“Passion is the difference between having a job and having a career
When I started freelancing, my misconceptions were –
- I can choose any time to work
- I will get offers without bidding
- I can earn more with less effort
- I will have enough time for my family and friends
None of it turned out to be true. Freelancing is a career whose ebbs and flows can never be predicted before one practically experiences it. Freedom, flexibility, and autonomy is definitely an inevitable part of freelancing, but for steering these levers to get you success, you have to watch out for the common mistakes many freelancers fall for.
5 Freelancing Mistakes to Avoid
1. Never Underestimate Your Talent
As a freelancer, my initial motive was to win bids and get selected for works. I kept reminding myself that there are hundreds of freelancers out there who are more experienced than I am, and I should place my bids accordingly. But I was wrong. You have to understand that if you are a freelancer with a niche, then you are a specialist in your profession. You are here because you are better than many others out there. Setting a low bid doesn’t equate to client selections. Rather, in many instances, a low bid gives them a vibe that maybe your quality is not as good as the others in your field. Before you set your bid, do a market study to see what other freelancers like you charge. Do not settle for a too high or a too low bid.
2. Choose projects inappropriately
To gain experience, you don’t have to choose any work that comes your way. If it is not your niche, if the topic is not something that interests you, and if you are not happy with the budget estimates, you should always choose to turn it down. As a freelancer, don’t refrain from exercising your autonomy in the right way. There are millions of opportunities out there, it absolutely makes sense for you to conserve your mental energy and time for the suitable offers.
Tips for choosing the right work
- Make a list of the potential areas that you would like to work on
- Tally the list with the offers you get
- Enlist the client characteristics that you think you would be comfortable working with
- Do not deviate from your niche (You can read my article on the benefits of finding a niche)
3. Emphasize On Communication
A big mistake many freelancers unknowingly commit is not communicating enough. Especially when you have gained enough experience, you are confident about your work, and you have done similar projects before, you may tend to give less importance to regularly communicating with the client. My advice – never ever do this. No matter how successful you may have become, your client may expect regular updates from you (and trust me, they do). Keep interacting with the client, update him/her about how the job is progressing, send drafts of the works to ensure that it is in line with the client expectations, and be responsive when your client tries to reach out to you. Small commitments as this cumulatively benefit your freelancing career and increase the chance of building a long-term relationship with your clients.
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4. Don’t Give Up Easily
As the proverb goes, “Rome was not built in a day.” Any successful career takes a lot of time, effort, and scope for improvement. Never leave a gap for self-doubt and distractions to creep in. Be prepared for facing failure and rejections and commit to not giving up anyhow. Accept the fact that you are competing in a global market with millions of other freelancers, so it will definitely take time to get the desired exposure. Keep yourself updated and keep working on improving your skills. Remember that the successful freelancers are successful because they did not give up when they wanted to.
5. Never Lose Focus
Just because you have the freedom to choose your working hours, do not let it absorb all your day. Although there are many pieces of advice that says that as a freelancer you can work at any time of the day, but in my experience, this can be a mistake that you are doing. Spacing out time for personal and professional commitments will always help you stay motivated and focused. Of course, you can choose what time of the day you would like to work but make sure to spend the rest of the time with your family and with yourself. Set aside minutes for working out, cooking, doing chores, and eating together with family. If you let work make you lose focus on the more important things in life, chances are high that you will soon get demotivated from the work itself.
The T-H-I-N-K Rule
Before you fall for any of these freelancing mistakes, follow the THINK Rule.
T – Think (Logically)
H – Halt (Before You Indulge Negative Thoughts)
I – Improve (Your skills)
N – Note down (Your goals and how you plan to achieve them)
K – Keep your focus static
Have you ever committed any of these mistakes in your freelancing business?
If you have any remarks or might want to share your own experience of how you committed the freelancing mistakes and how rectifying them helped you, please share with us. We would love to hear from you.
