Eliminate These 5 Freelancing Errors

Freelancing might come to most office goers as a flexible option that pays well and gives you some amount of autonomy. However, freelancing isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. There’s enough struggle to find clients, deliver results, rework, raise invoices, etc. There’s no certainty either.

So, if you’re at dismay over freelancing or trying to start a freelancing service, here are a few common mistakes you must avoid:

Don’t Over-Promise Your Clients

The worst first step any freelancer can take is over-promising their clients. First, you must be aware of what the task at hand requires. Next, you must clear out all queries directly from the client itself. Do not just assume and begin with your work only to end up reworking on it because the client was not happy. Thirdly, it is recommended that you under-promise your clients and surprise them with the delivery.

If your work is exceptional upon completion yet you had only promised them your standard services, you will surely receive more offers soon. You may also receive a good tip on certain freelancing platforms that allow their clients to tip the freelancer for good work.

In case of any unforeseen issue, contact your client immediately and be transparent while explaining the causes for the delay. Be gentle, calm and transparent while doing so. Moreover, don’t try to overcompensate for a genuine problem you might be facing.

Don’t Try To Master More Than One Skill At Once

If you are a freelancer who is trying to master more than one skill simultaneously, you may not grow as a freelancer at all. You may not even be able to cope with the learnings that are essential to both these skills you are interested in.

It is recommended that you concentrate on improving one skill at a time. For example, instead of making a futile attempt at learning digital marketing, data analytics and copywriting, together, you may end up forgetting the technicalities that come with all 3 of these courses.

Although most projects in the market today require freelancers to amalgamate various skills to deliver high-quality results, the desired candidate is often the master of one skill and a jack in all the others.

Don’t Accept Every Project

When you first start your freelancing journey, you may feel tempted to work with every client who is approaching you. But, this is not a wise choice for the freelancer at all. Only work with clients who are ready to help you with discretion. Try to foster a sustainable relationship with all your clients and maintain a transparent work process.

Do not reduce your prices for any client beyond a certain threshold and do not work for pennies on the dollar. Do not settle for ‘any client’, focus on landing the client you dreamt of working with first. As a freelancer, it is also important to know how much to charge for your work.

There are three ways in which you can raise an invoice. The most common form is on an hourly paid basis. For this, you have to set a rate for every hour of work you put in. The other forms of payment include a monthly retainer and on a per-project basis. For instance, if you are a freelance copywriter, you can charge the client 10 dollars an hour for a certain bundled number of hours or you can charge them on a per-project basis that will ensure payment either before or after the project is delivered. A monthly retainer is an option that every freelancer should have for his older clients who can choose to retain your service in the future weeks should a need arise.

Don’t Over-Work: Invest in Self-Growth

As a freelancer, you must keep a continuous focus on your growth. If you do not invest time in self-growth you will stagnate in the freelancing industry. Use your time wisely. Categorise your work to deliver the best results. Balance your daily work schedule with breaks and leisure.

Try to get involved with research and readings instead of just finding new clients to work with. Learn a new skill and up-skill yourself every two weeks. This way you can keep learning new skills and continue growing as a freelancer as well.

Freelancing should be seen as a process, a journey, rather than a job. You may have to learn new skills, be open to new ideas and keep creating in an attempt to stay relevant. Moreover, up-skilling is not the only way you can invest in self-growth. You can also take up fitness routines, have a balanced diet, get enough sleep, enough travelling or reading, to cut down on the lows that often creep into the schedule of a freelancer.

Don’t Work For Free

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, as a freelancer, it is of paramount importance that you always charge for your work. Even if you are a rookie and just starting with an entry-level project, charge for the time you invest in it.

Never work on a project for intangible gains like friendship, connections or ‘eXp0sUrE’. It is not sustainable and it does not work out in the long run. The experience you gain is not as valuable either.

When you work for free you tell the client that you are not valuable. If the client is not paying you for the work, they will remain disinterested in your workload and not bother helping you prove what an asset you are to the company at large.

If a client ensures your payment for the work you do, they are most likely to care about you and your work. They will also provide regular or periodic feedback as necessary. This helps you improve your work and also helps the client meet the goals set out to accomplish in the first place.

There are fewer misunderstandings if the client is paying you for your work. You are also more inclined to meet the deadlines for the same.

It is also advisable to not reduce your prices below a certain threshold that is comparable to the current market prices. If you think that you can work for 100 rupees an hour when the market rate is around 700–1000 rupees an hour, the clients will think you are not sure of how good you are at the task. You may end up getting an even lesser number of opportunities this way. Also, it is recommended that you do not get desperate for a client. It is important to value yourself while taking on work for a client because if you don’t value yourself, no one ever will.

Summary

If you are planning to start working as a freelancer, you will need to find yourself a working plan to approach clients. There are various common mistakes you should avoid in this journey as a freelancer. Only a few of them have been discussed above. You can start by following these tips and work your way into freelancing. Freelancing is a competitive space and it is continuously evolving as well. With the evolution of freelancing, you must evolve as well.