So, you found your passion in life, educated yourself about it, accumulated a handful of clients, and are now pursuing it as a career after having set yourself up as a freelancer!
But eventually comes the turning point faced by many starting freelancers, sometimes early on, other times creeping up slowly, about whether they can grow into a successful business or will they revert to a traditional job for financial stability.
So, freelancers will be asking themselves… can I make this work? Will I continue to find customers? Is this more a hobby rather than a career?
So, what to do…
If you have reached the turning point, contemplating this decision of whether to commit your freelance gig into a fully-fledged business, you are at the difficult junction with essentially only 1 of 2 choices… commit or concede.
Commit
It could simply be a brief dry spell, or possibly a drawn-out one you must endure, but if you can muster up the perseverance to see it through, and it is financially viable, then you should emerge into a rewarding and successful business, doing what you love every day.
You may not be the best in your trade (yet), but remain focussed and play towards your skillset, there are customers with varying needs and budgets so target appropriately, but don’t be afraid to explore larger opportunities with bigger clients too, you never know which could be your big break.
If you are having difficulty finding customers, create customer generating opportunities for yourself by expanding your skillset into similar markets, the same way a wedding photographer during the off-season seeks corporate events instead.
Take advantage of the extensive communication tools at your disposal, from social media to your website, just make sure you are out there, exposing your service.
Concede
As exciting and empowering as it is to be your own boss, if you are constantly doubting yourself, reluctant to act, or not as passionate as you once were, you will become stagnant and struggle to survive. Eventually, you will be forced to call it a day and seek out a 9 to 5 job to earn a stable and comfortable income, downgrading your freelance career into a hobby or secondary job.
Top tips…
Sometimes less is more… if an overload of clients becomes a struggle to manage, your service quality could deteriorate across the field, affecting long-term relationships, in this situation you can afford to be choosy about which projects you accept.
Ensure your legal contracts are professionally vetted. The last thing you need when trying to grow your business is late or non-payments, make sure you are protected.
Do not depreciate your value. Competition is healthy and you must remain competitive in a thriving market, but avoid underselling yourself. Sometimes it is more important to let your service speak for itself, as mentioned earlier, exercise your ability to choose your projects, should not lose respect to difficult clients by undervaluing yourself.
Conclusion
So, to all the freelancers out there, if you have the passion and the skills required, the sky is the limit. There will be many speedbumps along the way, but with the right mindset and resources, you can overcome any obstacles in your path.
For those of you still on the fence, Feedni is targeting service providers, with a keen focus on bridging the connection between providers and targeted customers in the market. Through the Feedni platform, service providers will be able to showcase their trades and expertise, through modern and innovative technology, connecting the entire service market, with an all-in-one solution.
If you are, or were recently facing the same turning point, which option did you choose? It would be great to hear your direction and share your advice with others in the same position.
An article by Gautam Gajjar.