blog about it

Freelance is the life! I work when I want, doing the jobs I want to do. I’m going to be so successful! Isn’t it grand! Well, yes and no.

Like most things in life, freelance is what you bring to it. To get the best results, you should be bringing your A game to whatever work you do. That means doing the administrative stuff behind the glamor of say freelance writing. Yes, I’m smiling.

One of the things I really like about freelancing is that it challenges me to be creative about how I get the attention of folks who may be in need of my services. Consider the following.

Doing the Work of Freelancing

You are in charge. You have to solicit the work, impress the clients, attract the attention of the people who will potentially pay you.

As the person in charge, you need to develop and use creative business and marketing plans so that you can stand out from the crowd. To be prepared, you also have to recognize that this plan is going to change from time to time.

You can work when you want. Strategically though it’s a good idea to be at work when your potential clients are at work. Try to want to work when your target audience is at work. If it’s not in your plans, try to at least be available to them at their convenience.

It’s great to have your information online and easily accessible, like your blog, website, portfolio, video or whatever you’ve chosen to post. But it’s even better to have times when people can contact you. Determine your schedule of availability and be present. And make sure that people know when you’re available.

Don’t forget to play. You remember that old saying about all work and no play? The one I remember says something about Jack being made dull. I don’t know about that but using the all work method can definitely burn you out. Plan your work time and your play time, too. The balance is important from the beginning. So know where your time is spent as well as you know where your money is spent.

You can accept only the jobs you want. To save your time and the time of your potential clients, state the jobs that you accept. In your offerings, it’s important to be as specific as possible. And, update your services regularly to reflect skills you acquire, and to remove services you decide not to offer.

I Hope I’m Stating the Obvious

Yes, you are the boss. You call the shots, fire the clients, outsource when you need to. You’re the creative genius driving your business forward. You are the diplomat whose responsibility it is to keep your income coming in. And it’s your fault when business grinds to a screeching halt.

Remember these two guides to navigate through business landmines. They’re not even hidden and yet people manage to trigger them from time to time. Honesty, clarity and integrity are keys to getting this part right.

1. Don’t offer to do things you can’t do. Most of us know this but I’ve heard the horror stories from employers about people who take creative license when listing their skills. You can’t recover from this easily. Once your inability is revealed, you’ll likely be seen as a fraud. That’s how I’d see you. If I did it, it’s how I’d feel.
2. Don’t say yes to things just because you were asked. If you’re anything like me you really like to be accommodating. That’s a good thing, but temper it with common sense. Make sure it’s feasible to say yes; even if making sure means that you have to postpone a response to check your schedule. You don’t want to disappoint a client with delays if you don’t have to. Sometimes they can cost a client more than you know.

You are the boss in your freelance business. And you have to make choices and take actions that will keep you in the mainstream of things. The work of freelance can be rewarding. But it’s also a challenge you must rise to daily in order to have the success you desire.