5 Mistakes I Made in my First Year of Freelancing
When I first started freelancing, I didn’t have a lot of resources or anyone I could ask for help. I had just been laid off from my full-time job at an agency, and I decided to take the plunge.
Looking back, there are sooo many things I would have done differently if I had known better (hindsight is always 20/20, am I right?). So without further ado, here are the top five mistakes I made in my first year freelancing, and my tips for how you can avoid making them yourself!
Manage your finances.
My first mistake was not setting up a separate bank account for my business. I had all my income and expenses going directly into my personal account, which became a nightmare when tax season rolled around. Speaking of taxes, you’ll also want to be sure that you’re setting aside about 20-30% of your income in a separate account, so you don’t take a big hit every April. (You may also want to look into paying your estimated taxes quarterly, so you don’t have to pay such a big chunk once a year.)
Always have a contract in place.
This one almost goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyways. Always, always, always have an ironclad contract in place before you begin work. Without a contract, you leave yourself open to any number of nightmare client scenarios. It’s just not worth the risk! There are many online resources that offer customizable contract templates at affordable rates, and I would definitely recommend investing in a contract template specifically made for the service you offer.
Take everything as a learning experience.
Every time you *do* have a nightmare client, use it as a learning experience to make your business stronger. Sure, take some time to feel your feelings and your frustration, and then figure out what went wrong and where you can patch up holes in your process to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Create a marketing plan.
So many times when people are just starting out, they jump on every single platform imaginable to market themselves. And I totally get it! You want to be successful, you want to bring new clients in, and you want to create revenue. But the thing is, you’re going to burn yourself out if you’re trying to be everywhere at once. Instead, choose one platform (maybeee two) and focus all your energy on showing up and creating value for your audience there until you get really frickin’ good at it, and then you can add another.
Remember you’re the expert.
The key to a successful client relationship is to set clear expectations from the get-go. Walk them through your processes step-by-step, and explain to them what they can expect from you — and what you expect from them — at each stage of the project. Remember that you’re the expert and they hired you for a reason, so don’t let yourself lose control of the situation. You got into this so you could be your own boss, so don’t let someone else boss you around in your own business!
Most importantly, remember that making mistakes and learning from them is the name of the (entrepreneur) game, so don’t worry if you’ve already made a few of these mistakes too!
If you’re looking for someone to hold your hand through this process and help you create a marketing strategy or implement systems that will streamline your workflow, I offer one-on-one mentorship programs! We’ll take a deep dive into your business, and I’ll be there to give you some tough love, accountability, emotional support — whatever it is that you need!
