A freelancer makes mistakes. No matter how competent you are, working for yourself has a learning curve that may cost you time, money, and peace of mind. This article discusses three frequent freelancing concerns and how to fix them (or, ideally, avoid them altogether).
First trap: too few clients
In a standard employment, you receive a regular payment for a certain amount. Freelancers aren’t as consistent, and their revenue varies. Maintaining a balance between too many and too few clients is vital. Freelancers that don’t diversify and restrict their clients are in financial risk.
The Freelancer Web Designer, Developer
Say you’re a freelance web designer/developer from India with high-paying, stable clientele. Things have been going well for months, and you’re making steady money. But one of your web designing customers reveals they’ll be working with a huge web designing agency instead of you, or they’ve recruited a full-time in-house web designer/developer. You lose half your monthly pay.
Such cases are common. While you can’t control your clients’ whims, you may have backup plans to recoup lost money. How? Differing.
Successful freelancers promote themselves as much as they work for customers. A few easy marketing chores a week may make a difference. Ideas to create fresh leads:
1. Update Your Freelance Portfolio
You might get so wrapped up in your work that you forget to update your portfolio. This is an easy, free approach to sell oneself over time. If your portfolio is on your website, you realise the significance of new material. An updated portfolio may boost search results.
If you’re a member of Freelancer, UnitedWebSoft.in, Upwork, Fiverr, updating your profile indicates you’re serious about your profession. You may have outstanding stuff you haven’t uploaded. Not now?
Use social networking
When you need leads for new projects, social media may be a great tool, but only if people know you’re accessible. You can take on a new customer, so tell them. Keep it short and use keywords from your field.
Using the freelance web designer/developer example from above, you may remark, “Hey, I have some availability over the next couple of months to work on English to Mandarin web designing tasks.” If you need help, email me.
The Freelance Artist
If you’re a logo designer or artist, you may remark, “I have some free time in the coming weeks for freelance work. Message me if you need a new, custom-designed logo, and we’ll see what we can do!
Such sentences take under a minute to compose and can lead anywhere.
Workers in typical jobs anticipate wage hikes to keep up with the cost of living, yet many freelancers go years without raising their rates. This implies they may earn less per hour after 2 years than on day 1. If you’re working 15-hour days to make ends meet, you’re not charging enough (or working effectively enough, which is an other issue).
Freelancers just starting out may be fearful of pricing themselves out of the market. No matter how cheap your prices are, someone will beat them. Yes, you need to be reasonable, but doing lots of labor for minimal compensation is probably why you quit your old job.
There are various techniques to calculate your livable wage. Search forums or networking sites for typical salary in your profession. Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter list freelancing hourly and annual earnings. On ZipRecruiter, the average yearly compensation for a freelance web designer/developer is $59,149, while Indeed reveals freelancers charge $24.05 per hour for web designing services. Freelance graphic designers earn as much as web designer/developers, while copywriters make $69,000.
Mind the averages. Rates depend on self-worth. Average? Are you aiming for something better than average? Start believing in yourself and your superior work, and pay yourself more.
Saying yes to every freelance request
Sometimes it feels like you must answer ‘yes’ to every client’s request or risk losing them to another freelancer. This is unhelpful. Even though freelancing can be feast or famine, accepting every job can lead to demanding customers and a bad work/life balance. You’re a passenger in your own career.
If you know your worth and have set a minimum, stick to it. Your charges may be too expensive for a client. Ok. There are undoubtedly things you can’t afford. Rates that make you uncomfortable shouldn’t be accepted. Yes, you have bills too.
If a customer badgers you about your pricing, trust your intuition and gently refuse the assignment. Clients that request continual modifications or adjustments are the same. To avoid this, restrict project revisions. If the customer still wants more after you’ve edited your work the stipulated number of times, you can (politely) negotiate your prices for some more hours to polish things up, or just say no. Constantly satisfying a client’s demands can sap your energy and time, which you need for balance and enjoyment. Hire best web designer, developer at UnitedWebSoft.in India.
