The joy, rewards and challenges of freelancing...
Freelancing my way through life - freelancing tips and info for those who hire freelancers ...
No-one ever said being a freelancer was easy, and there's plenty of reasons why. What is a common statement though is that freelancing brings freedom, however what they don't tell you that this is only true the some of the time? Why? well read on and I will answer that at the end of this article...
I am now in my third year as a professional freelancer and I have been learning a lot about the double-edged sword that is freelancing this year.
Forgive the the break from the usual blog updates on what I've been up to etc, but I thought as a freelancer it may be nice to share some of the day to day challenges us freelancers face, to help others who are starting their freelancing journey and to give some guidance to those who are thinking of hiring a freelancer.
So where do I begin, well, probably the toughest lesson I have learnt is that all of a sudden you can be ticking along very comfortably and then the rug can get swept from underneath you with no warning, what I mean is its very easy to be concentrating your efforts into one or two clients and then all of a sudden circumstances can change that are completely out of your hands. This can leave you up the creek (so to speak!) and walking around with a quizzical expression!
Equally, things can all of a sudden change and you find yourself the busiest you have ever been, to say this last year has been a reflection of this freelancing rollercoaster is an understatement.
This is when having the tools in place to help you carry on is crucial. Though, of course, sometimes this can happen before you have even had the chance to prepare for it! #thejoysoffreelancing
Basically, my key takeaway is that trying to maintain consistency is key, (yes I hear established freelancers laughing in the distance) you can choose what your priority for consistency is from the below list, and if you put into practice the steps you need to keep that consistency in place you should be able to survive when those unexpected rug pulls or crazy periods happen!
So here are some of my tips to consider to help you succeed as a freelancer...
Define your minimum income requirements and create a strategy to maintain it.
How many clients can you sustain at once?
Do you have back-up clients in place for those quiet times? I.e ad hoc work you can always rely on? If no, then line it up!
SAVE SAVE SAVE for those rainy days - this will always help you through when your cash-flow is all over the place.
Take the opportunity to have a break when you can - you will learn the timing as you go along. (Basically if you have worked your quota, or even utilise those quiet spells, you never know when you are going to get stacked out again!)
Get a bank of other freelancer contacts, and contractors it's great to have support from others for those busy times!
I went freelance for more flexibility, and for the most part, this is what I have got, but that's only when the consistency has been there... so from now on I have in place my priorities to ensure I can try and maintain the balance going forward.
If you are looking to hire a freelancer or are looking to take the leap yourself I wish you all the best of luck with your endeavours, and if you are in need of support you can always contact me and I would be happy to support you with the freelance events management, marketing consultant and party planning services I can offer.... 😊
