Freelancing is something many with an entrepreneurial mind decide to do; it’s great for those who have big dreams, want more freedom, and don’t want to work for ‘the man’ anymore. However, there are lots of mistakes freelancers can make that aren’t always immediately clear.
If you’re a freelancer, you’ll want to read on to see if you’ve been making these mistakes – you might be surprised:
Not Invoicing Effectively
As a freelancer, making sure you have the cash flow aspect sorted is imperative. This means invoicing effectively so that you actually get paid. All too often freelancers go weeks and weeks without being paid. This is sometimes down to working with ‘that type of client’ – the type that needs multiple nudges before paying. However, it’s often down to poor invoicing, waiting too long to follow up, and not giving an incentive to pay early.
Not Prioritizing/Managing Your Time
If you want to enjoy life as a freelancer, you need to be the king/queen of managing your time. It can be all too easy to let your days become one long slog, or even one long slack off, as you struggle to know when the working day should begin/end.
Prioritizing your tasks for the day and making sure you stick to a schedule will help you to get things done. Find a way of working that works for you – such as the pomodoro method.
Doing Your Accounts Alone
Freelancers usually want to save money by handling their accounts alone, but this can lead to many mistakes, and fines from the government later on down the line. Doing your accounts alone takes away from what you actually set out to do, and to put it simply, can give you one huge headache. Places like https://howladerandco.com can advise you if you’re unsure. Spending a little money on somebody to help you do this can help take away stress, and even save you more money.
Doing The Bear Minimum
As a freelancer, you only have yourself to blame if things don’t go to plan. You should be willing to do what needs to be done to do a great job, not the bear minimum each day. Your business will flounder if this is your mindset.
Getting Pricing All Wrong
You need to get your pricing right if you’re going to work with the right people. Cheap pricing can put people off as it looks suspicious, and you can even end up getting too many clients who mess you around. Pricing your services too high can also put people off, for obvious reasons. Do your research so you know your pricing is right. Know your worth but be fair.
Poor Communication
Communication is key as a freelancer. You need to be able to keep clients updated and communicate clearly on what you can do for them/can’t do for them. This will make all the difference; make it about the overall service and experience, not just the end result.
Have you been making these mistakes?
