Being a freelancer has a lot of perks; the ability to set your hours and prices is one of the most important benefits. You have creative freedom over your work, and you can work from anywhere.
A freelancer is a sole proprietor responsible for every decision and action and, as such, is a jack of all trades.
From accounting to marketing and time management, you need to be proficient or at least knowledgeable about different aspects of running a business.
Freelancers are now an essential element of the American workforce. This is especially true since the pandemic when both workers and companies reaped the rewards of working from home.
For employees, they could save time and money by not commuting to and from an office and enjoy flexible schedules.
Employers were able to see that having flexible workplace arrangements was beneficial to their business as it helped them retain and attract qualified staff members looking for work.
While there is a lot to be gained from working for yourself, the road to freelance success has its pitfalls and potholes.
There are various challenges that both beginners and expert freelancers face, which can lead to failure if not adequately tackled.
Listed below are six common challenges you might encounter and the best ways to overcome them.
Determining Your Niche
While you can choose a particular industry to work in, such as programming, writing, or designing, it can be challenging for beginners to restrict their work to a specific niche.
However, finding the right niche will lead to more paying clients. So, it’s best to figure out the unique service you can provide to others.
To identify your target audience, ask yourself who your offerings will help and how they will help.
The benefits of narrowing down your niche include higher payouts, feeling fulfilled in what you do, and utilizing your existing skill set.
As a fledgling freelancer, you might initially need to accept any kind of work you come across to build up a customer base.
However, as time goes on and you gain a foothold in your chosen industry, it is important to accept jobs mainly in your niche of interest.
Lack of motivation is a common challenge that most freelancers face. Since you do not have a boss to report to or you might sometimes find your work uninteresting, you might be hard pressed to complete your tasks on time and with good quality.
Sticking to a niche that you are excellent in and passionate about will ensure that you enjoy your work and give your best.
Customer Acquisition
A steady flow of customers is the main component of a successful freelance business. However, unlike a regular 9-5 job, regular availability of clients is not guaranteed.
There will be periods of high traffic where you will have orders piled up and times when none are forthcoming.
You must plan for the unpredictability of the freelancing world if you want to succeed.
Consistently market yourself and your services to your target audience through social media platforms and networking events.
Show off your industry expertise by giving talks, answering questions on related sites, putting out articles, and providing innovative solutions to problems.
Send emails to potential clients, highlighting the advantages their business stands to gain from working with you.
Encourage your current and previous clients to give testimonials and refer you to their friends, colleagues, and family.
There are also numerous freelance websites where you can look for available work. They vary by job types, communication channels, and payment terms.
Keep in mind that time is money. Searching for a job on one of these sites could potentially waste your time and effort if you don’t know what each platform offers and whether or not they are legitimate and not questionable.
Do your research and see how each platform differs, what similarities they share, and which are the most reliable.
Protecting Your Identity and Work
Unfortunately, freelancer identity theft is not uncommon. As a freelancer, there is always a risk that your work or identity might be stolen or used by others.
Malicious actors will steal the intellectual property of someone else for their own gain. They create profiles on freelance networks or social media sites pretending to have experience and expertise that they don’t have.
When applying for a freelance job, these unethical scammers will pretend to be someone else by copying the profile pictures, personal information, and skills of that person.
As a freelancer, your online identity is one of the most critical aspects of your business. Hence, you need to take steps to maintain your privacy and prevent identity theft.
To see if you are already a victim, check Google to see if your name or photos are being by another person.
You might also want to create Google Alerts so that you are notified when anything with your name is posted online.
Also, search for your name on the largest freelance platforms, such as Fiverr, Upwork, PeoplePerHour, and Guru.com.
When it comes to protecting your work, copyrighting it could be complicated and challenging. So, it’s best to:
- Have a written contract that details the scope of your work, revisions, and milestones that the client would pay before starting work.
- Ensure to follow the rules to the letter and always communicate with the client.
- Add watermarks or hidden signatures to your work to prevent clients from using them without paying.
Learn about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which serves as a guideline for protecting your clients’ information and privacy.
Startup Costs
As the sole proprietor of your business, you will be responsible for providing everything you need to offer your services.
From hardware and equipment to software and upgrades, you will most likely need to shoulder the costs of running your business alone.
It is crucial to have a source of capital for the first few months of your freelance endeavor to avoid crashing and burning in the first few weeks of operation due to a lack of funds.
Set aside a certain percentage from your profits to serve as operating costs as you begin to get work.
If possible, have a sufficient amount stored away before you quit your 9-5 job. You can also use your savings as startup funds until you find your feet.
When setting up your website and online portfolio, browse around for the best deals on hosting services; a service that offers free SSL options is ideal.
Hire designers from platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork to create an affordable web design and implement upgrades as your income increases.
Countering Unrealistic Expectations
You might have heard of one person or the other who quit their job to start a freelance business and hit it big within a few months.
While these kinds of instant success stories can be good motivation for you, setting unrealistic expectations based on these unique occurrences can prove disastrous to your success.
Before undertaking your freelance journey:
- Put down a list of accomplishments and goals that you wish to achieve.
- Keep in mind that it might take months or years before you realize the actualization of your set goals.
- Draft out milestones that you need to hit to feel fulfilled.
- Regularly review your goals as you go along to remove any risk of discouragement and to see how far you have come in your journey.
Creating a Healthy Work-Life Balance
As many freelancers work remotely or from home, it is easier to take care of family life and work simultaneously.
For example, you are available to pick your children up from school, go to doctor’s appointments, or run other errands because of the flexibility freelancing offers and the ability to choose your own hours.
However, to make up for lost time, you might stay up late and work weekends to meet deadlines.
Often, freelancers find themselves working more hours than they would if they went into an office every day. Try the following tips:
- Keep your personal and professional lives separate
- Create and stick to a routine
- Prioritize and focus on one task at a time
- Learn to turn down offers to avoid overcommitting your time
Maintaining a healthy balance between work and family is vital to your success as a freelancer. Additionally, be sure to set aside time for yourself to prevent burnout.
Final Thoughts
The trends suggest that freelancing will continue to rise in popularity for workers because of the ability to work remotely and have flexible work schedules.
Even before the pandemic, remote working was becoming an integral part of the workforce landscape because of the benefits to both workers and employers alike.
Proper planning and preparation are required to overcome any obstacles you might face as a freelancer.
Ensure to consistently put out your best work, market yourself aggressively, and save part of your income for the rainy days.
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