If you are reading this you are probably a freelancer or want to be one. That is what most microbusinesses are and it is the best way for many people to start their own microbusiness. I’ve done freelancing for many years and love it, but it is a work style that might not be for everyone.
Freelancing is a choice that people make when they want to get out of the 9-5 cubicle ghetto. Freelancers have decided on a certain way of life, where normal job, career and lifestyle boundaries disappear. When you freelance you are free to work when, where and how you want. You can take on the jobs that you want to do and skip the ones that don’t interest you. Of course the flip side of that is that you are on your own. You make the decisions and plot your own course, and there is no one to bail you out if things start to go wrong. It can be scary and exciting when you go without a safety net.
Getting Started
It is surprisingly simple to become a freelancer. Basically all you have to do is want to take the leap, and then go ahead and cut yourself loose from your day job. That’s the easy and fun part.
Now comes the hard, responsible adult part where you have to figure out how to make it all work. You’ve got to plan to know where you are going to work, where your customers will come from, and how you’re going to fund your freelancing lifestyle. This is where you say, maybe I ought to ease into this a bit and see if I can make it work before taking the plunge. I did freelance work at night and on weekends for over a year before I was convinced I could do it full time.
Here are a some other basic things I learned:
- Have some customers lined up and don’t get too much of your business from just one. If you are too dependent on that big customer and they go away you are in trouble.
- Don’t burn any bridges when you leave your day job. Those people might become future customers or referrals.
- Have some business skills – you are responsible for them as well now. No more HR or admin support for taxes, bookkeeping, accounting, purchasing. If you don’t know anything about running a business, take some time to learn.
- Don’t go wild setting up a new office. Keep your expenses down until you can afford them. Every dollar you spend is time you have to work.
- Know your worth. You need to have clients, but don’t sell your skills and time short just to get business. Knowing the market and where you fit into can capture thousands of extra dollars you might leave on the table.
Not Everyone is Cut Out for Freelancing
Some people just don’t have the right personality, discipline or skills to go freelance. They will do much better in a more structured company environment. You have to know yourself and be realistic in your appraisal. I’ve learned some necessary traits and skills from my own experience and from talking to other freelancers.
- Be realistic about what you can do. Don’t take on jobs that are way beyond you and then hope you can scramble to get them done or charge your client for OJT. Set realistic deadlines and meet them. Being able to plan our your work is critical.
- Don’t procrastinate. Don’t fool around, just because you don’t have a boss watching you anymore. You are the boss. It is easy to put work off to do something fun and then deadlines start to slip.
- Keep a professional relationship with customers, suppliers and other people you deal with. Just because you are working at home in your pajamas don’t expect other people to have the same casual attitude. Stay professional, even in your bunny slippers. That is one of the perks of freelancing.
- Keep learning new things. It is easy to become isolated on your comfortable island and not keep up with what is going on in the market and with competition. Set aside some time everyday or between projects to keep current.
- You are going to be working alone a lot, and not everyone can do that. Some people need a social setting to work. Conversely, you can’t just go become a hermit in a cave. You need to get out there, make contacts, network, keep up with what is going on.
- Don’t get sidetracked–keep focused on the work you need to do. No playing around or skipping work. If you have to put yourself in another room away from the TV or the X-box, then do it.
- Get ready to work long hours when needed. All that stuff about the 5 hour work week is just talk. When you’ve got a deadline coming up too fast or the the scope just crept out of control you can’t really toss another you on the project.
- If you do get in over your head on a project, admit it. If you have to hire some help or farm some work out, then do it. Explain to your client what the problem is and try to work out an extension. Don’t sacrifice quality to hit deadlines.
- Sometimes you have to be able to say no to customers. No, you can’t meet that changed deadline, or no you can’t just add another 20% more work to the project for the same price. You need to be able to know when to take a stand and when to be flexible. It is the art of the negotiator.
- You need to have discipline to work hard, but also need to take time off. Don’t burn out. Getting to do what you want when you want is one of the reasons to go freelance, so take advantage of it.
- Stay healthy because you are your business. This is really important. Don’t over-eat just because the fridge is always in the next room. Get enough rest and watch the stress. If you become sick, your business shuts down. No paid sick leave for freelancers.
I can honestly say that I never work harder than as a freelancer, but I never have more fun, too. I get to to set my time. I’m the boss of me. Sometimes when freelancing you do have to say “no” to friends, family and to yourself to get work done. But because you set your own time and work load you’ll get to spend more time doing things you want to do with people you want to be with than you ever expected. I know I did.
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