Answering questions about freelancing while you have a full-time job, how to raise your rates if you’re billing by the hour, and how to find new clients.

These are practical answers based on real-life experience. You’ll also read what doesn’t work.

And if you want more, there are direct links to stores where you can buy one of my books.

Wall Street legend Byron Wein passed away a few years ago at age 90. Among other things, he was famous for his Life Lessons list.

Let’s look at a few of those lessons and see how freelancers and small agency owners could adapt them.

Too many people spend too much time “thinking about it” rather than taking action.

The longer you think, the less confidence you’ll have to move forward.

What’s the solution? Think a while, then take massive action, one step at a time. The reality is that most actions are easy to reverse, so there’s no real risk. Get on with it!

In your estimates, include:

• How many words

• How many layout versions of how many pages

• How many rough options

• How many revisions

 When you quote a job, do your clients know precisely what you’ll deliver? They should know ahead of time.

Even if you hate the word networking, you have a network. And, in fact, you are in other people’s networks too.

But many freelancers don’t know what to do with their network. Turning your network into a source of leads is easier than you think.

But it does take a bit of work. Here’s how to do it, and where to start.

Is your freelancing business getting harder? Is work slowing down? Are you losing enthusiasm for freelancing?

Maybe it’s time for a reset. A fresh start. Time to reboot the business.

Nothing like a clean sheet to figure out where you want to go and how to get there.

Is your freelance business slowing down? Take the initiative to refresh your new business pitch.

You could revise your portfolio, add case studies to your website, reach out to old clients, team up with colleagues to offer full services, and let potential clients know you have availability on social media.

Want to talk about it? Free consultations are available.

I think every copywriter, designer, or developer working full-time should have a side hustle, in other words, some freelance work.

Then, build the freelance until you’re ready to make it your full-time job.

But how will you know when to make the jump? Here’s everything you need to know about making the transition from full-time to freelance.

That means if you’re a copywriter, they have a budget for copywriting.

If you’re a designer, they have a budget for design.

Too many freelancers get stuck with clients that don’t have real budgets. Often, they’re smaller clients who realize they need some writing, design, or development work done, but they haven’t planned for it.

Here’s how to find the right clients for you.

Look at these two questions and spot the difference:

“Would you like a coffee?’

Versus:

“I’m having a coffee. Would you like one too?”

One of these questions will get you to a “yes” faster. It uses a technique called the presumptive close.

Learn how to use the presumptive close to grow your business.

Define your offer so that prospective clients understand what you can do for them.

There are many ways to do this. Pick one that works for you. This is your “elevator pitch”.

It may take some time to put it into simple language. You should be able to do it in one concise sentence. Work on it until you get it there.

Scope creep is a problem for many freelancers and small agencies. Projects just keep growing without further budget.

In this excerpt from the book How to Become a Successful Creative Freelancer, I tackle the common causes of scope creep and how to prevent them.

Learn how to get paid for all the work you do while keeping clients happy and coming back for more.

As a freelancer, how will you find new clients?

Freelancers talk about getting inquiries through social media.

More experienced freelancers get many of their new clients through referrals.

Others get leads through their websites.

All of these are passive ways of attracting clients.

But maybe you should be using active techniques. This post gives you all the details of both passive and active new client tactics.

This book is for freelancers who are just starting or in their first few years of freelancing.

It’s packed with tips to help you set up for success. Lots of ideas you can use immediately.

You’ll also learn how to attract bigger clients—ones that give you one project after another. Spend more time billing, less time hustling.