Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury, Author at Freelancelifemagazine

5 Freelancing Mistakes You Should Avoid

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury — Thu, 26 May 2022 18:14:27 +0000

“Passion is the difference between having a job and having a career

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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.

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.

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5 Levers To Build A High-Performance Work Culture In Freelancing

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury — Mon, 16 May 2022 16:35:19 +0000

“Culture is not an initiative. Culture is the enabler of all initiatives”

Larry Senn Tweet

For many people, working as a freelancer equates –

Waking up whenever you want
Working in your bed, under the blanket, with your cozy pyjamas
No job stress, no cranky boss – only fun, and leisure.

But as freelancers, we know how much of a myth this is. Managing a freelancing business need something more than supervision and skills because you are competing with yourself. A high-performance work culture lets you offer diversity and keep yourself upbeat all the time. It may be small things like a separate room for work, the perfect time management, or the right communication – but to have a performance culture in your freelancing business will definitely take you to the next level. To me, a high-performing work culture is the flawless balance of T-I-M-E, an acronym for –

T – Time Management
I – Investment Plan And Working Strategies
M – Modelling the right behavior
E – Effective communication

Following the right work culture in freelancing is as important as having a niche or building your skills. It is something that helps us stay bound to the work that we are doing, and undoubtedly affects our productivity as a freelancer. If you are a freelancer and want to make the most out of your freelancing business, building a high-performance work culture at home should be one of your biggest priorities, and here are the levers that will get you on the groove.

5 Levers To Building A High-Performance Work Culture In Freelancing

1. Be a Pro In Time Management

As I mentioned earlier, performance culture is inseparably linked with the right time management skills. The first and the most essential lever in building a high-performance work culture as a work-from-home professional is to separate your hours. You can start by managing your daily tasks and assigning separate time slots for each of them. Applications like Any Do and EverNote will make this task easier for you. For example, if you are working for 6 hours every day, make sure you do not allow any household or other things to clog your time. Schedule intermittent breaks where you can attend calls or do some chores, but do not let anything interfere in the 6 hours that you work.

2. Have The Right Plan

Figure out what culture you want to see in your freelancing business and start exploring and collecting ideas on how to build it. Here is a sample of the areas you need to focus on to ensure that your thoughts are on the right track.

3. Embrace Feedback

Work culture is always enhanced when there is room for effective communication and feedback. Use your client reviews to understand what areas you need to focus on. Let your recruiters know that you are open to suggestions and ask them to share their experience of working with you. For each project that you complete, make a client response sheet and send it to your client for filling in. alternatively, you can also encourage leaving a review on the freelancing platform that you use, for example, Upwork or Freelancer.

4. Walk an extra mile

Go beyond what is expected of you. Besides improving your reputation and maintaining a great client rapport, the little extra efforts that you give will make you feel more accomplished as a professional. For example, keeping the client up to date with your progress, working on making a great cover for the project you are handling or doing an extra bit of research for adding the touch of perfection to it. Such efforts are vital and the trademark for a high-performance work culture.

5. Enjoy autonomy (but don’t forget discipline)

Freelancers don’t need to be micromanaged, neither do they like being checked on all the time. And that is what makes freelancing so liberating for both the client and the recruiter. But while you make the most of your autonomous business, make sure that you prioritize your timelines and client expectations. Consider aspects like –

Keeping your workspace clean and organized
Maintaining a journal for your current research and studies
Checking with clients as often you need to
Not entertaining any calls on weekends or after hours
Putting your words into action

Successful freelancers believe in the benefits of behavior modeling in establishing and maintaining a high performing culture. Your behavior as an independent professional will be a daily reminder to your clients about the quality of work, they can expect from you. Building and maintaining a high-performance culture requires dedication day in and out. As a freelancer, you are expected to be clear in your thought process and proactive to engage in active communication whenever you sense an erosion. So, keep your strategies strong and focus on your actions – as the famous saying goes, “An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises.”

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Embrace Yourself – The Ultimate Self-Care Guide for A Happier Freelancing Life

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 14:56:14 +0000

Out of the countless myths about freelancing and freelancers, the one that disturbs me the most is that freelancing is not a real job. Many of my friends (with cushy 9 to 5 jobs) consider my work to be a more of a ‘hobby’ rather than an occupation.

When I started freelancing, my aim was to optimize my time, work less, develop a stronger connection with my goals, and improve the quality of my life altogether. But as I delved deeper into freelancing, once again I found myself struggling with time, as I did when I was working full-time. I hardly paused for lunch, I stressed about deadlines, and more than the physical engagement, it was the mental drill that kept bothering me 24*7.

The truth is freelancing is as difficult as working full-time office outside. Just like in any other job, having a healthy work environment is crucial for a successful freelancing career. And a healthy environment begins with a healthy mind.

Why Freelancers Need Self-Care

“The life of a freelancer can drive you mad if you don’t find balance”

Patrick Neve

Kevin D. Hendricks, a famous author and owner of a freelance writing company, mentioned in one of his recent musings that freelancers don’t bother about taking care of themselves unless they ‘have to’ – unless they are sick, or unless they have reached a point where they are no longer able to handle the stress alone.

For doing what is good, we should not wait for something bad to happen first.
Do you agree to the above statement? If you do, and if you care about your freelancing business and want to take it to the next level, start nourishing your mind, your body, and your soul right from today.

Here are some exercises that can help you for a start.

Self-Care Exercises All Freelancers Should Practice

Exercise 1 – Self-Awareness

No two minds think and feel alike. We all have different ways of energizing ourselves and finding our calm. The first step to self-care is recognizing our inner self and becoming aware of what is ruling our mind.

And this is how you can do it.

5 Steps To Self-Awareness

Step 1 – Sit back alone for 10 minutes and take a few deep breaths. Try to focus on what are the thoughts that come to you and how you feel about each of them

Step 2 – Allow your thoughts to settle and list the first few thoughts that came to your mind. You can make a mental note or write them down if you want to

Step 3 – Arrange the positive and negative thoughts separately

Step 4 – For each negative thought, think of one or two ways you can overcome it. For each positive thought, think about one or two ways you can hold on to it

Step 5 – Repeat this once a week and notice if you could gain clarity of your thoughts and feelings.

Exercise 2 – Daily Mindfulness

On some days I am upbeat and all motivated to accomplish my goals. And on other days, I just don’t feel like opening my computer at all.

Have you ever experienced this?

Our mind and body are nothing but a bundle of energy, which if we direct in the right way, will bring in gushes of motivation and positive energy. To make sure this happens, try the following simple mindful practices every day.

1. Mindful Breathing

Any mindful exercise should be initiated with breathing. You can count your breaths and practice controlling them. Slowly start inhaling and exhaling on a count of 1-5 and back to 1. Do it at your own pace and as often you feel like. Take short breaks from your work where you can do a 5-minute breathing exercise and come back thereafter.

2. Musical Mindfulness

You can choose a music for this or lend your ears to the regular noises around you. I usually practice this every night just before I go to bed, with my eyes softly closed. Listen to the tune you have selected with all your mind and allow your thoughts to wander for a moment. Continue for 10-15 minutes and go back to what you were doing. You will be surprised by the amount of stress your body releases during this short time-out.

3. Mindful Watching

Working alone at home can evoke feelings of loneliness and make you lose focus. Take a 30-minute walk every day, preferably after lunch or in the evening. Go around looking at people around you, at the sky, the birds, and the flowers – try to experience whatever you see with your eyes. Forget about work, just enjoy your walk. Notice how your positivity comes back when you return home and resume working.

Exercise 3 – Self-Care Journal

This is what my journal looks like. I fill it up once a week, you can also do it on a daily basis.

I am happy for	I am sad for	I am worried about	I am thankful for	I have to stop doing/thinking	I have to work on improving
1	1	1	1	1	1
2	2	2	2	2	2
3	3	3	3	3	3
4	4	4	4	4	4
5	5	5	5	5	5
Note to me

Self-Care Journal is more than a thought journal or a self-motivation guide. It is an in-depth communication that you can have with yourself as often as you want to – where you can be brutally honest to your heart, where you are ready to accept your qualities and improve your shortcomings. You can list down everything in the journal – your work plan, your fitness goals, your dietary problems, your negative and your positive thoughts. It gives you an overall view of those aspects of your life you should be attuned to. Freelancers, especially freelance writers who actively maintain their self-care journal seldom run out of motivation or need to look for external support to keep them going.

Exercise 4 – Mind-Body Balance

For freelancers, work-life balance is not the only balance that matters. Any freelancing job requires mental and physical energy, you can’t manage without either. Taking care of your body is as important as taking care of your mind and thoughts.

I am sure most of you already know what I am talking about, but let’s have a quick sneak peek at the best ways you can maintain the perfect balance in your life as a freelancer.

10 Tips For Self-Care Everyday

1. Eat healthy and stay hydrated

2. Get enough sleep – not less than 8 hours a day

3. Go out for a brisk walk everyday

4. Separate time for work and home. Don’t allow your smart gadgets ruin the special moments that you share with family and friends

5. Schedule your daily tasks every morning before you start working. Come back to the task list at night and strike off the tasks you have accomplished that day

6. Don’t sit for a long time, allow yourself breaks and give your eyes some rest

7. Manage your tasks carefully, avoid clogging yourself with too many projects. Focus on the quality of work rather than its volume

8. De-stress yourself as often as you want, even if it is more than once a day. Meditate, do yoga, go for a relaxing massage or a fun cooking session – anything that helps you feel rejuvenated is worth giving the time

9. Keep yourself updated. Read articles and explore the web for gathering information on the recent research and advances in your field. Be your own tutor. The more you work on improving yourself, the lesser disappointments, and rejections you have encounter as a freelancer

10. Develop the habit of writing down your thoughts, even the ones you don’t think are important. It helps in reducing clutters from the mind, which is the biggest part of self-care.

What is your self-care routine?

Share your experience of having a self-care routine and how it helped you in freelancing. We would love to hear from you.

The post Embrace Yourself – The Ultimate Self-Care Guide for A Happier Freelancing Life appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Why Emotional Intelligence Matters In Freelancing – And 4 Ways To Build It

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 14:27:24 +0000

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to create a balance between knowing what you don’t know and what you do know can be improved

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Freelancing is tied in with building a sound one on one business association with every client you face. Unlike in full-time jobs where you have to deal with the same supervisor and colleagues every day, with independent outsourcing you need to experience distinctive clients with various expectations and levels of comprehension. Being socially, and more importantly, being emotionally intelligent helps a freelancer in building up the value of his service and maintaining the good working relationship with his clients.

Who is an Emotionally Intelligent Freelancer?

An Emotionally Intelligent Freelancer is one who has the ability to recognize his own emotions and relate to those of others. He listens without judgment and controls the way he responds to any situation. He is in charge of not only the work he does, but also of what he thinks and feels, and how he communicates with his clients.

Signs Of An Emotionally Intelligent Freelancer

Confidence, positivity, and assertiveness
Knowledge of what to say and how to say it
Awareness of his strength and weakness and willingness to adjust accordingly
Self-Motivation and Self-Evaluation
Extraordinary communication with the ability to evaluate non-verbal cues in interpersonal interactions (for example – voice tone, gestures, use of words, etc.)
Focus on results and self-improvement

The Building Blocks Of Emotional Intelligence

Freelancing means you have to be skilled and hardworking enough to get the job, and aware enough to maintain your success. As most freelancers believe, it is not rosy anymore when you start juggling with different client demands, financial burdens, difficult clients, demotivation (occasionally) and on top of everything, personal stressors that can pop up anytime. Keeping your calm can be a real challenge when you are dealing so many things alone.

Daniel Goleman, in his famous work on Emotional Intelligence, has emphasized with evidence that the two biggest building blocks of any good career are – Emotional Awareness and Social Intelligence. Based on his research and findings, let us discuss the 4 key building blocks that can make you an Emotionally Intelligent and mindful freelancer.

1. Awareness – Of Self And Surroundings

Every minute is a chance to act naturally mindful

Emotional Self-Awareness is the ability to tune into your own feelings, internal conflicts, and perception of the world. As a freelancer, it enables to see how your feelings affect your actions. Self-Awareness will help you in finding an unmistakable comprehension of your qualities and shortcomings and enable you to address issues and handle any unforeseen future confusions. The more you practice self-awareness, the more capable and cognizant your freelancing becomes.

2. Self-Management – Emotional and Thought Control

Freelancers with higher emotional and self-control can direct themselves and remain in charge of their feelings. They think before acting and do not surge fast into accepting or rejecting proposals. Lack of emotional management lets anger assume control over your conduct at wrong circumstances. As a freelancer, it is fundamental that you hold your feelings in line because there is no one watching over you or correcting your mistakes.

3. Social Mindfulness

Being socially mindful in freelancing helps to gain insight on how you can internalize the perceptions of others – it is a primary requisite that keeps you motivated and aroused to help your clients and do your best. Goleman suggested that there are two basic components of social awareness –

Empathy – The competency that helps to detect feelings and comprehend the point of view of others, and
Organizational Awareness -The competency that helps to assess the dynamics of the business relationship. With organizational awareness, you can explore more opportunities and make the most out of each project that you are handling.

4. Managing Relationships

Building and maintaining a strong client relationship is the backbone of a successful freelancing career. Interpersonal conflicts with clients can potentially damage your productivity and affect your profile as a freelancer. Professionals who exceed in relationship management can quickly deal with disagreements with clients positively. They are solution-focused and use their Emotional Intelligence to nurture their relationships, both professionally and personally. And this is one of the greatest reasons why freelancers who communicate openly with clients are more likely to get long-term job offers and sustain as a successful freelancer, than others who don’t.

Cheat Sheet On Building E.I. As A Freelancer

Emotional Intelligence impacts becoming, growing, and staying a successful freelancer. It is an anecdote to success, stress-release, and self-contentment. So, start devoting time to build your Emotional Awareness as a freelancer. Read more, talk more, listen more, feel more, and make sure your clients feel rewarded to work with you.

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10 Levers That Can Make You A Successful Freelancer

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 12:05:14 +0000

“Success in life comes to those who simply refuse to give up.”

Silken Laumann Tweet

For a freelancer, success is like the ray of light at the end of the tunnel. You cannot reach it without passing through the darkness. When I decided to freelance, I didn’t know where to begin. Until I discovered the way to cherish the perks, freelancing seemed terrifying to me.

Success to me is –

S – Seeing your objectives
U – Understanding your shortcomings
C – Clarifying your thoughts
C – Creating a positive environment
E – Emphasizing improvement
S – Sticking to your path
S – Setting aside time for yourself

The 10 Levers For Becoming A Successful Freelancer

1. Excel In Communication

Communication in freelancing is different from other professional interactions. Here most of the recruiters won’t meet you in person or have your resume in front of them always. Knowing when to tell, what to say, and how to say is what we call the art of communication, and those who have mastered it could taste success much sooner.

Quick Tips –

Always respond to a client within 24 hours. Spread business through word of mouth
Agree to disagree. Don’t agree with the client if you have a different opinion. Sort it out beforehand
When you refuse a client, end the conversation on a positive note like “would love to do further works for you”/ “please feel free to communicate anytime if you need”, etc.
When you accept an offer, discuss the tidbits of the job with the client. Ask questions, educate the client about your skills, and agree on a plan before you start working on it.

2. Be creative

Tap into your creative soul. As a freelancer, you are competing with millions of professionals globally, and you have to stand out from the others to make a difference. Use your imagination, read and research more, try to put in something new every time. If you have a passion for something (like I have for crafts), use them in your work where you can.

Quick Tips –

Set aside 30 minutes daily for letting your thoughts wander. Note down any good idea that comes to your mind and discuss with the client if (and how) it can be incorporated in the work
You already have the talent. All you need is putting the efforts in the right place, and success will be waiting at your doorstep
Create unique content. Even though you can get all the information online, don’t rely just on them. Use them, but also try to input something that has never been told before
Keep nurturing your creative passions. Be that music or art or sports, make sure you can dedicate time to them. The creative process will help in gathering more positivity and organizing your thoughts.

3. Socialize

Studies indicate that lack of social interaction makes way for loneliness and reduces productivity.

Meet your friends and go out for day-outs or evening parties. Spend some time de-stressing yourself with friends and family where you are not thinking about work. On the other hand, staying in touch with communities inside the freelancing arena is also helpful. By joining communities and groups, you can gain awareness of the difficulties that other freelancers like you are facing and talk about overcoming them effectively.

Quick Tips –

Meet friends, call them home or go out with them at least once a week
Spend time with your family often
Join freelancer communities. You can find plenty of them via your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts
Attend freelancer meetups where you can chat, learn, and discuss the good and bad of freelancing

4. Value yourself

Success is a reward, not a result. You have to keep putting in your best to get the best out of it. And the only way to get it is hard work and dedication. If you have the talent, if you are diligent, if you are in control of yourself, and you know that your work is worthy of the client’s time and money, you are already headed towards the road to a long-lasting and successful freelancing career.

5. The STAR Method

A simple formula for succeeding as an independent freelancer is the S-T-A-R method, an acronym for –

S (Situation) – Analyze the situation – what your client wants, what are your skills, and how they both match
T (Task) – Be task-oriented. Work hard, be solution-focused, and try to reach targets before the deadline
A – (Action) – Take the right actions at the right time. Communicate when required, walk away when you have to, and dedicate yourself to accomplishments
R – (Results) – Aim for successfully completing every project that you take up. Successful freelancers do not consider quitting or leaving the job as an option ever.

6. Assess And Note

Start this today, if you already haven’t. Practice making notes of everything important going on in your life – that may or may not be related to your work. Acknowledge your skills and shortcomings and focus on what you can improve. You can take a career assessment for this. Go for personality tests like the 16PF Personality Assessment or the EPQ (Eysenck’s Personality Questionnaire) where you can get detailed knowledge about your aptitudes and suitable jobs for you. Make a compliment chart for yourself where you note down all the wonderful reviews that you have received from clients so far. Use it as a reminder to keep up the good work and positive spirit.

7. Motivate Yourself

Derive motivation from everything around you. Start your day with positivity – wake up early, workout and meditate, eat healthy, and follow a plan. As I mentioned in my previous article on Overcoming Loneliness As A Freelancer, work outside sometimes. Refresh your mind as often you need to. When you see your motivation failing, call a friend, have a heart-to-heart conversation with someone you trust, and instill hope in yourself again and again.

8. Have A Plan

You can’t succeed simply by jumping into the work. As I mentioned above, planning is the key to achieve reasonable success over time.

Make weekly schedules, you can use smart applications like Any Do , Google Tasks, or Evernote for this. Create tasks in your calendar and strike them once you have completed them. Discuss the timeframe and deadlines with your clients before you start working on the project. Planning your day and your work not only saves you time and unnecessary stress, it is also a subtle way of conveying your reliability as a freelancer to the clients.

9. Focus On The Positive

You know where you need to be one day, so center around what you can do now to wind up there. Don’t begrudge what you couldn’t become. Freelancing is another name for endless opportunities where nothing but your work matters. If you have a steady client base, focus on maintaining the relationships with them. Learn from failures and aim for achievements. Stick to your plan and try to make progress each day. Focusing on the positive track will let you –

Approach long-term success in your freelancing business
Reach your targets sooner
Appreciate your efforts and stay motivated

10. Manage Finances

We can’t deny that ‘Money matters’. If you have taken freelancing as your profession, start saving money and isolating funds. You may have earned thousands of dollars, but you will always feel broke when you have saved nothing from it. Having a good amount of funds saved for yourself brings a feeling of settlement and allows you to plan your life prudently. There are millions of freelancers who take care of their bills and their family, only because they have managed their finances well.

Quick Tips –

Split your earnings into three parts – expenses, taxes, and savings. It may not be the best way but is definitely a good start, and it works for me.

In A Nutshell

So there you have it, the ten simple and yet awesome tips to grow and succeed as a freelancer. They may not be the gospel truth – some you might find more useful than others, but these hacks will definitely help you capture the whole idea of success and how you can train yourself to achieve it. So “stay positive, work hard, and make it happen.”

What are your success strategies as a freelancer?

If you have any remarks or might want to share your own experience of how you trained your mind to succeed as a freelancer, please share with us. We would love to hear from you.

The post 10 Levers That Can Make You A Successful Freelancer appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Rejection Is Motivation – If You, As A Freelancer, Know How To Deal With It

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury — Fri, 28 May 2021 14:48:41 +0000

“I love my rejection slips. They show me that I try.”

Sylvia Plath Tweet

I truly got disappointed and began having self-doubts when 95% of my bids on Upwork got rejected. Didn’t know how to respond to clients when they turned down my proposals. Each time I got rejected, I felt broken, yet gullibly kept hoping and pitching for more projects. From my freelancing experience so far, I have realized that rejections are always hurtful, and the bad news is, no one can escape it.

Have you ever faced rejection as a freelancer? What steps did you take to deal with it?

Rejection, as I said, is an inescapable piece of being a freelancer. Regardless of how great you are, there will come a period when you’re overlooked and replaced by someone else. On the other hand, your work or thought is dismissed by your client altogether. You may be exhausting all your bids and getting ‘no’ for an answer for most of them.

This happened to me. Here is how I dealt with rejections and brought them to my favor.

The 5 Best Ways To Handle Rejection As A Freelancer

Acknowledge and make peace with it

Being rejected is never decent and you can’t help it! But as you acquire more experience as a specialist in your field, you’ll slowly turn out to be more used to the ebbs and flows, and rejections will sting less. Acknowledge that you cannot please everyone. Make peace with the fact that you will be the best choice for some clients and the last option for some. Work on building your expertise and finding your niche (if you already haven’t).

Take advantage of your rejections

At the moment your bid gets rejected, endeavor to discover why you didn’t land a position, or why your work was rejected. Communicate with your clients if possible and utilize their reasons for rejection to learn and improvise. Use the feedback from your clients to enhance your skills. Taking criticisms positively opens up the way for bigger opportunities.

Quick Tip –

Role Reversal

Great way to grow from criticisms is by reversing the role in your head. Imagine yourself as the client and try to judge where did it go wrong? Analyze the areas that you might need to improve. Write down your evaluations and focus on improving them the next time.

Bid right

The two main mistakes many freelancers do to avoid rejections are –

Overrate their bids when they have had the luck with many projects back to back
Underrate their charges when the last few bids have been rejected.

Setting the right price is a very crucial aspect of freelancing. There is a fair chance of losing on the grounds that you were simply costly or sounded incredibly cheap. Do an in-depth market study and get an idea of what other freelancers like you charge. Once you are confident that your charges are reasonable, stick to it and focus on the other aspects like skills, time-management, and selecting the right job.

Educate your clients

It is sometimes a part of the job to make your clients aware of your specialty. Personally, I have experienced such clients many a time who did not have a well-thought-out work plan. They just had the funds and expected a strategy from me. Although this can seem troublesome, it is also an extraordinary opportunity to grow the working relationship.

When you comprehend criticism, ask solution-focused questions to the client like –

● “If I can settle this part, will you be glad to continue working with me?”
● “What do I have to change to meet the requirements?”
● “How do you see the end-product?”

Keep hunting

As a freelancer, you can’t afford put all your investments in one place. Once you get rejected for one job, you have so many other options to choose from. Always be on the lookout for new and better job opportunities. My personal strategy is setting aside four hours per week for hunting jobs, shortlisting them, and sending detailed proposals with the right bid prices.

Attempt to build a network of various customers, ventures, freelance jobs websites, and wellsprings of work, as you’ll then have other potential alternatives on the table, and it will likewise matter less to you if one of them doesn’t turn out well. The more open doors you put yourself out there for, the better your chances of achievement. Keep organizing, advertising, pitching, and tuning in to your current customers, with the goal that no single circumstance feels like a ‘do or die’ thing.

The long-term solution is to excel in your field and establish yourself as a freelancer. While rejections will continue stinging, remind yourself that they are adding the route and prompting new openings. Even the best in your field have faced dismissals sooner or later in their lives. So the next time your bid fails, don’t give it a chance to influence you to feel down. Rather let it fire you up, stay motivated and make you more resolved to succeed.

What is your experience?

If you have any remarks or might want to share your own experience please write to us. We would love to hear from you.

The post Rejection Is Motivation – If You, As A Freelancer, Know How To Deal With It appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

No More Losing Hope – 6 Hacks To Stay Motivated As A Freelancer

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury — Thu, 06 May 2021 16:27:47 +0000

“You are never too old to set another goal… or see another dream.”

C S Lewis Tweet

Working at home isn’t as comfortable as it sounds. While the thought of working on the couch with a cup of hot coffee, and with no supervisor breathing down our neck can be tempting, the same reasons are good enough for distracting any freelancer from work.

Before stepping forward to beat demotivation, it is vital that you accept you are facing it. Freelancers who fail to admit and/or mask their demotivation have a rough time as the consequences are worse. So before we take a sneak peek at the strategies for sustaining work motivation as a freelancer, let us discuss the indicators of de-motivation at work.

Signs that you are losing motivation from work

You feel unappreciated
You procrastinate important tasks
You fail deadlines and deliver poor content
You don’t want to get into the depth of the work
You start late and wrap up early
You are more attracted to watching your favorite shows on TV rather than working
You feel lonely and unsupported
You realize your faults but can’t get rid of them

6 Hacks For Sustaining Motivation As A Freelancer

1. “If you feel like quitting, think about why you started”

This is a quote I personally follow to get back on track. At times when it all seems hopeless and I can feel my motivation reaching the bottom, I look back at the time I desperately wanted to earn money.

We all freelance for a reason – to earn bread, to get rid of the job we hated, or to start our own business. Taking a look back is often a great push to move forward.

2. Work outside for a while

If you have read my article on Overcoming Loneliness As A Freelancer, you already know what I am talking about. It is the biggest advantage of being a freelancer that you can enjoy. Choose any place you like – your favorite coffee club, the library, a shopping mall, or even your garden. Just make sure you have a running internet connection, and you are good to go. Getting out of the monotonous home environment is an instant boost. Seeing other people passing around or working alongside brings positivity, and you can keep focusing on your work.

3. Take short breaks

Motivation and productivity are the flip sides of the same coin. Unless you are motivated and attracted to your work, you can never get the desired outcome.

A great way to stay motivated when you don’t want to is scheduling short breaks. Take a short time out from work, about 10-15 minutes, where you do something different. Have a snack, grab a tea, call your partner, check your mailbox, and come back to work. Continuous work can clutter the mind and start releasing stress hormones that make you feel down. Having a break will revive your energy. Make it a habit of not working for more than 3 hours at a stretch, take short pauses in between, and come back with more vitality.

4. Stick to a routine

Habits are more powerful than we think. Good or bad, they are difficult to break. And in case of freelancing, sticking to a daily routine can make all the difference.

It’s simple. Simply permit time for your meals, exercise, work, and recreation, and stick to the schedule on all working days. For a work from freelancer, habits can make a positive change – work till a certain time, say till 6 pm, and shut down your computer after that. Finish off all your tasks for the day within that time and leave the rest of the day to yourself and your family.

Tip: if you have trouble organizing your time, take a look at some of the Time management software that can make your life easier.

5. HEALTH FIRST

Never trade off with your wellbeing – physical or mental. If you are not healthy, you can never enjoy your work. Working with poor health conditions makes room for procrastination, eventually leading to losing motivation altogether.

Eat healthy everyday, have a good fitness regime, and stay hydrated. Journal your thoughts and be aware of what you are feeling, take care of your worries and de-stress yourself as often as you need. A healthy body and a sound mind is the first step to a strong freelancing career.

6. DAYDREAM SUCCESS

When motivation fails, negative thoughts creep in. You may find yourself wondering about possible failures and rejections, and start having self-doubts. But here is the trick. Use your power of (over)thinking – just change the situation you imagine in mind.

Sit back and imagine what it would feel like when you become a top-rated freelancer, how will it be like rejecting proposals because you are already getting so many, how liberating would it feel when you can take care of your bills and luxuries like you could never do before. Picturing yourself in the position you want to reach will motivate you to keep your hard work going. Almost instantly, you will gain your perspective back and get all charged up for achieving your goal.

Beating de-motivation as a freelancer is subjective. Some ideas may work like magic for you, but the same tricks may not make any difference to others. Picking the correct hacks to win back motivation is fundamental, but I can vouch for their advantages if you can pick the ones that suit you the best. So keep exploring possibilities, practice positive thinking, and remember, small progress each day will surely add up to something big.

What is your opinion?

If you have any remarks or might want to share your own experience of beating demotivation as a freelancer, please share with us. We would love to hear from you.

The post No More Losing Hope – 6 Hacks To Stay Motivated As A Freelancer appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Dealing with Difficult Clients in Freelancing Business

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:31:21 +0000

The best way out of a difficulty is through it

Will Rogers Tweet

In my career as an independent writer, I have met some of the sweetest and most cooperative clients one can ever find. But when you are in the freelancing business and have effectively invested some energy there, it is normal that you will run over clients who are not simple to deal with.

Dealing with clients positively is a matter of patience and great understanding. It takes time to get hold of the right tactic, but once you unlock it, your business will grow much faster than you expected.

Who Are the Difficult Clients?

The first step that I took for dealing with difficult clients was identifying them. It was difficult to rule them out before starting the work, but here are some features that I found common in most difficult clients I have dealt with so far.

10 Ways of Effectively Dealing with Difficult Clients

1. Communicate more than often

Lack of communication is the foundation of a professional hazard. And especially if you are a freelancer, there is a fair chance that you will face some clients who are not responsive. Keep communicating even if you don’t get responded to. The messages can be kept for future reference.

Drop a message or request for a call whenever you need to, discuss anything that you think important, even if it is not something big. Also, if you are doing a long-term project, keep your client updated about the progress. This way you can avoid any blame later.

2. Keep probing for details

In my experience of dealing with difficult clients, I have noticed that most of them are not clear about the work. They might give you some vague idea or topics that are not well thought-out and expect the work to be done perfectly. Emphasize on extracting details from the client. Keep questioning until you are satisfied and make it clear that the work cannot be started until both the parties have a clear idea of the deliverable. Set realistic goals beforehand to avoid confusion later.

3. Keep a record of the conversations

It is a primary requisite for a strong freelancing business. Keep the record of all the messages and conversations that you have had so far with the client. Do not delete any file or document that were exchanged between both the parties. In the unlikely event of a legal dispute, these pieces of evidence will have your back.

4. Don’t compromise on payment

Some clients may have an inclination towards getting the best work done but at the lowest price. Moreover, if you are a newcomer, you need to watch out for clients who are always in the mood for bargaining. They might give you reasons like you have not done much work earlier, or you don’t have a particular success rate, etc…

Before setting up your profile in the freelancing platform, make an extensive market research on what other freelancers with your skills and experience charge from clients. Once you have decided on your rates, do not alter it for clients excluding exceptions.

5. Clarify early

If you are not content with the way your business is running and are worried that your client isn’t getting the best out of you, address them about it as early as possible. Serenely clarify why an issue is keeping you from doing your best work or from meeting due dates – and how it will affect the outcomes for – alternatively, propose a superior method for working.

In the event that your client declines to tune in to your perspective and the venture closes formally, you will still have proof that you endeavoured to resolve the issues early.

6. Learn to say “no”

In the unforeseen event where it becomes too troublesome to meet the client’s expectations – or so disagreeable, that you simply would prefer not to meet them, the best strategy would be to send a short, well-mannered email clarifying that it is best you walk away. If required, explain your purpose behind doing as such, and offer your support till someone else is hired for the job.

7. Listen actively

Listen effectively, don’t just hear – active listening is one of the biggest strengths of a freelancer. Tune in to what the customer is truly saying. Figure out how to find some hidden meaning. When you listen with all your focus, you can comprehend the issue well. Try not to rush to solutions. Focus on exploring and brainstorming ideas with the client through active communication. Not only will it safeguard you, but it will also help in building a good working relationship and earn your client’s trust.

8. Be confident

As I mentioned earlier, it is not always possible to identify difficult clients beforehand. But as long as you are dedicated to your work and put in your best, you will always find a way to deal with a difficult client. Make sure –

You are doing your research well
You are communicating with the client often
You are meeting deadlines
You are quality-conscious
You know you have done it well.

If you have done your part well, there is no need to worry. Even if the client turns out to be uncooperative, there is no way that you will get in a hassle.

9. File a dispute when needed

This is an extension of the above point. If you face a situation where the client disagrees to clear your dues, or raises a dispute that is unfair, go ahead and escalate this to the authorities. Once the legal team gets into investigating the matter, they will go through all the previous conversations and files history, and when it will be discovered that you have done your part well, the matter will automatically come in your favor. But noteworthy to mention here is that you are sure.

10. Utilize your past experiences

“Experience is the teacher of all things”. If you have ever dealt with a difficult client, you will know how the problems start. Assess your clients to see if there is anything that is common with people you worked with earlier. Trust your gut feeling, it works for me all the time. Make a mental note of the attributes that you think makes a client easy to work with, and focus on evaluating them accordingly.

What is your opinion?

If you have any remarks or might want to share your own experience of dealing with a difficult client as a freelancer, please share with us. We would love to hear from you.

The post Dealing with Difficult Clients in Freelancing Business appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Overcoming the Fear of Facing Online Interviews as a Freelancer

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury — Sat, 17 Apr 2021 15:07:01 +0000

“I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.”

Estee Lauder Tweet

The fear of facing interviews is an U – F – O – Universal Freelancers’ Obstacle. Millions of freelancers who are working all over the world today have faced this fear sometime for sure. Though most freelancers successfully overcome this fear with time and experience, persistent fear of facing interviews may invite rejections and financial doom.

I was always scared of facing interviews because

I had no idea how many people I was competing with
I was not sure if I would be able to represent myself properly in the 15-minute call (especially during the first interview)
I was afraid I would not understand the interviewer’s accent, or he won’t understand mine
I was concerned about the time difference and whether they would work for clients from different time zones
Since the interview was not face-to-face, I stressed a lot about sounding credible, like the ‘right person’ for the job.

The 5 Simple Ways of Overcoming the Fear

I began with defeating the dread with a basic inquiry – “Am I The Only One Facing This?” Clearly, the response was ‘No’. From there on, I took after 5 simple principles, and it changed the game completely.

If you are a freelancer and you are confronting a similar obstacle, attempt these simple hacks for addressing your fear.

1. Be Prepared

Treat each interview as a new opportunity. Gather information about the organization and what the job you have been offered. Prepare yourself well beforehand and speak like a professional. The most important thing that you should remember before giving an interview is, you are not an employee or a job-seeker, you are an entrepreneur. Treat yourself likewise and sound assertive.

2. Don’t Lose Perspective

Never rely on one interview. As a professional freelancer, you must keep sending proposals for projects relevant to your niche and keep the process going. Getting rejected in one interview is not the end of it, especially when you have such an abundance of choices in outsourcing. Continue bidding and showing up for interviews as much as you have to.

3. Visualize

It may sound weird, but it helps a lot. Before you appear for the interview online, envision the whole situation. What are the probable questions you may be asked? What are the odds that you may get rejected?

Prepare yourself by practicing the correct intonation, using the right words, and delivering answers in the right way. Before every upcoming interview, take out at least 30 minutes where you visualize the whole scene and get mentally prepared for it. I found it incredibly helpful when I started recreating the interview situation in my mind and preparing my actions accordingly. The results were immediate and very consistent.

Tip:

Download some of the most popular video interviewing software, test them and practice as if you had a real interview. This will give you extra confidence.

4. Self-Reflection

I have a journal where I note down all my achievements and failures in business. Whenever I have interviews lined up, I go through them and try to reflect my thoughts on why I succeeded in some and why I failed in others.

Before you appear for an interview online, go back to the past contracts that you could complete successfully and/or got a great review. Try to recall what were the things that led to your success and why your client was happy with you – those are the focuses that you have to center around when you are facing the interview.

5. Network well

For a work-from-home freelancer, this can be a challenge. But thanks to the rising popularity of freelancing, there are numerous doors accessible for specialists to coordinate with each other today. Join the online or offline groups that promote freelancing and interact with other freelancers.
For example, Upwork organizes online meetups that are directed by the top-rated specialists who share their experience and offer tips to other people who are taking a shot at building their business. Be as closely associated as you can. Not only will this make you feel like a part of the freelancing community, but you can also gain perspective on how other freelancers handle their fears and come out successfully.

The best part of freelancing is the three precious gifts that it gives us-

The freedom to choose the work we want to do
The space to unleash our creativity to the fulles
The limitless opportunity of earning good enough.

And when you can genuinely recognize these invaluable resources, no fear can hold you back from achieving your goal.

What is your experience?

If you have any remarks or might want to share your own experience of how finding a niche helped you as a freelancer, please share with us. We would love to hear from you.

The post Overcoming the Fear of Facing Online Interviews as a Freelancer appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

How Finding a Niche Benefits Freelancers

Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury — Sat, 10 Apr 2021 08:51:44 +0000

“If you want success, be unique.”

Natalie Massenet Tweet

When it came to freelancing as a writer, I thought I could attempt any type of content, as I ‘love’ writing. I was wrong, although writing is one of the jobs in demand. Most of the times when I got an interview, I could not satisfy the interviewer. I figured out that although I love writing, my area of expertise was not clear to my clients, which is why I was losing opportunities. I realized that mental health is the best thing I can endeavor to compose on because that is the field I have been exploring for 10 years now.

Before long, I updated my profile with the niche as mental health, and the game started changing. I got interviews, and this time, I cracked them. I understood the nuances of the work and in about a month’s time, I had different ventures close by.

How Finding A Niche Helped My Freelancing Business

1. I was more focused

My niche helped me to focus more on the quality of work. I started taking fewer projects and dedicated myself fully on researching and creating the best I can. I deliberately took care of each detail and utilized my past research materials when I could.
My niche also directed me to the best-matched jobs. Thereafter, I sent out proposals only to the jobs relevant to my area of study and could optimize the limited number of connects that I got from Upwork every month.

2. I earned more in less time

One of the biggest advantages of ruling out niche was that I started earning more by giving less time. I took around 2-3 ventures for each month that paid off well and disseminated my working hours equitably. I did not have to struggle with allotting time for understanding what the job is all about. Since I was already specialized in the field, I could delve into research and content creation right away. It spared me a ton of time and furthermore cleared a path for taking up more offers. I began offering for long-haul extends that advanced my monetary profits and in the meantime expanded my reliability to existing clients.

3. My profile got visibility

Ever since I started taking up assignments in my niche, my profile visibility has been increasing organically. I receive more invitations and interviews that I did before and I can prepare myself better for facing recruiters.
With the niche, I could complete my jobs successfully and earned some great reviews from my clients which in turn helped in increasing my profile visibility online. And within some months, my job success rate started going high.

4. I had a firm grasp on my understanding

I knew what I was working on. I knew where I needed to improve and what I needed to study. My communications with my clients were not as difficult anymore. I completed a market investigation of what other mental wellness authors are taking a shot at, what is the need of the hour, what are the standard rates different freelancers like me charge, and what are the limitations they have confronted. I prepared myself well according to the market demands and it helped a lot in making the most out of my business.

Find Your Niche Today – The ‘TUBE’ Rule

Finding a niche is ‘the’ most important factor to get your freelancing business growing fast. Especially in today’s competitive market, having a niche is the only way you can stand out from the crowd and become a successful freelancer.

If you are still pondering on where to start, try the TUBE Formula for ruling out your niche as a freelancer.

TUBE

Think Utilize Build Explore

1. T - (Think of what you enjoy doing)

For example, if you are a writer, explore what you love writing on – whether it is a blog on your area of study, research materials, storybooks or novels.

2. U - (Utilize your past experiences)

Choose something that you have been pursuing so far or a niche that is similar to your past working experience. If you can align your past experience with the freelancing business, you will have better chances of tasting success soon.

3. B - (Build yourself every day)

Keep on improving your existing skills. Read more, write more, attend workshops and seminars and enroll in online courses. If your business is built on skills and knowledge, it will definitely grow better than your expectations.

4. E - (Explore your abilities)

When you are confused, take up multiple jobs in various fields and see the one you did the best. Probably that is something you can take up as your niche.

What is your experience?

If you have any remarks or might want to share your own experience of how finding a niche helped you as a freelancer, please share with us. We would love to hear from you.

The post How Finding a Niche Benefits Freelancers appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.