Freelancing can be an amazing way to earn income, but like all jobs, it comes with its own unique set of mistakes that you need to avoid. These mistakes can come from a lack of knowledge or even from not knowing how to manage your time effectively, and they’re easy to make if you don’t know what you’re doing. Don’t let these five common freelance mistakes keep you from earning the money you deserve; read this article to learn more about avoiding them and ensuring your success in your freelance career.
1) Not setting your hourly rate
Setting an hourly rate is vital for determining how much you charge per project. It’s important to set your rate at the same level as other freelance mistakes in your field and make sure that you include any hours of prep time in your estimate. For example, if it takes two hours to research a topic before you can start writing, then plan on charging for those two hours.
If not, then the client could get the impression that they’re getting more value than they are and may expect more work from you in the future. Not taking into account everything that comes with doing freelance work: Sometimes there will be costs associated with providing your services as a freelancer.
You’ll need to calculate expenses such as taxes, equipment, software costs, and other out-of-pocket expenses like postage or courier fees when you offer quotes for projects. The bottom line is that you should take all these factors into consideration when deciding what rates to charge so that you don’t end up in the red at the end of every month.
2) Poor communication skills
Communication is the key to any successful business, and this is especially true when you’re freelancing. If you can’t communicate with your clients, or if they can’t understand what you’re saying, it’s going to be difficult for both parties. This goes for everything: initial contact and negotiating rates, invoices, contracts, project deadlines, and more. Clients need to know that they are being heard–and vice versa–in order to have a good working relationship.
It also doesn’t help that many people struggle with communication in their everyday lives as well; some may be shy or introverted by nature. Others might feel embarrassed about admitting they don’t understand something or feel like they’ll be judged for not knowing. Many even avoid asking questions altogether because it’s easier than hearing no.
But nothing will break a client-freelance mistakes bond faster than poor communication. The solution? Practice! In fact, a few things you can do right now include writing out emails before sending them, talking to friends and family members about the basics of your job, and joining professional networks on social media (Twitter chats are great for connecting with other professionals).
3) Being too available
It’s easy to say yes when someone wants your help, but it’s important that you establish boundaries and don’t say yes just because you want the money. One freelance mistake people make is being too available. If you’re always saying yes, then you won’t have enough time for yourself or your other clients.
It can also lead to burnout which will make the quality of your work suffer. Be realistic about what you can commit, and don’t feel guilty about turning down a gig. Sometimes freelancers forget to take care of themselves before their clients. You’ll be able to produce better quality work if you are taking care of your mental health first.
Make sure you keep track of hours: Before accepting any new gigs, do some research on how many hours you can realistically do in a day without sacrificing quality. There’s no reason why you should get burned out over working more than 40 hours per week.
4) Spending too much time on jobs that do not pay well
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is having a high turnover of clients. It is not uncommon for freelancers to get a new client and lose them within weeks, or even days. This is due to miscommunication, poor work quality, or general unprofessionalism on the freelance mistakes’ behalf. It’s important that you learn how to grow your clientele so that you don’t find yourself in this position.
It’s okay if you have one bad apple in the bunch every now and then just as long as they’re few and far between. But there are ways to avoid these problems altogether! Start by doing the research before accepting a job. Look at what the pay is, whether it’s per hour, project-based or by word count, any deadlines set, and any other pertinent information. If there are no clear guidelines on what payment system will be used, ask up front before agreeing to anything. And while we’re talking about deadlines: stick to them. Make sure that your schedule leaves enough time for everything else in life outside of work-that includes family and friends too-and if you need some help with juggling all of your projects, try using an online calendar like Google Calendar. Lastly: just be professional in general.
5) Having a high turnover of clients
One of the most common mistakes people make when freelancing is not creating or maintaining a good relationship with their clients. The market is tough right now, and you need to have happy clients that come back for more. This means being honest, prompt and responsive, and able to do a great job every time.
If your client feels like they’re always chasing you down for information, or you’ve been late on deadlines in the past (even once), they are going to be less inclined to work with you again. Conversely, if they feel you really listen to them, understand what they want, and are willing to go above and beyond -they’ll probably come back for more. A good place to start is by sending thank-you notes after each project is complete. It’s easy, it’s cheap, and it shows that you care about the work you did for them.
