I work a as freelancer for approx. 5 years now. I am or was a web developer, a problogger, an online journalist and currently I’m a SEO consultant most of the time. I survived!
It is difficult at times to freelance, but I pay my bills and have a family where I am the only working person. Thus I want to share 20 ways to achieve this: 20 ways to survive as a freelancer. You will need several of them to follow to survive, the more the better, but it works!
- Don’t compete, cooperate with your peers. It’s ridiculous to compete against the whole world. Cooperation on the Net is easy though. Write how great others are, create or join networks like Behance or 9 rules and soon you’ll be much better off than on your own.
- Don’t work 24/7, use two mobile phones, switch off your office phone. To stay sane do not work at nights and on Sunday, do not let clients call you in the evening or at night.
- Charge twice as much as you assume you deserve, you think you should get paid 50$ per hour? Charge 100, people do not value cheap services. If you’re cheap they assume you are worthless
- Do not get charged per hour, you only have 40h per week to sell. This way you’ll never expand
- Get paid for results: You work two hours and get results like others who need ten? Great!
- Sell your expertise: You’re an expert for 5 years? Ignore the market, charge accordingly, you don’t have to compete with newbies
- Sell your image (the most read web design blogger of your city, state, or even country), charge accordingly
- Diversify your income sources, get at least 3 of them
- Earn one third of your money by client work
- Earn one third selling a product
- Earn one third publishing and earning via fees or advertising revenues
- Get a good lawyer
- Get a good book keeper
- Do not offer services on saturated markets: Web design? Every kid offers that.
- Specialize: A friend of mine does no PHP but he’s an Coremedia expert, never heard of it? Huge companies have. He earns accordingly.
- Anticipate trends and adapt: How many people offer web design for iPhones?
- Do not work on the computer only, work with people to stay sane
- Offer workshops to teach people your know-how
- Meet clients instead of working predominantly virtually
- Work in teams, you can’t design, do the programming, SEO and public relations all at once
Yeah. Freelancing makes you feel much better than working at a company. Wage slavery is an inhuman condition.
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- The Simple Guide to Freelance SEO the Succesful Way
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- Interview with Business Blogger Steven Snell on His Recent 50k Blog Sale
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This thing has 14 Comments
Good points, though 4 is more relevant to your field (SEO). If you do programming, I’d say payment by hour is the better than something fixed.
Well, not necessarily. For instance you can charge somone 1000$ for a clean microsite which you have a programmed CMS for or you use an open source CMS.
So that your work will be only a few hours… and the effect even better than building everything from scratch.
That would be a customization, not programming :) Though I agree, these type of contracts are good stuff.
i really appreciate what you’ve been doing on this blog for a while, but this post reads like a roadmap – thanks.
Love this – have to add one thing though… ;)
Focus on the moment!
I too freelance, and for a long time would jump from one project to another. Now, through almost losing my mind, I’ve established rules and a schedule – and I stick to it; it’s a lot calmer now.
Monday I focus on admin/Blogwell
Tuesdays I focus on one regular client
Wednesday I focus on another regular client
Thursday I focus on volunteer work
Friday I focus on new/short term clients
Every morning I spend the first two hours visiting fave sites, sometimes commenting, always reading, catching up on, and contributing to social media networks, and returning phone calls.
Every afternoon I hang out with my little people, but for half an hour where I return phone calls and e-mails while they do their homework.
Every evening I hang out with the MOTH (Man Of The House ;) – sometimes we work (he’s a developer) – sometimes we play.
Every day, regardless of what I’m doing, I focus on that and only that. A client wants to chat while I’m rollerblading with my little people? Too bad so sad – they need to wait until I’m done. :)
It is the only way to survive the freelance world, stay sane and continue to grow.
“… have a family where I am the only working person”
Ehh!
Hi, thanks for your points!
I’m “trying” to work as a freelancer (SEO Consultant) about 3 months, sometimes i feel “no way to go”, if you know or i mean.
Thanks
Pedro Barata
(the guy, who translate you post 15 differences…)
Thanks for the points though I didn’t get the 13 th point!
Why does a Freelancer need a book keeper?!
As a freelancer we have to make sure we stick to a schedule and avoid the temptation to work redicolous hours. The best way to expand is to be able to delegate work or create something that would last all time so you don’t have to keep going back to it yet it gives you income – passive income.
Excellent post! I especially appreciate your point about diversity of income, and breaking it down by thirds. That’s an area I’m working on improving.
“10. Earn one third selling a product”
This is very true! There are some pretty good affiliate programs out there!
I have to say that point #3 is probably the best advice I’ve seen for anyone in the business world, freelance or not.
If you don’t put a premium on your own work, than people will never see past how cheap you are. Any quality your work has is devalued in their eyes.
You then become replaceable. There is always someone who is willing to work for less than you.
Number 1 is the #1 rule!
Fantastic – that’s what I call a Blog! So good to see you sharing such information ensuring everyone – CAN get a slice of the PIE!
Thanks
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