It certainly doesn’t feel like it, but Wednesday 21st April marks one whole year of working for myself. Its been quite an experience and one that I’m really enjoying. In this post I’ll look at some of what I’ve learnt.
Busy, Busy, Busy!
I’ve definitely been suprised (and overwhelmed in some cases!) by the amount of inquiries I’ve received over the past year. So with that in mind I’d like to thank all the lovely people and companies I’ve had the pleasure of working with on some really great projects. I’m also really chuffed that several of those people and companies have chosen to come back to me time and again for more design work. I can see how repeat business is extremely beneficial for any business.
However, being rushed off your feet does have its down sides, although don’t get me wrong I definitely prefer being busy over twiddling my thumbs! What I’m trying to get at here is that when lots of inquiries are coming through your inbox it’s tempting at first to take everything on. Over the year I’ve been working solo I’ve learnt that to produce quality work I should only take on X number of projects per month. I’m not sure that I’ve got this nailed 100% yet, but I’m getting there.
Sense Of Accomplishment
I’d really recommend working for yourself and creating a business. There are so many hats to wear and there’s so much to learn, but overall its so much more enjoyable that working for someone else. Even the niggling little tasks that you’d hate doing at your previous job, you find yourself enjoying that little bit more. Because, at the end of the day you know its for you and your business is going to benefit.
Time To Myself
This has been by far the trickiest thing to get right. When you work from home its so hard to switch off at 5pm. I always find myself trying to relax and thinking ‘What if I just get that done now – that will free up some time tomorrow.’ or just checking my emails on my iPhone – big mistake, especially before bed!.
To help switch off its been helpful for me to really push a few of the hobbies that I was already enjoying before working for myself. These things now ensure that I get away from my computer pretty much every night.
Thinking About Going Freelance? – My Advice
If you want to go freelance / be self employed, then here are a few pieces of advice I’d offer;
- Be prepared to work hard
- Ensure you’ve got a few clients and projects under your belt before you start
- Say ‘No’ if you really can’t squeeze that piece of work in tomorrow
- Don’t forget your passion – for me this is design, and its so important devote time to feeling inspired and energized about that passion
- Be confident in your abilities
Here’s To Another Year!
Fingers crossed next year is going to be bigger and better and I’m excited by what could come from another year in business. Thats the great thing about it – who knows?
Ameet — May 6, 2010 @ 7:56 pm
Great its really tough to start freelancing and have self believe…I am going to complete a year on June 17th…When i started i thought there are so many in this business who’s gonna give work to me…But thankfully by the grace of God things are getting on the right track now…I believe that if you want to live your passion and live your life GO FREELANCING
Giselle — May 6, 2010 @ 9:00 pm
Thanks for the tips! I’ve recently started about opening my own business and hearing about how well and happy you are makes me even more excited to start!
Will — May 7, 2010 @ 9:12 am
Ameet – glad to hear you are getting some steady work coming in! And yes, freelancing does give you more freedom if you are able to manage your time effectively!
Giselle – No problem, and best of luck with starting your business!
Steve — May 9, 2010 @ 9:06 am
Nice post – I’ve been freelance for 4 years now and still learning, especially the bit about saying No!
Some projects are really not worth having, such as those that ask for cheaper work asap. They are always a pain.
Get as much content up front and ask for stage payments – I ask for 20% deposit and 70% when the design is agreed, the final 10% being due before the site is launched. Clients expect this and it keeps cash flow strong.
I like your idea of limiting yourself to a number of projects per month – might try that as it’s so easy to cram stuff in and then it always takes longer in the long run.
Will — May 9, 2010 @ 9:47 am
Hey Steve, glad you enjoyed the post.
I agree with you about clients asking for things on the cheap. Its one of the ‘red flags’ I look out for when thinking about accepting a project.
Stage payments are definitely the way to go as well. I do 33% upfront and then 67% before handing over deliverables or putting a site live. Some freelancers (and many agencies) do 50/50, but I still think that paying 50% of a large job upfront, without having seen any return, is quite nerve racking for a client.
I think 50/50 works for agencies as they immediately put out that level of professionalism, as do many freelancers don’t get me wrong. Unfortunately however I think clients can sometimes still be weary using a one man band.
Anyway, thats a whole different debate!
Kemar — June 7, 2010 @ 3:10 am
Hey Will,
Well I agree with your advice to go freelancing but area I am struggling with as I will be heading into it is having a few clients under my belt. Well, how did you get them?
Another thing, how often do you charge clients at fixed price? Why do you charge hourly? Well, that’s it for now.
Thanks!
Will — June 7, 2010 @ 11:04 am
Hi Kemar,
I was lucky in that most of my clients found me from my website. Optimising your site for design related searches is always helpful, and also commenting on blogs and such help put links to your site out there. I was also fortunate to have this site featured in design galleries and blog articles, which still bring in traffic too.
Perhaps you could try spreading the word to friends and family and handing out your business cards to people too.
Igor Donkov — October 12, 2010 @ 6:55 pm
Hello Will. First, congratulations for your first year! And second, I would like to comment on your website and the projects you´ve done. I LOVE IT! Really beautiful work, I like your design a lot! I think I can learn a lot from you.
Anyway, this is my fourth year of freelancing now. It has been quite a ride, I have enjoyed it and have learned so much in this time. The thing I like about freelancing is the flexibility to choose my work, and various experiences, knowledge I can get this way.
Best regards!
Will — October 13, 2010 @ 5:39 pm
Thanks Igor!
Yes freelancing certainly is a learning curve, but thats the best thing about it I think. Its so easy to become stuck in the same routine working for someone else churning the same kind of things out each month.
I like that everything I do is so varied and that I’m building a business. It keeps me wanting to work hard everyday. I’m sure you know exactly what I mean.
Jon — October 6, 2011 @ 7:57 pm
I’m just starting out, currently working a full time job with freelance on the side to build up a portfolio. The dream is to become my own boss very soon. Thanks for the great advice from the front-line!