My Top 5 Biggest Freelancing Mistakes

It is often said we learn more from mistakes than successes. Sometimes it is nice to learn from another persons goofs rather than your own!

Every freelancer will have their own stories to tell, here are mine. I hope you find them useful and maybe you will share your own in the comments.

1. Under-pricing

Most of us will have done this at some point, many of us still do. Money is a difficult subject for a lot of people. While I am better at talking about money now than I was, I still find it an uncomfortable topic. Problem is, while you might not find it easy it is absolutely critical.
You have a right to earn a fair price for your work, and doubly so when you are good at your job and have excellent experience. How do you know if you are underpricing? If you do good work but you never lose a bid then your prices are too low.

Also be careful about charging by the hour when you don’t have to. When you charge by the hour you are actually penalizing yourself for getting faster at your work! Also some jobs require considerable experience and expertise while taking little time to execute. As the old carpenter said when his customer complained at the price for fixing a creaky floor board, “That’s $1 for the nail, $999 for knowing where to put it”.

2. Over-committing

No one client has the right to monopolize your time, even if they do think they are paying well. When one client takes all your time that is a boss and you have a job, not a client and freelancer relationship. Remember as well as the job at hand you need time to market and network to bring in future work. Allowing one customer to dictate my hours was the worst mistake I ever made as when that contract was over I had nothing to fall back on. You ideally want to have four or five overlapping contracts plus some breathing room so the loss of one doesn’t set you back too far.

 

3. Failing to sell

After money I am guessing the next worst part of freelancing for most people is the thought of selling yourself and your services. Fact is though many times a client will know they want your help but will not know exactly what they want. Selling need not be about snake oil and ripping people off. If you can truly help someone out then offer your services in a way they will respond to. Make it all about them, their needs, what they will get out of it. Most importantly, listen more than you talk.

4. Always saying ‘yes’

Fear can cause us to do many stupid things. It took a lot before I started turning down requests. Some were easier than others. Requests to work for free still come but I am better at saying no now, turning work down is still tough but I can do it. You have to remember that a bad deal or bad client can damage you far more than the loss of the work. Be prepared to not agree to everything that comes your way and know that you can be nice and friendly without agreeing all the time!

5. Not following up

Past, happy clients can be your biggest source of new work, both with repeat business and referrals. Always get at least a testimonial when they say how happy they are. Even better if you can get them to recommend you. It doesn’t hurt to ask! Also it can be nice to send birthday cards, etc. You never know.
Like the rest of us, I am still learning about this freelancing lark, but having a great deal of fun doing it, mistakes and all. What lessons have you learned the hard way? Please do share in the comments.
Chris G.
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Chris Garrett is a freelance blogger and internet marketing consultant from the UK. You can follow Chris on his blog where he shares his experiences, insights, and writes a ton of useful posts about blogging, freelancing, new media, networking and marketing.
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About the author: Chris Garrett is a freelance blogger and internet marketing consultant from the UK. You can follow Chris on his blog where he shares his experiences, insights, and writes a ton of useful posts about blogging, freelancing, new media, networking and marketing.

Four Freelancing Mistakes You Don’t Need To Make

We rarely like to admit our mistakes, but if we fail to admit them and learn from them then they’re likely to be repeated. In this article I want to admit some of my mistakes to you, and share my experience so that you can avoid making them.

My journey has taken me from the highs of doing what I love every day to the lows of chasing monthly payments and then back again. To say that my journey has followed the typical freelance rollercoaster would be an understatement.
Making mistakes along the way is a big part of freelancing, though, and I’m sure many of you can relate when I say that these failures and mistakes help to make your business successful and teach you a lot along the way.
Today I want to share four that I’ve personally had to learn to avoid, and it is my hope that in sharing these you can avoid them yourself without having to go through them first.

Mistake #1 — Giving Away Too Much Information

In many areas of freelancing there is the potential to give away too much information. On my path, as an internet marketer, I started out by telling clients exactly what I would do to increase their search engine rankings or get them more social media traffic.
There was a slight dilemma with this situation. Some clients loved the approach, understood that I knew what I was talking about, and requested more of my services. Others, however, took my outline and implemented it themselves or hired someone cheaper to follow it as best as they could. In the end, I decided to give prospects a similar outline, but included far less of the details I had previously been handing out.
If you overstretch to land the client, you might end up giving them all they needed in the first place. This could include sample logos, website templates, scripts, or anything else you’re creating. Definitely give them a taste of what you’re about, but don’t give too much before you land the deal.

Mistake #2 — Leaving Jobs Until the Last Minute

I was 17 when I first started freelancing and, just like I did with my school and college work, I ended up leaving a lot of my jobs until the last possible minute. It’s not that I disliked what I did (unlike college and school work) but more that I didn’t need to do things yet so I didn’t see why I should.
Eventually, of course, this caught up with me. The first place I ran into a problem was when I wanted to go to a party or do something else that happened to be at the end of the month. The second place was when I received extra work from other clients where they offered to pay double to have the work done quickly. If you have the free time to do your work, get on with it. As I’m sure you know, or will quickly find out, it’s far better to have things out of the way than to waste your free time and have a huge backlog to work through later.

Mistake #3 — Wasting Time on Unproductive Work

Just like I would waste my spare time and leave things until the end of the month, I would often spend time working on business activities that just didn’t help my bottom line. I realize now, as I type this, that I’m not painting the best picture of myself (I did change – honest).
I first started doing this because my initial marketing plan was simply to be everywhere at all times. I wanted to cover as much of the relevant web space as possible to try and land new clients. Only later did I realize a lot of these marketing ‘opportunities’ gave me little chance to land my ideal client.
I find it’s a good idea to record every action you take on a typical day (just once) and then review it. You’ll soon find what is working for you and what isn’t.

Mistake #4 — Acting Like Someone I Wasn’t

When I first started out, I never thought anyone would want to hire a 17-year old who was working from their bedroom. Therefore, I kept my age private and I put on what I can only describe as a front. For some reason, I acted and communicated with clients as if I was working in a large corporation.
Of course, I never lied to prospects and said this, but that is the way I was coming across. This front hindered me far more than it helped. It put a wall between myself and the client and we couldn’t really connect. Yet, as soon as I started communicating through my natural voice and in my usual way, I started creating great connections and building my network.
Strong connections are crucial to gaining trust and closing the deal, and pretending to be someone I wasn’t hurt those connections.
Open for Discussion: Let’s be honest, we’ve all made mistakes. What things have you done ‘wrong’ along the way on your freelancing journey? I would love to hear them, and I’m sure your experiences will help other freelancers.

 

 

Industrial Designer Freelance (TEMP)

Gilmore Group - New York, NY

Position Summary: A fast growing multidiscipline design consultancy is seeking an industrial designer to add as a team member. Responsible for initiating and developing designs from concepts through production that addresses brand objectives and production concerns in interior environments, experiential branding, transportation, product and packaging.
Formal Education: Professional degree in one of the following:

• Industrial Design

Professional Requirements:

• 1+ years experience
• Work on large & small projects with strong people skills
• Detail oriented, well organized
• Good communicator
• Strong presentation abilities
• Ability to sketch ideas

Software & Platform Proficiency:

• CAD drafting (AutoCAD preferred)
• 3D Modeling Capability (Alias or 3D Studio preferred,

Solidworks a plus)

• Microsoft Project
• PhotoShop
• Illustrator
• Microsoft Office (PowerPoint a plus)

Please review all application instructions before applying.

We love making a difference.

For many writers the desire to put pen to paper comes from a deep and strong desire within. For Thomas Hauck, it first came out of necessity – although the passion to write was always there as well. You see, Thomas began freelance writing and editing on Elance after being laid off from his full-time job (as the local economy took a turn for the worse).

Fortunately Thomas has always had a knack for storytelling, and in the past four years he has continued to grow his business as a success ghost writer and editor. He’s now able to shake the bad local economy and remain self-employed, being his own boss and setting his own hours. Through Elance he’s also able to meet and work with clients all over the world, another dream-come-true for Thomas. if you like to learn more CLICK HERE.

Freelancer, Freelance Worker

A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and labor contributed by its regular employees. Others are completely independent. "Independent contractor" would be the term used in a higher register of English.
Fields where freelancing is common include: music, journalism, publishing, screenwriting, film-making, acting, photojournalism, cosmetics, fragrances, editing, photography, event planning, event management, copy editing, proofreading, indexing, copy writing, computer programming, web design, graphic design, website development, consulting, tour guiding, video editing, video production and translating and illustrating.
Freelance practice varies greatly. Some require clients to sign written contracts, while others may perform work based on verbal agreements, perhaps enforceable through the very nature of the work. Some freelancers may provide written estimates of work and request deposits from clients.
Payment for freelance work also varies greatly. Freelancers may charge by the day, hour, a piece rate, or on a per-project basis. Instead of a flat rate or fee, some freelancers have adopted a value-based pricing method based on the perceived value of the results to the client. By custom, payment arrangements may be upfront, percentage upfront, or upon completion. For more complex projects, a contract may set a payment schedule based on milestones or outcomes.
In writing and other artistic fields, "freelance" and its derivative terms are often reserved for workers who create works on their own initiative, then look for someone to publish them. They typically keep the copyright to their works and sell the rights to publishers in time-limited contracts. In contrast, intellectual property created under a work for hire situation according to the publishers' or other customers' specifications are referred to as "independent contractors" and similar terms. They have no copyright to the works, which are written as works made for hire, a category of intellectual property defined in US copyright law Section 101, Copyright Act of 1976 (17 USC §101). This is the opposite of the situation with a regular employee, the relationship between a freelancer and an employer being that between two business equals, the protections of the intellectual property rights that naturally vest in the creator of the work are considered to have been sold in toto in the work for hire agreement.

Freelance Editor

We are looking for an ambitious freelance acting editor with solid editing experience and fresh ideas for a quarterly contract-publishing magazine that is distributed internationally. Our client is based in Africa and of the highest level.

The magazine is published in English and French. Candidates must be fluent in both languages and have broad journalistic experience of news and in-depth feature writing (notably: business, politics, tourism and culture). Experience of managing the editorial and design process and working with external contributors is essential. Good organisational skills and resourcefulness are pre-requisites, as is the ability to manage the translation process. Knowledge of InDesign and competent photography skills preferred.

Experience of working in developing countries is a plus. Must be able to travel to Africa for field research prior to each publication and to arrange and conduct meetings with government officials and business leaders in both languages. Must have good diplomacy skills for client liaison, the ability to work well in a team with the magazine’s editorial and design staff, and to collaborate closely with its publisher and senior editor.

Most work will be home-based, with visits to the office as required. Attractive remuneration package. References required.

Freelance Advertising Print Project Managers

I am looking for advertising Print Production Project Managers for a 2 month freelance role in Central London.
MUST have experience in the following -
PM experience with heavy advertising traffic experience
Managing fulfilment of media schedules from receipt of media plan through to delivery
Experience managing localisation of print assets through the studio
Use of online campaign management tools - to book in and traffic work through
hands on experience in delivering assets to media schedules
any online campaign management tool to book in and traffic work through.

Salary - £100-200/day depending on experience
For more information please get in touch - jonny.sawyer@ecomrecruitment.com

Digital Marketing Executive (Freelance)

DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE (FREELANCE)

A leading Web Content Management Agency is currently recruiting for a Freelance Digital Marketing Executive to join their fast paced London office whilst they recruit for the permanent hire.

As the Digital Marketing Executive you will be responsible for the website, writing press releases as well as updating external content such as news, blogs, white papers and case studies.

In addition to the above, you will seek and implement innovative methods to leverage social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin etc.

DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE (FREELANCE) ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

*Experienced in content creation in a Technological / Digital environment
*Experience working on Social Media Channels (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc)
*MUST BE AVAILABLE AT SHORT NOTICE (1 week notice maximum)

If you are available at short notice and are interested in the role please call Matt Berney on 0207 258 2364 or email at matt@ecomrecruitment.com