Bad Advice for New Freelancers (How to Avoid It)
by Andy Strote
These days it seems everyone wants to freelance. Being a freelance copywriter or designer is the “road to independence” and “being your own boss”. You can “work anywhere, whenever you want.”
All that could be true, but it’s also bad advice when you’re a new freelancer.
Let’s review some of the common bad advice and consider what really works in the freelance market.
Bad Advice #1: You Don’t Need to Go to School to Learn This, It’s All on Social Media
If you’re on social media for more than a few minutes, you’ll run into ads for all kinds of paid courses, lots of free advice (like this), and hundreds of self-proclaimed experts.
Some will say, “don’t waste years in school, you can learn everything here faster and start making money sooner”.
Maybe.
No doubt it’s worked for some. If you’re a self-starter, know what you want to do, have the discipline to follow through, and are confident in your creative skills, then perhaps.
But for most people, the online DIY approach isn’t enough to launch a successful freelance creative practice.
Real Advice: School Teaches You Discipline. You’ll Need It.
Along with learning your craft, school enforces discipline. You’ll have deadlines. You’ll work on projects that don’t interest you. (Good training for freelancing)
You’ll also meet other students, the beginning of your network.
When you’re finished, you’ll have a portfolio that your instructors helped you create. That portfolio will open doors for you.
If you have the opportunity to go to school for copywriting, design, social media, etc., take it.
Bad Advice #2: You Don’t Need Experience to Freelance
Some people will tell you, “anyone can do it, even with no experience”.
In theory, sure. In practice, not so much.
The only person who would hire a creative with no experience is someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.
Any professional marketer will want to know about your experience. They'll also want to see your portfolio before hiring you.
Imagine an inexperienced client working with an inexperienced creative. It’s a recipe for disaster. Good luck completing the project and getting paid for it.
Real Advice: You Need Experience to be a Successful Freelancer
That brings up the old question, “how do you get experience if no one gives you a job?”
Here are 3 ways to show experience:
Create a “fake portfolio” or have your school portfolio. Whatever platform you want to work on, create media, ads, and “content” for them.
Want to do TikTok ads? Make some.
Facebook ads? Make some.
Write blog posts? Write some.
Show off your best stuff.
Find friends who have businesses and offer to work for them for FREE. Yes, free. You need something for your portfolio. In the beginning, when you’ve got nothing, do it for free.
If you want to be a copywriter, find a designer who’s starting out. Together, create work samples that you can both use in your portfolios.
Bad Advice #3: Don’t Get a 9–5 Agency Job, Just Start Freelancing
Some people will tell you that 9–5 jobs are over. Today, we’re all “free agents”.
That’s a tough way to start a business. In the beginning, you don’t know what you don’t know.
Real Advice: Having a Job Means Someone Is Paying You to Learn
If you’re a copywriter or designer, try to get an agency job as a junior or even an intern.
Put together your fake portfolio and start making contacts.
Be persistent. Do whatever it takes to get in. They want you to do test projects? Do them.
5 Benefits You Get With an Agency Job
You get a steady check. Even if it’s a small one, it’s likely more than you’d earn on your own.
You get experience on bigger accounts. You’ll build a portfolio with serious brand names. One day that portfolio will help you open the door to lots of freelance work.
You build a network. Pay attention to the people you work with. Follow them on social. Make friends. That network will pay for the rest of your freelancing life.
You learn how the business works. All the things that are a mystery when you’re on the outside are now revealed to you.
If you get the opportunity to present to clients, take it. Learning how to present and sell your work is a valuable skill. Once you’re freelancing, you’ll always be presenting. Get good at it while someone is paying you. More about the benefits of an agency job before freelancing here.
Bad Advice #4: Freelancing is Easy. You’ll Have Lots of Freedom
Freelancing is not easy, and it’s not for everyone. And if by freedom, you mean free time because you don’t have enough clients, well, that gets old fast.
As a freelancer, you are your own boss. Are you a good boss?
You’re also the boss of everything. That means you’re the boss of:
Doing the creative work
Communicating with clients
Finding new business
Writing the estimates and invoices
Handling the bookkeeping and banking
Paying the taxes
Scheduling your time
As for freedom, yes, you can dictate when and where you want to work, as long as it works for your clients.
Real Advice: Freelancing Means You’ll Work Harder Than Ever
Ask any experienced freelancer. They’ll tell you they work hard at all aspects of their business.
For some, that means working long days and some weekends. You’ll have to schedule your time off (and remember, you don’t get paid holidays).
Once you’re established, you can outsource tasks like bookkeeping and taxes. You’ll find software for scheduling and communicating with clients. But that comes with time.
In the beginning, you’re doing everything. Go into freelancing with realistic expectations.
Bad Advice #5: Raise Your Rates, You’re Worth It
Twitter is littered with this advice. As if there’s no ceiling, as if your clients will pay endless amounts of money.
As a new freelancer, you’re saying to yourself, “Yeah! I should charge more. I’m being way too cheap.”
But then you think, “Oh-oh, what if I lose some clients at the higher rate? Will I find new clients who will pay the new rate?”
Be careful about advice designed only to make you feel good, with little thought behind it.
Real Advice: Determine the Real Value of Your Work, Adjust Accordingly
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
What are clients paying for similar work? Make sure you’re making accurate comparisons, apples to apples. You can find out from other freelancers who do the same type of work.
If your work is measurable, how is it doing? Do you have proof? Case studies, testimonials? Can you accurately say that your work brought in more leads, more business, saved money, etc.? If so, you have justification for higher rates.
Do you charge all your clients the same way, or do you have different scales for your clients? Remember, it’s your company, your rules. Some clients will pay more.
Do you have the right clients for the rates you want to charge? Larger corporate clients have bigger budgets but also bigger demands. For them, $5,000 might be nothing. For a small client, it’s beyond their budget. Maybe the answer is that you need different clients for your rates.
As a new freelancer, you have a few tasks:
Get better at your craft. Get lots of practice so that you make the transition from a beginner to a seasoned practitioner.
Make enough money to prove to yourself you have a sustainable business.
Find the right clients for you where you enjoy the work and charge rates that you think are fair.
Build the business with repeat clients, so you get projects without competition. That means more time working, less time hustling.
Get your business running to a point you’re comfortable. You know what you’re doing, you enjoy the work, and you can work reasonable hours and still make a good living.
After a few years, think of a longer-range plan. Continue with more of the same, or build something bigger. That’s up to you.
Summary of Advice for New Freelancers
If you have the opportunity to go to school for your craft, do it.
Get one or more agency jobs before you start freelancing.
Find ways to get demonstrable experience. You need to show a portfolio.
Think hard about whether freelancing is for you. It’s not easy, but it can be very rewarding.
In the beginning, don’t worry too much about rates. Charge what clients will pay. Increase that as you get better clients. It takes time.
Useful Links for New Freelancers
Here are 7 rules for freelance success in 2022.
Here’s a checklist for anyone going full-time freelance.
Here’s a hierarchy of client types from best to awful. You know which ones you want.
Learn more about freelancing in my book, How to Start a Successful Creative Agency. It’s the essential business guide for graphic designers, copywriters, filmmakers, photographers, and programmers.
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