On paper, freelancing on a full-time basis seems like a dream come true. You are your own boss, so you get to choose your clients, decide your fees, make your own holidays and work your own hours. And if you don’t feel like working on Monday morning, well, you can always sleep in; after all, there will be no finger-tapping boss waiting for an explanation and threatening to cut your performance bonus.
In reality, however, freelancing is as tough as any other job. Moreover, it isn’t for everyone. While some people thrive on freelancing, others are more comfortable with a nine-to-five job. And while you might be successful at freelancing, thanks to your high level of self-discipline, others will go on a bender and run out of savings in six months. Some might find freelancing lonely, while others will enjoy their own company.
Freelancing isn’t such a dream, but with the right talent, discipline and clients, you can make it one.
Develop the right skills
There are plenty of fields which lend themselves well to freelancing. Writing is one of them – magazines especially are always willing to commission freelancers. Design is another discipline that allows you to freelance full-time, as do photography and consulting.
Whatever field you choose, just make sure you have the right skills or have the aptitude to develop them. So if you decide to write on a freelance basis, you have to write well and you need to be creative. Moreover, you need to hunt for stories – the better the story, the more likely you will get commissioned to write it. And no, you don’t hunt for stories online – if you find an interesting story online, that means that someone else has already written it. Get out there and sniff out stories on the street.
If you opt for consulting, you will need to be an expert in your field. Many businesses go for consulting because they don’t have the internal capacity or because they need an outside, independent view. To succeed in consulting, just make sure that you have the right set-up, contacts and expertise.
Make investments
To freelance, all you need is a desk at home and a good supply of coffee, right? Wrong. Freelancing requires more investment than if you have a regular job – after all, there is no company backing you with logistics and training.
The level of investment depends on the kind of freelancing you’re doing. So for writing, you need an office, laptop, printer and internet connection. You also need to fork out monthly fees for journal subscriptions and books. You will also need to travel in your search of a story.
Moreover, it’s good to have some savings you can resort to. Freelancing doesn’t guarantee a regular income and you might have to survive a couple of months without any money coming in.
You are your own advert
To keep your current clients and get new ones, you need to advertise yourself and your services. Start by printing some business cards and organise meetings with key people who might be interested in your services. Network as much as you can without coming across as desperate for work. And put together a good portfolio showcasing past projects – after all, your work is your best publicity and the strongest reference for new clients and future work.
Time is not on your side
You might think that freelancing allows you to work harder for longer. It does. However, you will also be spending time doing things which, in a paid job, other people do for you, such as scheduling meetings and taking care of your paperwork.
Successful freelancing demands effective time management. Set a timetable and stick to it. Also, while the nine to five regime might sound boring, it is actually the most effective. It doesn’t make any sense to burn the midnight oil when all your clients work regular hours, and therefore are more likely to contact you during the day.
Me, myself and I
True, you are your own boss. But you are also on your own. If you don’t like isolation, then freelancing isn’t for you – the kids are at school, your partner is at work, and you might spend the day without actually having to use your voice except for trying to strike up a conversation with the cat. If that doesn’t sound too appealing, then stick to your office job.
That said, if you’re spending all your freelancing days on your own, that means that your business is not doing that well. You still need to schedule meetings with clients and you will still need to get out there to pitch your services.
Moreover, freelancing doesn’t mean working on your own. An effective business model is to collaborate with other freelancers. If you take on the design of a new website, for instance, you can do the design and get another freelancer to write the text for you. There is strength in collaboration.
Going freelance also means greater responsibilities. There is no one else to point your finger at – you are accountable for your work so treat your freelancing as a business.