Five things nobody told me about going freelance
I've been self-employed for six years and, as anyone who's heard me talk about this will attest, I bloody love it. Considering taking the plunge yourself? Here's five things I've learned which I think you should know.
1. You are good enough!
Not only that, but people will thank you for your skills and expertise!
If you’ve built up the nerve to go freelance, chances are that you have some confidence that you're decent at what you do. But it's totally normal to also panic that you don't know what you're doing and what if someone who was actually going to pay you real money clocks that? Maybe not everyone reading this has experienced imposter syndrome but most freelancers do at some point, especially at the beginning. I promise though, you're good enough. When that first client pays your first invoice it is the best feeling in the world.
2. And ALSO you will get BETTER
I'm much better than I was six years ago.
It's not that the work I did then was poor, but I am definitely improved each time I do a new project (frankly there'd be something wrong if I wasn't better after six more years of experience).
One of my favourite things about freelancing is being gifted the opportunity to work with new people and teams on a regular basis. I learn something from every opportunity, whether it's tangible like a clever workshop exercise, or bigger picture like how to build and engage a comms team. Each new project is a bit like the thrill of getting a new job - you'll meet new people, you'll intensely learn about a new topic (in my line of work at least) and you'll pick up new skills. You're constantly learning and developing and your clients benefit from that too. (Side tip - say 'yes' to some things which take you out of your comfort zone. You'll get something out of everything you do, even if sometimes it's painful.)
I've never felt like I'm treading water since being self-employed. And if I ever do, I can pivot the work I do to something which takes me onto the next level. There's no waiting for a promotion - you can make that promotion happen yourself. It's really exhilarating!
3. Prepare for a financial hit to start with (but not forever)
Almost nobody moves seamlessly from full time employment to an equivalently full pipeline of their own work and clients (and if you did, you probably don't need to be reading this post).
If this isn't financially viable for you, you might need to put your plans on ice for a bit. In my first year I earned about 50% of my previous salary. On the plus side, if you get your pricing right and this life works out for you, you can do pretty well. Six years on I'm very happy financially while thoroughly enjoying the benefits of not working full time.
Don't forget the things you'll need to pay for yourself though - insurance, pension contributions, tax, equipment and the like. (My best financial outlay each year is 100% my accountant, FYI.)
4. Work the way which suits you best
The most common question people asked me when I decided to go out on my own was "won't you get lonely?"
Well. My revelations here are a bit diluted since 2020 when everyone who could work from home had to whether they liked it or not, but still. As a freelancer you can arrange the way you work to suit you. Back in 2018 working from home was a rarity, so when I started doing that most of the time I was amazed at how rejuvenated I was. It turned out that my introverted-but-social self had been really, really tired from 17 years of relentlessly going into the office five days a week (regardless of how brilliant so many of my colleagues were). I discovered that year that my perfect balance was around 75% remote and 25% in-person.
This applies all over - you don't have to work in any of the ways you've done before just because that's all you know. Fed up of working remotely but don't have many face-to-face opportunities with clients? Find a local freelancer hub, work in a cafe, or buddy up with someone else you know and invite them to come and work in your kitchen. Struggle to concentrate first thing in the morning? Work from 2pm to midnight if that's your bag - you are, quite literally, the boss and can make your own rules.
If you're trying to work out your own personal patterns, I recommend setting out a user manual to clarify things - here's mine for inspiration
5. Word of mouth is the best way to get work
In the last two years almost 100% of my work has come to me because it's been repeat business.
Or someone's got in touch because another delightful person recommended me (side note: if you're not a freelancer but you work with one or more who you rate, PLEASE recommend them - it's the most generous thing you can do). On which note I'm going to wrap up this last point with my best, most powerful, solid-gold top tip for a successful freelancer career which nobody told me but which I have found to be incontrovertibly true.
Ready?
Sitting comfortably?
Here it is.
*** Be excellent to work with. ***
Of course your clients want you to be good at what you do (and if you remember points 1 and 2, you likely have that covered).
But equally important to them is that you're a pleasure to work with. You're prompt and efficient. You have a sense of humour. You can fit in with their team. You get back to them when you say you will, you're organised, you hit every deadline. You can make interesting small talk over a coffee before a meeting or while you're travelling to a workshop. I promise, all of those supposed 'soft' skills are absolute catnip to clients when it comes to repeat business (I know this because there was a time when I was the client - and the suppliers I hired more than once were the ones who ticked these boxes). Make your working relationship one which you both enjoy, and everybody wins.
(Should I have titled this post 'GET MORE WORK WITH THIS ONE EASY TIP'??)
I could make this post 25 points long but you won’t read it so I’ll stop evangelising. To everyone who's trying out a new self-employed challenge in 2024 and beyond, I tip my hat to you - good luck!