It’s safe to say that freelancing can be a rewarding career path if you want to be your own boss and earn a living doing what you love. Many freelancers enjoy the autonomy and flexibility of working for themselves, and some go on to grow and scale their businesses so they are even more profitable.
While starting out can be an exciting learning curve for those new to freelancing or running a business, even experienced freelancers who’ve been freelancing for some time can hit roadblocks.
In this post, we’ve outlined 6 pitfalls for experienced freelancers to avoid and what to do instead.
1. Using outdated or manual payment methods
If you haven’t reviewed the payment method you offer your clients for a while, now is the time to do so. Freelancers who don’t offer clients a range of payment options on how they can pay them could be missing out on new business or even repeat business if the payment method they offer is clunky or inconvenient for the client.
Likewise, if you manually create invoices, you could be using up valuable time that might better be spent on profit-making activities. What’s more, the invoices may come across as unprofessional, and you could even unintentionally miss out some important information, which results in you getting paid late.
That’s where quality invoicing software comes in.
Invoice Ninja is a leading free invoicing software specifically developed for freelancers and small businesses.
It includes professionally designed invoices, multiple payment gateways, client-side portals, quotes, recurring invoices, time and task tracking, and lots more to ensure you get paid quickly and hassle-free.
You can even get paid in Bitcoin – definitely not outdated!
Try Invoice Ninja for free here.
2. Undercharging or not increasing rates
It makes good business sense to review your rates regularly.
It could be that your rates aren’t in line with the market and, thanks to inflation and the rising cost of living, have stagnated.
While it’s good to be competitive, undercharging could reflect in the type of client you attract, and you could even be perceived as producing lower value, lower quality work or just less experienced than you actually are based on your prices.
Furthermore, if you are undercharging and overdelivering, this will have an impact on your work-life balance and could even lead to freelancer burnout.
Add a note in your calendar to review rates at least annually, and don’t feel guilty for raising your rates and getting paid what you are worth.
3. Not keeping up with the times
What’s going on in your industry? Are there new skills you need to train in or update? What about modern technology and tools? Are you making the most of automation tools to streamline your business?
Clients will expect you to be up to date with current trends in the industry and make their lives easier by having client-friendly, efficient processes in place so you can continue to provide them with a valuable and competitive service.
While you shouldn’t jump on every new bandwagon or get carried away with shiny object syndrome, it pays to keep your ear to the ground and up to date with the latest trends.
This could be via networking with other freelancers, attending industry events, subscribing to online or print industry publications, or simply paying attention to what competitors are doing.
Keep up to date so you don’t miss out on valuable opportunities or business ideas.
4. Letting client communications slip
If you have long-term clients who know your ways of working and working with them feels like slipping on a comfy pair of slippers, it can be easy to let regular communications slide and just assume everything is okay.
But this can be risky, especially if you are working with a large organization with a lot of moving parts. Your point of contact could change, new management might come in and bring in their preferred providers, or the business model could change – that’s why it makes sense to keep in regular contact with clients – regardless of how many years you’ve worked together.
If you are not in regular contact, schedule regular check-ins and review meetings in your diary – even if it’s just a short email check-in. Keep all communication channels open.
Keeping in regular contact with clients also keeps you top of mind for any new projects that might arise.
5. Not maintaining proper client/freelancer boundaries
Forming good working relationships with clients is essential; some could even become friends outside of the work arena.
However, when working, ensure proper client/freelancer boundaries are in place, and you don’t let emotions cloud your judgment when doing business.
Be mindful of your time so clients know how (via what medium) and when it’s acceptable for them to contact you. Clients who overstep these boundaries effectively pull you away from work you could be doing for other clients or stop you from working on your business instead of in it.
You can stipulate times and contact mediums at the beginning of the client relationship, and it can form part of your client onboarding process. For example, for quick check-in calls, your client might not need to schedule an appointment, but for longer project briefings or ideation meetings and calls, you may need to plan and block time in your diary.
6. Not attracting the right clients
Are you still attracting your ideal clients – or any new clients? Has the definition of your ideal client changed over the years? Perhaps you’ve created your own niche or expanded your services or skill set since you first started out.
It’s worth reviewing this from time to time to ensure your marketing communications and strategy are still on point. Also, ensure your social media bios are up to date so they reflect your brand and what you currently offer clients.
Attracting the clients that are right for you will go a long way to rewarding and mutually beneficial client relationships.
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If you’ve hit a bit of a business roadblock or have a bout of analysis paralysis with your freelance business, review these six strategies to avoid common freelancer pitfalls.