• Products
    • Overview

      All Features

      Freelancer? Small business?
      Features to get you paid, fast.

      Expenses, Vendors, PO's

      Manage & re-invoice expenses, track vendors & purchase orders.

      Invoicing, Quotes, Payments

      Tools to run your business, invoice clients & get paid.

      Projects, Tasks, Time-Tracking

      Create projects, tasks, track billable work-hours.

      Connect Bank & Financial Accounts, Sync Transactions

      Automatically import bank, credit card and PayPal transactions.

      Product Demo

      Need an awesome solution for invoicing clients? Test Drive!

      Workflow

      OS Tools

      Web, Desktop, iOS, Google Play, Linux, Windows Apps

      Online Payments

      Accept credit cards, ACH, PayPal & more

      Automations

      Integrate with hundreds apps via Zapier, Make, Integrately & more

      Invoice Designs

      Beautifully designed invoice templates

      Overview
      • Product Overview
      • Expense tracking & Vendor Management
      • Invoices, Quotations & Payments
      • Time tracking & Project Management
      Workflow
      • OS Tools
      • Payment Gateways
      • Automations
      • Invoice Templates
  • Why Invoice Ninja?
    • Overview

      Competition Comparison

      How does Invoice Ninja stack up against the competition?

      Who is it for?

      Freelancers, service professionals, business owners

      How it works?

      4 steps to get paid online

      Our Story

      Building business tools since 2014!

      Compare
      • Overview
      • vs. Zoho
      • vs. Invoice2Go
      • vs. Freshbooks
      Overview
      • Who is it for
      • Our Story
      Compare
      • Overview
      • vs. Invoice 2Go
      • vs. Zoho
      • vs. Freshbooks
  • Resources
    • Learn

      Contact Support

      We're here to help!

      Self-hosting

      Install & self-host Invoice Ninja on your own server

      Legacy v4 Login

      Legacy App Login

      Freelancer Blog

      Solopreneur & Business Blog

      User Guide

      App Documentation

      API Documentation

      Invoice Ninja REST based API

      Product Roadmap

      The future is bright...

      How it works?

      4 steps to get paid

      Learn
      • Contact Support
      • User Guide
      • Self-hosting
      • API Documentation
      • Legacy v4 Login
      • Product Roadmap
      • Blog
  • Pricing
  • Products
    • Overview

      All Features

      Freelancer? Small business?
      Features to get you paid, fast.

      Expenses, Vendors, PO's

      Manage & re-invoice expenses, track vendors & purchase orders.

      Invoicing, Quotes, Payments

      Tools to run your business, invoice clients & get paid.

      Projects, Tasks, Time-Tracking

      Create projects, tasks, track billable work-hours.

      Connect Bank & Financial Accounts, Sync Transactions

      Automatically import bank, credit card and PayPal transactions.

      Product Demo

      Need an awesome solution for invoicing clients? Test Drive!

      Workflow

      OS Tools

      Web, Desktop, iOS, Google Play, Linux, Windows Apps

      Online Payments

      Accept credit cards, ACH, PayPal & more

      Automations

      Integrate with hundreds apps via Zapier, Make, Integrately & more

      Invoice Designs

      Beautifully designed invoice templates

      Overview
      • Product Overview
      • Expense tracking & Vendor Management
      • Invoices, Quotations & Payments
      • Time tracking & Project Management
      Workflow
      • OS Tools
      • Payment Gateways
      • Automations
      • Invoice Templates
  • Why Invoice Ninja?
    • Overview

      Competition Comparison

      How does Invoice Ninja stack up against the competition?

      Who is it for?

      Freelancers, service professionals, business owners

      How it works?

      4 steps to get paid online

      Our Story

      Building business tools since 2014!

      Compare
      • Overview
      • vs. Zoho
      • vs. Invoice2Go
      • vs. Freshbooks
      Overview
      • Who is it for
      • Our Story
      Compare
      • Overview
      • vs. Invoice 2Go
      • vs. Zoho
      • vs. Freshbooks
  • Resources
    • Learn

      Contact Support

      We're here to help!

      Self-hosting

      Install & self-host Invoice Ninja on your own server

      Legacy v4 Login

      Legacy App Login

      Freelancer Blog

      Solopreneur & Business Blog

      User Guide

      App Documentation

      API Documentation

      Invoice Ninja REST based API

      Product Roadmap

      The future is bright...

      How it works?

      4 steps to get paid

      Learn
      • Contact Support
      • User Guide
      • Self-hosting
      • API Documentation
      • Legacy v4 Login
      • Product Roadmap
      • Blog
  • Pricing

|

Login

Sign up
  • Products
    • Overview

      All Features

      Freelancer? Small business?
      Features to get you paid, fast.

      Expenses, Vendors, PO's

      Manage & re-invoice expenses, track vendors & purchase orders.

      Invoicing, Quotes, Payments

      Tools to run your business, invoice clients & get paid.

      Projects, Tasks, Time-Tracking

      Create projects, tasks, track billable work-hours.

      Connect Bank & Financial Accounts, Sync Transactions

      Automatically import bank, credit card and PayPal transactions.

      Product Demo

      Need an awesome solution for invoicing clients? Test Drive!

      Workflow

      OS Tools

      Web, Desktop, iOS, Google Play, Linux, Windows Apps

      Online Payments

      Accept credit cards, ACH, PayPal & more

      Automations

      Integrate with hundreds apps via Zapier, Make, Integrately & more

      Invoice Designs

      Beautifully designed invoice templates

      Overview
      • Product Overview
      • Expense tracking & Vendor Management
      • Invoices, Quotations & Payments
      • Time tracking & Project Management
      Workflow
      • OS Tools
      • Payment Gateways
      • Automations
      • Invoice Templates
  • Why Invoice Ninja?
    • Overview

      Competition Comparison

      How does Invoice Ninja stack up against the competition?

      Who is it for?

      Freelancers, service professionals, business owners

      How it works?

      4 steps to get paid online

      Our Story

      Building business tools since 2014!

      Compare
      • Overview
      • vs. Zoho
      • vs. Invoice2Go
      • vs. Freshbooks
      Overview
      • Who is it for
      • Our Story
      Compare
      • Overview
      • vs. Invoice 2Go
      • vs. Zoho
      • vs. Freshbooks
  • Resources
    • Learn

      Contact Support

      We're here to help!

      Self-hosting

      Install & self-host Invoice Ninja on your own server

      Legacy v4 Login

      Legacy App Login

      Freelancer Blog

      Solopreneur & Business Blog

      User Guide

      App Documentation

      API Documentation

      Invoice Ninja REST based API

      Product Roadmap

      The future is bright...

      How it works?

      4 steps to get paid

      Learn
      • Contact Support
      • User Guide
      • Self-hosting
      • API Documentation
      • Legacy v4 Login
      • Product Roadmap
      • Blog
  • Pricing
  • Products
    • Overview

      All Features

      Freelancer? Small business?
      Features to get you paid, fast.

      Expenses, Vendors, PO's

      Manage & re-invoice expenses, track vendors & purchase orders.

      Invoicing, Quotes, Payments

      Tools to run your business, invoice clients & get paid.

      Projects, Tasks, Time-Tracking

      Create projects, tasks, track billable work-hours.

      Connect Bank & Financial Accounts, Sync Transactions

      Automatically import bank, credit card and PayPal transactions.

      Product Demo

      Need an awesome solution for invoicing clients? Test Drive!

      Workflow

      OS Tools

      Web, Desktop, iOS, Google Play, Linux, Windows Apps

      Online Payments

      Accept credit cards, ACH, PayPal & more

      Automations

      Integrate with hundreds apps via Zapier, Make, Integrately & more

      Invoice Designs

      Beautifully designed invoice templates

      Overview
      • Product Overview
      • Expense tracking & Vendor Management
      • Invoices, Quotations & Payments
      • Time tracking & Project Management
      Workflow
      • OS Tools
      • Payment Gateways
      • Automations
      • Invoice Templates
  • Why Invoice Ninja?
    • Overview

      Competition Comparison

      How does Invoice Ninja stack up against the competition?

      Who is it for?

      Freelancers, service professionals, business owners

      How it works?

      4 steps to get paid online

      Our Story

      Building business tools since 2014!

      Compare
      • Overview
      • vs. Zoho
      • vs. Invoice2Go
      • vs. Freshbooks
      Overview
      • Who is it for
      • Our Story
      Compare
      • Overview
      • vs. Invoice 2Go
      • vs. Zoho
      • vs. Freshbooks
  • Resources
    • Learn

      Contact Support

      We're here to help!

      Self-hosting

      Install & self-host Invoice Ninja on your own server

      Legacy v4 Login

      Legacy App Login

      Freelancer Blog

      Solopreneur & Business Blog

      User Guide

      App Documentation

      API Documentation

      Invoice Ninja REST based API

      Product Roadmap

      The future is bright...

      How it works?

      4 steps to get paid

      Learn
      • Contact Support
      • User Guide
      • Self-hosting
      • API Documentation
      • Legacy v4 Login
      • Product Roadmap
      • Blog
  • Pricing
  • Back to blog

5 Things Successful Freelancers Do Right That You Can Apply to Your Own Business

  • September 22, 2023
Successful freelancer

Share

Tags

  • freelance career

When starting out on your freelance journey, it can feel a bit like you are spinning plates. It seems there’s so much you need to do, and that’s even before you get down to finding clients and doing the task you’re good at.

But you know successful freelancers do exist out there, and their businesses thrive – so how do they do it?

Here are 5 simple but effective things successful freelancers do that you can apply to your own business to enhance your reputation and win (and retain) clients.

1. They network and collaborate

You may have heard the saying your network is your net worth, meaning that professional connections and business relationships can be a powerful asset – and this is especially the case with freelancing.

Successful freelancers know the power of networking.

What’s more, you don’t just have to network in person at industry events. You can effectively network online in business groups and on social media. Connecting with others in your industry and even in your specific field is a great way to get your name out there and can lead to numerous (potentially lucrative) benefits.

Don’t be afraid to connect with other freelancers in your profession, either. They can be a vital source of information and may even have excess work they can pass your way.

You can also collaborate with them rather than compete. They might offer a different service or skill that, when combined with your skill set, makes an irresistible client offer or unique ‘bundle deal’.

So be open to networking and actively seek out opportunities to build relationships in your industry and profession.

2. They communicate clearly, accurately and professionally

How you present yourself (and your offer and services) both online and offline is important.

Whether it’s the copy on your website and the user experience (UX) to your written client proposals communicating clearly what you do, your prices, and what the client needs to do if they want to proceed, how well you communicate is paramount to your success as a freelancer.

Unclear, confusing or incorrect client communications will cost you money.

When it comes to invoicing, for example, you can save yourself time (and, therefore, money) by using one of Invoice Ninja’s professional invoice templates. Not only will you come across as professional, but a branded and businesslike invoice template will help ensure you get the correct payment information and get paid on time.

Likewise, if you ask for a deposit upfront before you commence work (which is common practice for freelancer projects) with Invoice Ninja, you can send the deposit invoice, and once paid, it will automatically revert to a regular invoice for the balance and date due.

Having a written client agreement in place will also help manage expectations on both sides and can be referred to if any queries or misunderstandings crop up during the project.

So take good care of how you present your offers, services and ways of working.

3. They stay curious, explore and learn

Successful freelancers are often curious. If something isn’t working, they find out why. For example, if, for some reason, they are not getting leads, they explore different client acquisition strategies. They test what works and what doesn’t.

They also have their finger on the pulse of whatever is happening in their industry; this doesn’t mean that they necessarily jump on every bandwagon or ‘shiny object’, but that they are aware of what is going on and, more importantly, what might be of interest or beneficial to their clients.

They are always bringing something to the table to further help their clients.

Successful freelancers are always learning or brushing up on their skills so they can continue to provide value to their clients and don’t regress.

So stay curious, keep up to date with industry news and trends, and add value where you can.

4. They are reliable and consistent

This is a big one.

Successful freelancers know the importance of showing up and doing what they said they were going to do (and adding extra value when appropriate). Reliable freelancers are sought after because reliability can make the difference between a successful project and a disastrous one.

To maintain consistency, it’s essential to have robust systems and processes in place and even better if each process is documented. For example, what does your client onboarding process look like? How do you manage client queries? How do you ensure invoices are paid on time?

This consistency also shows up in their communications, for example, sending regular recurring client invoices on time. Invoice Ninja offers auto-billing via the world’s favorite payment gateways for clients that need to be billed on a fixed schedule – and to make things even better, also provides a vast array of different language options.

Try it for free at the link here.

5. They continue to market themselves even when fully booked

To help combat the dreaded freelancer feast and famine cycle, successful freelancers know the importance of always marketing their services.

Just because you have an abundance of work one moment, there’s no guarantee this will go on forever. Some work is cyclical, and even work from a regular client can cease abruptly for a myriad of reasons.

Make sure you schedule time to work ON your business as well as in it.

So, be prepared and always be marketing!

Share

Share

Tags

  • freelance career
Freelancing, Business Scene, Solopreneur
You may also like
group of people

How to Successfully Manage Client Expectations as a Freelancer

Learn more

5 Tasks to Automate as a Freelancer to Free Up Your Time (And Beat Admin Overwhelm)

Learn more
woman smiling at laptop with cat

How to Avoid Scope Creep as a Freelancer

Learn more

Start Invoicing Today!

Create. Send. Get Paid.

Test Drive!
Products
  • Product Overview
  • Invoicing, Quotes, Payments
  • Time Tracker and Projects
  • Expenses, Vendors, PO’s
  • Integrate Financial Accounts
  • Online Payment Integrations
  • Automations & Integrations
  • Languages & Currencies
  • Mobile Apps, OS tools
  • Product Overview
  • Invoicing, Quotes, Payments
  • Time Tracker and Projects
  • Expenses, Vendors, PO’s
  • Integrate Financial Accounts
  • Online Payment Integrations
  • Automations & Integrations
  • Languages & Currencies
  • Mobile Apps, OS tools
Why Invoice Ninja?
  • Our Story
  • Who’s it for?
  • How It Works
  • How We Compare
  • Slack
  • Discord
  • Our Story
  • Who’s it for?
  • How It Works
  • How We Compare
  • Slack
  • Discord
Resources
  • Contact & Support
  • Product Documentation
  • API Documenation
  • Suggestions & Requests
  • Self-Hosting Invoice Ninja
  • Business Blog
  • Technical Blog
  • Server Status
  • Branding Kit
  • Contact & Support
  • Product Documentation
  • API Documenation
  • Suggestions & Requests
  • Self-Hosting Invoice Ninja
  • Business Blog
  • Technical Blog
  • Server Status
  • Branding Kit
Pricing
v4 Legacy Login
New Account Login

© Invoice Ninja

Terms of Service

Data Privacy

PCI Compliance

GDPR

Self-Hosting Data

Self-Hosting Terms

Additional Users Activity Notification Settings

Enterprise Ninja

As part of the Invoice Ninja Enterprise plan you can create additional account users, set permissions of what additional account users can view/create/edit, and receive notifications for actions taken by users!

​Free Invoicing Software for Small Business.
Focus on doing what you love.​ We’ll help with the invoicing​:)

Create a Free Account!

Client-Portal & Vendor Document Upload

Enterprise Ninja

Allow your clients & vendors to upload documents in their client/vendor-side portal to keep all agreements organized and accessible!​

Free Invoicing Software for Small Business.
Focus on doing what you love.​ We’ll help with the invoicing​:)

Create a Free Account!

Additional Users & Set Permissions

Enterprise Ninja

As part of the Invoice Ninja Enterprise plan you can create additional account users, set permissions of what additional account users can view/create/edit, and receive notifications for actions taken by users!

Free Invoicing Software for Small Business.
Focus on doing what you love. We’ll help with the invoicing:)

Create a Free Account!

Banking Integration

Enterprise Ninja

We understands that automating transaction imports are a huge asset when it comes to getting paid and staying organized.

Invoice Ninja has partnered with Yodlee, a specialist provider of secure bank data connections, to offer bank, credit cards, and PayPal transaction data syncing.

  • Import Bank & Card Transactions
  • Match Deposits to [Multiple] Invoices
  • Match Withdrawals/Expenses to Vendors
  • Enable “Autosync” download transactions

 

​Free Invoicing Software for Small Business.
Focus on doing what you love.​ We’ll help with the invoicing​:)

Create a Free Account!

Custom Domain "Billing.YourCompany.com"

Enterprise Ninja

Looking for a fully branded experience?

The Invoice Ninja Enterprise Plan allows you to create a custom URL “Invoicing.YourCompany.com” for your clients portal to view & pay invoices online!

​Free Invoicing Software for Small Business.
Focus on doing what you love.​ We’ll help with the invoicing​:)

Create a Free Account!

Attach 3rd Party Files to Invoices & Expenses

Enterprise Ninja

The Invoice Ninja Enterprise Plan allows you to attach proposal files, agreements, design work files, all types of documents to your invoices & client-side portal!

Upload & attach .doc, .ppt, xls, .jpg, .png, .pdf files, and more, all together with your client’s invoices & client-side portal!

Files can be attached to your company for all clients to see, attached individually per client, or attached individually per invoice &/or expense!

Free Invoicing Software for Small Business.
Focus on doing what you love. We’ll help with the invoicing:)

Create a Free Account!

Custom Client-Portal Subdomain

Ninja Pro Features

Customize your client portal URL to match your branding YourBrand.Invoicing.co

Build trust by showing your branding when clients click to view their invoices & client-side portal online!​

Free Invoicing Software for Small Business.
Focus on doing what you love.​ We’ll help with the invoicing​:)

Create a Free Account!

Storefront Functionality

Ninja Pro Features

Enable third-party apps to create invoices within your account.

Free Invoicing Software for Small Business.
Focus on doing what you love.​ We’ll help with the invoicing​:)

Create a Free Account!

Automated Workflow

Ninja Pro Features

Use the power of Zapier, Make, Pabbly, Integrately to integrate with Invoice Ninja with hundreds of apps to automate workflow!

With Zapier you can integrate your Invoice Ninja with thousands of other apps. and streamline your cross-app workflow with smooth automated functions.

With Make you can connect Invoice Ninja to your favorite apps & services. Just create a scenario that will watch for new data being created in a specified app and it will automatically trigger actions in Invoice Ninja, or vice-versa!

See all automations here!

Free Invoicing Software for Small Business.
Focus on doing what you love.​ We’ll help with the invoicing​:)

Create a Free Account!

Custom Reminder Emails

Ninja Pro Features