Freelance FAQ: Your Freelance Questions, Answered
Going freelance comes with tons of questions. How will I find clients? How much should I charge? What will I do if business takes a hike? The list of freelance questions never ends, but there are plenty of answers from fellow freelancers to guide you.
Here are the six freelance questions you should be asking yourself before going freelance and how the answers to those questions will affect your success.
Tl,dr;
How Much Should I Charge?
One of the biggest freelance questions I had when I first started freelancing was, "How much should I charge?" I knew that charging less than my competitors would probably get me more work, but it also meant that I'd have to take on more projects to make a decent living. So I decided to price myself as high as possible while still getting the work that I needed to survive.
This didn't mean that everyone paid me what I asked for. In fact, some clients agreed to pay me considerably less than what I was asking for! But by charging a higher rate, I was able to attract better clients and work with those who were willing to pay what it took for me to keep working at my best.
Rengie Wisper, Marketing Manager, CPS Test
How Do I Achieve Sustainability?
Freelancing is not always a guaranteed type of work. It fluctuates between peak and off-peak seasons, where freelancers get abundance during peak season and suffer during the off-peak season. Having a sustainable freelancing job was my top priority. This pushed me to diversify my offering.
Diversifying my offerings meant that if one field failed, I could fall back into another. This ensured that my practices thrived, and I was always in business through the on and off-peak seasons.
Yongming Song, CEO, Live Polls
What Can I Bring to the Table as an Innovator?
When conceptualizing my business, I needed to ensure that I was offering something new to consumers rather than just trying to replicate an already-existing business. Having this approach in mind, it helped me think of innovative ways to differentiate myself from the status quo. This mindset has been crucial in my growth, and I plan to continue approaching my business with the same enthusiasm as I did when I started out.
Bridget Reed, Co-Founder & VP of Content, The Word Counter
Is This Business What I Want?
While it may seem like an obvious freelance question, you need to understand the motive behind your business in order to understand its potential. If you’re just looking to pay the bills and aren't interested in growing your business or brand, that may be enough for you. On the other hand, you may be in the mindset of making your venture a permanent investment in your career. Whatever it is you’re after, you need to clearly understand what you want out of your venture.
It’s that understanding that’ll help you gauge the amount of time and effort you need to put into your business. Without a clear understanding of your wants and goals, you'll end up burning out or finding yourself unhappy and unproductive in your venture. Make sure you know what you want out of your business before you start.
Max Ade, CEO, Pickleheads
What Are the Risks and How Can I Minimize Them?
As an entrepreneur for over forty years, I learned that you have to make fast decisions. If you're 80% sure that taking this course of action will lead to success, you need to move forward and figure out the 20% as you go.
Ask yourself: "What are the risks associated with this course of action, and how can I minimize them?" This will help you identify potential issues that may arise and allow you to create a plan to address them proactively. As you're working independently, you need to feel at least 80% confident in the decisions you make going forward.
Marc Werner, CEO & Founder, GhostBed
Is This the Right Client for Me?
Finding my ideal clients was the most important thing I did for the survival, maintenance, and flourishing of my business. Working with people who don't respect you, don't really see how important your work is to them, don't have the same values as you, constantly bargain for discounts... you know the type. If you don't know who you’re talking to, you can risk your business and, more importantly, your mental health and the happiness of you and your family.
Maria Mano, Independent Brand & Communication Designer, Maria Mano Design Studio
Answering All Your Freelance Questions