When you have decided to venture into the world of freelancing, you might have thought of doing this great job switch thinking that you will be gaining so many advantages in favor of your desired work style. But what you do not know is that there is also some valuable stuff you need to take in mind before you finally jump into the challenging world of freelancing. You might have done some freelancing preparations. Let us say you are ready but do you really know other things you need to put in mind in order to be totally ready for a freelance job?

Some people cannot really understand how it is to have a freelance job. But this article would help you to have a wider perspective of it. Yes, you will enjoy the freedom but it entails much hard work and self-discipline, too. So, here are some valuable things you need to know about having a freelance job. This can be a big help you for those who are just planning to work freelance or is starting for a freelance job. The things below can prepare what is expected to happen.

1. Your first months are challenging.

Your first months are challenging
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Aside from adjusting, you might also find it hard in looking for jobs and trustworthy clients. You will also be challenged on how you can effectively promote your name as a freelance designer. You will have to spend months proving yourself to the public that you are a good designer by taking low paying jobs. You will also be faced with financial problems especially if you haven’t done good freelancing preparations.

2. You will work day and night.

You will work day and night
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There might be so much work to do. So, you would sometimes work both day and night in order to finish all the projects. You have deadlines. You need to meet those deadlines while trying hard to give the best quality of your work. Expect to be working all day.

3. You need to work really hard.

You need to work really hard
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If you think that doing freelance is an easier option than being employed, you are wrong. You also need to work hard in order to earn. You will work even harder because you will be setting your own goals and you would like to sustain your needs. You might have a budget and you are looking into how you could achieve your budget. Hence, you will work hard to do that. You will even work much harder during your first months as freelancer since you are still establishing your name.

4. You have many competitors.

You have many competitors
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Competition is so high in freelancing. Designers around the world are searching for freelance jobs online. Hence, you would certainly have many competitors. This is something that you have to overcome. But you will succeed if you will always give your best in every project.

5. You’ll not get your preferred project right away.

You’ll not get your preferred project right away
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If you think that it would be very easy for you to look for projects, you are wrong. There is a great chance that you will be working for projects that have lower pays. This is because you need to have enough experience in order to get higher paying jobs. You also need this so that you can learn the ropes of freelancing.

6. You have to establish your name.

You have to establish your name

Another challenge of freelancing is how you can establish your name so that you can have clients. You have to work hard in order for the clients to trust you. It is not the same with working in a company for this time, you would seem to be the company. Hence, you need to do a lot of work in promoting yourself and marketing yourself. That is a tough job especially when you just started but you will gain a lot from it in the future.

7. You will not get many earnings at once.

You will not get many earnings at once
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You might think that for your first projects, you will already be earning much. Of course, like any other job and business, you will start small. You won’t get rich at once because you have to work hard in order to get rich. So, do not be expecting too much.

8. You’ll deal with finances alone.

You’ll deal with finances alone
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In order to have a good tracking of your finances, you have to see to it that you handle your finances well. The challenge here is how you can do that on your own. You have to make sure that you could pay all your bills and also gain something from what you are earning so that you can finance your other needs. You also have to allocate an amount for your savings.

9. You need to save money.

You need to save money
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There are always times when only few projects are available or there might be times when you cannot get a project at all. Things are not constant. If you have so much projects to do now, it wouldn’t be the same next week or next month. So, to make sure that you will have something to spend, save money. See to it that you save an amount every time you get paid for a job. This is to secure your future.

10. You find it hard to have good work-life balance.

You find it hard to have good work-life balance

You handle your time now but still, you will surely find it hard to balance your time for your work and for other important things. This happens because you are so occupied with so much projects with specific deadlines and you want to finish all of them in order to reach your target income for that time. But do not forget to have time for family, friends and yourself. Do not be so focused with work. Having a good work-life balance is one key for success.

11. You pay for everything.

You pay for everything
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Unlike working in a company, freelancing means you have to pay for all the stuff. This includes your internet connection, your repairs, your purchases of equipments, your electricity and others. This means, you need to work really hard so you can have money to pay all those stuff needed for your work. But don’t worry, after you have established yourself as a freelancer, you can already have enough income to finance all your needs.

12. You will be obliged to do boring projects.

You will be obliged to do boring projects
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There are really projects that would oblige you to do some stuff that you hate doing. You will also be obliged to do some boring tasks as part of the project. That is really part of all this. Freelance jobs are indeed challenging no matter which side you try to look.

13. You will deal with clients.

You will deal with clients

Of course, since you are on your own now, you also have to do this part. You will deal with clients, even to those who are so difficult to deal with. We cannot do away with this because every person is different and would posses some traits you might not like. So, you have to deal with them smoothly and intelligently. Good luck with that.

14. You should be able to work fast.

You should be able to work fast
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Aside from meeting deadlines, you should also be able to work fast especially when some revisions are needed for your work. This way, you can immediately finish a job and even impress a client. Do not waste time and avoid procrastinating. Do the corrections at once and finish it that moment. At least, you won’t have to deal on that anymore.

15. You need to say no.

You need to say no
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Saying no might be hard for you but you have to learn how to say no. You cannot accept all the projects. There should be some considerations that you have to look into before accepting projects. You should know when to say no and when to accept a freelance job. This way, you can protect yourself and you can be assured to give a quality output to all your clients.

It’s Your Turn Now

Now that you have known these things, you will be more aware of what you will expect for a freelance job. These things are meant to help you prepare and not to discourage you to do freelancing. So, if you think that you are well-equipped to face all those challenging stuff, then go for it! Are you a freelancer? Can you add something to list so that it could also help other freelancers?

Ebrian Acebedo

About the author: A Licensed Medical Practitioner who apparently likes web design and business.

15 comments

  1. I especially liked having to say NO and that you have to deal with clients! Both really true!

  2. Wow, you said it. I’m a freelancer and you summed it all up really well. It’s very hard to go on your own, you really have to love what you are doing in order to succeed. Thanks for sharing this honest post.

    Cheers!

  3. Wonderful post as always. Great insights for those who are just starting in the world of freelancing…

  4. The 15th is hard sometimes but yeah… you have to learn to say No.. it’s gonna work for you a lot..

  5. Time is hard to manage when clients are expecting a lot from you 😉

  6. Thanks for these! will be sharin’ these insights to my colleagues…

  7. Wow, this is really a great help.. thanks guyz, i never thought that working as a freelance will be that difficult. I really need to be prepared.

  8. yup.. everything in this post is true.. being a freelancer needs to have a lot of guts. I mean, even though time is in your hands doesn’t mean you’ll work anytime you want. as what has been said you’ll work 24/7. Love this post, Tnx for sharing!

  9. The starting period is the most difficult part.. you need all your strength in maintaining in this field of work. Mind set and Time management too is really important.

  10. Very helpful post.. alteast it gives young freelancers a head start on what they will face along the way.. haha 😀

  11. Well, it’s very true!, sometimes you can have a very good time with projects and sometimes very bad times or just nothing. it’s hard work, but it’s worthy.

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