There’s plenty of good advice and freelancer tips about what you should do to win clients, produce top-quality work, and make a profit out of freelancing, but what are some of the things you shouldn’t do?
We’ve put together a list of some potential no-nos to avoid (and why) to ensure your freelance career is a success, your clients are happy, and your business runs as smoothly as possible.
So, here are some mistakes to avoid.
1. Saying “Yes” to everything
It can be tempting, especially at the beginning of your freelance journey, to take on all the work offered to you and say “yes” to everything.
However, if you do this, you may find that you are soon overrun and could even face freelancer burnout.
Be discerning with the work and clients you take on so that you can produce your best work. If you take on work you don’t like just for the money, you may come to resent it, and the energy (or lack of it) can come across in the end result.
The same goes for pitching for work for a service you can’t do or can’t do well enough. Not being able to deliver on promises can damage your freelancer reputation.
2. Ignoring self-care
You might think you need to burn the midnight oil and work all the hours of the day when you are running your own business. That’s certainly what is often portrayed. There are, of course, times when you will need to work long hours (and most likely longer hours than when you were working a regular 9 to 5), but this shouldn’t be a constant norm or at the expense of your mental or physical health and well-being.
Working all the time with no respite is another thing that will lead to burnout.
So make sure you take time to take time out, and if your workload is too much, get help, outsource and automate what you can, and schedule your workload in advance.
Work smarter, not harder, as they say!
3. Commencing work before money is in the bank
It’s not unusual to require a full or partial deposit upfront when freelancing, especially for project work.
Some freelancers charge 100% upfront for smaller amounts, and asking for a 50% deposit for larger projects is not uncommon. However, if this is the way you charge, it can be tempting to start work ASAP, especially if the client relationship up to this point has been positive. But it’s still a good idea to wait until the deposit has been paid. Deposits can be delayed for a myriad of reasons, and you really don’t want to do work that you might not get paid for at the end of the day.
With Invoice Ninja, you can send a deposit invoice and have it converted to a regular one for the balance due once the initial deposit has been paid – which is helpful for these situations.
4. Not communicating clearly
It’s important to keep all client communication channels open and check in regularly to ensure client expectations are being managed and met and there are no misunderstandings.
It’s wise to keep a good track of communication and paper trail between yourself and your client and ensure all necessary documentation is in place, secure and up to date. This includes having a written agreement in place from the start that includes a description and outlines the scope of work, payment terms and conditions, copyright and ownership (to name just a few of the most important elements). It can be a handy document to refer to in case of any disputes or misunderstandings.
It’s important that both parties know your responsibilities and what is expected from you. For example, if you outsource some of your client’s work, should your client know about this? Is there an NDA/confidentiality agreement in place or some other process that you should be adhering to?
Being transparent, managing client expectations, and building trust is key to good client-freelancer relationships.
5. Being inconsistent
This is Mr Unreliable’s close cousin. And neither is a favorite with clients.
If you are producing stellar work one moment and then dropping the ball the next, this will highlight that something is wrong in your freelance business that could, in turn, have a detrimental impact on your clients and, hence, your cash flow. Inconsistency comes in many forms, including not sending client invoices on time or issuing timely payment reminders, etc., so you don’t get paid on time.
Good invoice software with professionally designed and branded templates is an absolute must-have for any freelancer who wants to come across as professional, consistent and trustworthy when billing your clients on time and getting paid.
Invoice Ninja is a leading free invoicing software for small business invoicing, online payments, tracking expenses and billable tasks. It also includes attractive, professional invoice template designs you can customize with your logo and brand colors, along with options to create recurring invoices, automatic billing, and email reminders.
Try it for free here.
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Our blog has many more helpful tips for freelancers and small business owners. If there’s a subject you’d like covered that we haven’t already done – just let us know.
