can quickly disappear overnight. 

To combat this, there are a few key things you can do to stabilise your relationship and keep the lost clients to a minimum.

1. Be professional and timely – you may be able to work from home in your creased pyjamas as a freelancer (yes, really) but this doesn’t mean that you can be sloppy and unprofessional in your work. Deliver work on time, hit the brief and exceed client expectations.
2. Be friendly and sociable – you get out of a relationship what you put in. If you reply to emails with one word replies and never interact properly with your clients, it’s unlikely that they’ll see you as ‘one of the team’. Contact your clients regularly, ask people how their day is going and generally make yourself a pleasant presence in their lives.
3. Get contracts in place early – a verbal agreement might be fine at the very start of a relationship, but it pays to create contracts and get your clients to sign them. By formalising what’s expected, what you’ll deliver and your prices, you reduce any headaches further down the line if things get messy.
4. Where possible, get on a retainer – ad-hoc work is good, but a retainer is the ‘golden ticket’ as a freelancer. If a customer trusts you and values what you’re bringing to the table, they’ll be happy to pay a retainer (paying a regular, repeating amount for an agreed amount of work). This ties you in, provides a regular income and gives you some stability as a freelancer.
5. Make yourself invaluable – the more a client comes to rely on your content, the more invaluable you become to their business strategy. If you deliver top-notch work, meet their briefs and get good engagement from posted content, you strengthen your position in the working relationship – always good when it comes to discussing retainers, fees and long-term commitments.

5. Working on your own can (sometimes) be rather lonely

Being a ‘solopreneur’ is a double-edged sword. You have ultimate control over every facet of your business and how it works, but there’s also no team for you to work with. Forget about grabbing a coffee with colleagues, or having that water-cooler moment about the latest Netflix series. You work on your own now – and it can get lonely.

The way to combat this solitude in your work life is to get connected with as many other fellow freelancers, contractors, solopreneurs and business people as possible.

Here are a few ways to get connected:

• Be highly active through social media – get involved in conversations, groups and chatting with other freelancers.
• Connect with business owners and freelancers in your local area – business fairs and professional groups can be great places to meet local business owners.
• Get involved with courses and continuing education – a good freelancer never stops learning, so classes, workshops and seminars can be excellent ways to meet like-minded business people.
• Try using coworking spaces – working from home is convenient and free. But there’s real value to leaving the house and working from a cafe, coworking space or library.

Are you ready to become a freelancer?

Having seen some of the challenges, you might be forgiven for rethinking your desire to become a freelancer. But don’t be discouraged. Every career has its hurdles and pitfalls and, for me, the benefits of freelancing far outweigh the potential negatives.

• You get to be your own boss and make your own decisions about your career
• You have more freedom and (if managed well) a better work/life balance
• If you work hard, you directly influence the income your receive
• You get to work with people you admire, respect and like
• You’re part of a wider freelance community that supports the business world

If you’d rather be the boss of your own business, and feel like you have the drive, skills and business acumen to start freelancing, my advice is to go for it.

Good luck and have fun in your new career!

Going Freelance: Building Work Around Your Life

If you’re new to freelancing and about to start your own solopreneur journey, my book, ‘Going Freelance: Building Work Around Your Life’ may be your freelancing saviour.

There’s advice and tips on everything from setting up the business, finding your first clients, managing your finances and building valued relationships with your new clients.

It’s available in print and Kindle editions via Amazon now: