How To Take Your Freelance Career to The Next Level
Freelancing has its perks. You do not need to suit up for work, and there is no dealing with traffic during the commute. You also do not have to deal with any bosses breathing down on your neck.
But #Freelancing has its fair share of problems and challenges that can get the best of us. Most conventional employees can relate to various issues such as bad coffee, traffic, and those competitive coworkers that always try to get ahead.
But the #SelfEmployed have their own set of issues to deal with. If they can tackle these issues, they can certainly take their freelance career to the next level.
Let’s discuss the #ThoughtProvoking #Freelancing problems and find their solutions out.
Manage These 10 Problems to Take Your Freelance Career to The Next Level
1. You are homebound for sure
These distractions will make you procrastinate in several ways that you would have never thought of when working in a prepared office environment. It becomes a much bigger issue when you have pets or kids at your home. You will never be able to focus on your work no matter what you do.
Solution
Set a proper schedule for yourself to follow. Make a to-do list of what you are going to do each day. You can incorporate time for lunch and break within the schedule. Have a separate work area where you can work with complete privacy.
Most people have to deal with this issue because they do not have a proper place to sit and work in isolation. The distractions will still be there, but you will be able to manage them quite effectively. Plus, you will significantly improve your overall productivity this way.
2. Dealing with the lean patch
People tend to wait for the end of the year to pass and the new year to start and start working on their new projects. So there is a significant lean path that you will have to deal with starting from the first or second week of December. It is the time when you will have to sit idle.
Solution
But instead of sitting idle and planning to work for some lower rates, particularly in the final two months of the year. This way, you can conveniently handle the lean patch and make your ends meet.
Plan for the lean patch and coffee your clients some lower rates as special holiday deals to intrigue their interest. Also, go for longer projects with the most trusted clients so you will not end up sitting idle during the holidays. It is time to work with your old clients. But you can find new clients with excellent buyer ratings.
3. What to do when you are not getting paid
Nothing is more frustrating than doing all the hard work and delivering on time to find out that the client will not pay or even be in touch with you anymore. But, even if it is unbearable, you have to deal with it calmly.
Solution
There is a chance that it will happen, but make it an unlikely chance or least damaging. To do this, you can use a contract when making a deal with your buyer. For example, you can ask for a percentage upfront.
This percentage payment is going to negate your potential loss. However, if you are using an online service such as Upwork or Fiverr, you need to employ their resolution and mediation services fully.
This way, you are minimizing your risk as much as possible. You can mention the terms and conditions in this contract, and if your buyer likes it, they will proceed, and you can start working on their project.
4. Missing those deadlines and dealing with the unsatisfied clients
Moreover, some clients remain unsatisfied no matter what you do. In most cases, you have to get out of your skin to work with them, but nothing seems to get the job done, even after numerous revisions and iterations you have delivered.
Solution
When it comes to missing those deadlines, you have to make sure that you do not panic and honestly tell your clients the issue you are facing. Then, you can tell them that you are willing to go the extra mile to deliver the project in time. You can even hire a few of your freelance friends.
As for the clients who are never satisfied no matter what you do, you will have to be transparent with them about how you proceed with different projects and include a specific number of revisions within your contract. But if they demand the moon, you can professionally disengage from them.
5. Dealing with being undercut
That feeling of being undercut in this way can be pretty frustrating. They are willing to do the rock just for the sake of having a job. These are the ones that most freelancers refer to as people who are devaluing their skills.
Solution
But there is a way to deal with this issue. First, you have to back your skills and what you bring to the table. Second, you have to believe in your value and do not work cheaply to lose money. Third, clients also appreciate good talent if you find service providers that can undercut or devalue your field.
Make sure to work with them, and you will always get good rates. However, you have to make sure that you demonstrate your skills and expertise in the right way. If you can do that, you will be able to secure excellent clientele without devaluing your services.
6. Getting scammed out of nowhere
The internet world has its fair share of scam games, and being active in this world, you will have to take care of your personal and financial information. Unfortunately, many people have to deal with these scam projects quite frequently. But there is a way to deal with them.
Solution
If you are searching through various new projects to work on and suddenly stumble upon the one that seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Anyone who asks for your personal or financial documents must have a fantastic reason for it.
But even so, you should not deal with these clients. They are just scammers who are after our personal or financial information. You should refrain from providing these people with any such information. They are not here to work but are after your identity.
7. Financial stress and unbilled hours
Moreover, some clients also ask for more work than what they are paying you for. So, you have to track all those unbilled hours and make them count in your contract, too, if a project takes a long time.
Solution
To manage those pending invoices, you can use your platform and their services to manage your pending and paid invoices. For example, Fiverr has the Workspace app to manage all your private and pending invoices.
When you take a job with a fixed date, estimate how many hours you will work on that project and charge them in the payment for the project.
If they ask for more work, you can charge them for it, and there will be no unbilled hours in your projects. It is good to make it a part of your contract so the buyer can read about it beforehand.
8. Work-life balance
It is a sign when things begin to mess up big time. You will start working throughout the day, and there will be no rest time in your schedule. Your productivity will drop significantly with less rest, and you know you do not want that to happen.
Solution
You have to set a schedule for your work and everything else just as you would for your traditional office work. If you do not do that, you will start considering every free moment as an opportunity to work and increase earnings.
It is not the right approach to maintain your work-life balance. First, you have to rest to make sure that you are getting enough sleep to work properly. Then, during your free time, you can attend to other chores. You cannot start working in the middle of the night if you can’t get any sleep for any reason.
9. Not getting enough sleep
Therefore, you have to make sure that you do not make it a habit to stay up late and finish a project. People tend to sit late nights with theory coffee mugs to keep going for long hours. But it is not a healthy practice, and you will end up disturbing your entire day’s schedule by doing so.
Solution
When you stay up late to work on your projects regularly, you are trying to burn a candle at both ends, which will not end well. It will significantly diminish your brain power over time. So you need to take regular naps to replenish yourself and your brain for your next proxy.
It will also increase your overall productivity. Do not commit anything that you will not be able to do within time and will have to compromise your sleep or rest for it. Again, you can do this once in a while, but it will not bring good results for you if you make it a habit.
10. Sick days are workdays too
Every freelancer has to deal with this issue, and they end up working on the day when they are sick. It reduces overall productivity and quality of work. You might end up losing your client if this happens more often.
Solution
You have to take care of yourself and make sure that you do not end up falling sick. You have to go to bed on time and eat healthy food in decent quantities to allow your stomach to digest it properly. Plus, you must also keep your immunization up to date.
Take your time off work and take proper rest during that time. Do not consume too much junk food and do some light exercise to keep the muscles in working condition. You must adhere to a strict schedule to keep your body on track and reduce any chances of getting sick.
Conclusion
Freelancing is a unique career, and it has its unique challenges. But overcoming these challenges will be more productive in your work. Plus, you will be able to maintain a better work-life balance while staying healthy for longer periods.Managing your work will yield good results, and you can retain your clients and gain more in the process. However, make sure to take care of yourself and never overwork to earn a few more dollars. You will end up disturbing your routine, your health, and your performance.
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Because in my opinion, you certainly shouldn't have a 9 to 5 mindset.