3 Most Important Tips For New Freelancers
By: Zeeshan Wasim
Tags: Self Improvement, Business, Freelance, Freelance Writing, Entrepreneurship

3 Most Important Tips For New Freelancers

Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash

Nobody likes to answer to a boss. Nobody wants to work a 9–5 job, day in and day out. Everybody wants to be “self-employed” and the term we use for that is freelancing. In today’s time, every person aspires to be a freelancer, to live their lives according to their own terms and conditions. And yes, I believe that freelancing really is wonderful in every regard.

But most people consider freelancing to be a piece of cake. I got news for the new freelancers: it isn’t. Being your own boss is fun, but if you want to be a successful freelancer, there are a lot of things that you need to take care of. Along with working hard, you need to make smart decisions at every turn, if you want to succeed in your freelancing career.

Though there are many things that a freelancer has to consider, I will share the 3 most important tips that will be very beneficial for new freelancers.

Tip #1 Don’t Say Yes To Everything

When I started freelancing, I wanted to build a good image and get as many clients as I possibly could, for the purpose of earning as much as I could. So, as a result, I started saying yes to every job and every client that came my way. Did it help me progress? Absolutely not!

I started taking jobs that were not paying me well and started taking on clients that were hard to work with. As a result, I started destroying my motivation and felt burnt out! Soon there came a time when I wasn’t able to finish the tasks on time and I started damaging my image as a good freelancer.

“Saying yes every single time is not the right approach in freelancing.”

So, be wise and make smart decisions. Differentiate between the things you should say yes to, and things that you should pass. It will help you a lot in your freelancing career.

Tip #2 Start Saving Right From The Start

There is a misconception among most people, that once you start freelancing, you will be able to start saving at any point in your life that you decide. But this is a wrong approach and it never really works well for a majority of people. You need to prepare a solid savings plan right from the start.

If you don’t have a plan for savings from the beginning, when money starts coming your way, it will be spent up so quickly that you won’t even have the time to remember that you had to save some.

“A solid plan for savings is essential, right from the beginning.”

Do not wait to reach a certain point in your freelancing career before you start saving. Save first, spend later.

Tip #3 Do Not Forget To Enjoy Life

This is perhaps one of the most important tips for the new freelancers. When the work starts, people forget to take time off for enjoying life. This is true for every freelancer at some point in their career. When the work starts building up, all they want is to keep progressing and achieve more in life. This is fine in the short run, but in the long run, it has many negative consequences.

“If you forget about enjoying life, you will soon lose the motivation to work.”

So, right from the start, maintain a good work-life balance. Take time off to enjoy life and refresh yourself. It will help you do much better in the long run.

Be Smart In The World Of Freelancing

In order to be successful in a world full of freelancers, you need to be smart to progress ahead. Let me give a quick overview of the 3 most important tips for freelancers:

1. Don’t say yes to everything. Being smart means knowing the things that you have to say no to.

2. Create a solid savings plan right from the beginning. Save first, spend later.

3. Enjoy life. You will fail in the long run, unless and until you maintain a good work-life balance.

So, follow these tips and do your best in freelancing!

Work hard. Be smart. Achieve success.