Freelancer Coaching And Tips for Beginners
by Andy Strote, photo by Justin Veenema
Here are answers to some of the common questions I’ve had about freelancing over the years.
Q: If I Have A Full-Time Agency Job, Is It Ethical to Freelance On The Side?
A: It depends. Generally, you can freelance on the side unless you’ve signed an employment contract that prohibits it. Make sure you check any contracts you signed to refresh your memory.
Check whether you must notify your employer if you’re doing freelance work.
Ethical Considerations For Freelancing on the Side
Don’t use company time or resources for your freelance work. If your freelancing gets busy, you might be tempted to work on it during company time. Don’t.
Don’t discuss the agency’s business with freelance clients. It’s none of their business.
Don’t accept freelance clients that are direct competitors to agency clients, even if you don’t work on that business.
So, assuming you didn’t sign any prohibitive contracts and assuming you separate your agency work from your freelance, have at it. It’s a great way to start if you want to transition to full-time freelancing.
Q: I’m Billing Freelance Work by the Hour. How Do I Raise My Rates?
A: There are many ways to raise your freelance rates. But before you simply start telling clients that you want to increase your rates, consider this:
Are your clients very price-sensitive? In other words, did they hire you because you charge $50 an hour rather than the guy who charges $60 an hour? Would you lose that client if you raised your rates by 10% – 20%? (If the answer is yes, find clients to replace them.)
If you’ve been working with a client for a while doing similar jobs, say writing blog posts, and they’re coming in at around the same price, does your hourly rate matter?
Let’s say for three blog posts, you charged $750, $800, and $850 because of the hours they took. What if you just charged $850 for any blog post, never mind the hours?
In other words, get away from $/hr and start charging a flat fee.
In my most popular blog post, I wrote about the best pricing models for creative freelancers. Read why billing by project may be the easiest way to increase your income.
Here are some tips if you want to stay with an hourly rate but want to raise it:
Raise your rates gradually, say by 10% – 20%
Remember that you don’t have to charge all of your clients the same rate. For new clients, start them off at the highest rate
If you have a client you’ve worked with for a long time (probably at the same low rate), give them advance warning. Let them know that all new clients have been paying the new rate, but since they’re a long-standing client, they will only start paying that rate in three months
You can decide whether or not you want to explain why you’re raising rates.
For my $0.02 worth, I wouldn’t explain it. (Does the grocery store explain why prices go up? No.) The cost of everything is going up. Also, your clients may not care about your rate. They’re happy with your work, they know what they pay you, and if it now costs a bit more, well, that’s life.
Some freelancers try to justify increased rates because they feel they bring greater value or offer enhanced skills. If you think you can credibly make those arguments, go ahead. I never did, but if you think it’ll work for you, try it.
Q: I Just Started Freelancing, And I Need More Clients. How Do I Find Them?
A: This is a big question with a long list of answers. Scroll down to get the best way to get new clients.
Freelancers Should Have Websites
Make sure you’re presenting yourself as professionally as possible. To me, that means having a website. Every established company has a website, and as a freelancer, you are also a business. If you don’t already have one, put together a website.
Read this about freelance copywriter websites. Lots of tips and ideas you can use on your website. (Works for designers and devs, too)
Dig Deep on Your Network and Contact Them
Spend a couple of days making a list of people in your network that you will contact. You want to make sure they understand what you do, what type of clients you’re looking for, and where they can see some of your work (your website, of course).
Contact your network in person, by text, or email. Whatever is appropriate for that person.
Start your network contacts with family and friends. That means your parents, siblings, anyone you went to school with, or anyone you’ve ever worked with. They probably won’t hire you (they don’t need your services), but they might know someone who will. You just never know. Prepare yourself for good luck.
See looking for new clients, turn to your network first.
Do Social Media Seriously
Consider building a following on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook Groups. Do some research before you start to make sure you have a plan and are pursuing it seriously. Otherwise, you’re wasting countless hours scrolling.
What do you include in your social media? Make it a mixture of business and personal. If your existing social is all trash-talking, politics, or sports, consider opening separate accounts for your freelancing.
Job Platforms? Maybe
You can also try platforms like UpWork, Fiverr, or Freelancer.com. Just a warning: they’re highly competitive. Some people love them, others hate them.
Some people suggest they’re a great way to start freelancing. Personally, I’d rather dedicate the time to working and growing my network. That helps you build warm connections, rather than cold ones on the platforms.
Have a look at how to be successful on UpWork.
Other Tactics (Not Recommended for Beginners)
You’ll read about finding clients through cold outreach. Lots of hustlers trying to sell you, “I’ll send out a bazillion emails for you and get you tons of hot leads.” Pass them up forever.
It’s not how to get clients, especially if you’re just starting.
You’ll hear about content marketing, like starting a blog. If you have a unique service, the more niche, the better, then this may work. However, if you’re a junior copywriter, designer, or dev working in generalized areas, you’re too new to offer much value. Work on personal relationships first.
The Best Way to Get New Clients
Simply, do great work for your existing clients. Try to find clients that can offer you ongoing work so you’ll get one project after another.
After you’ve worked together for a while, ask them for referrals. Tell them you have some availability, you love working with them, and if they can recommend someone just like them, you’d appreciate the referral.
Referrals are the absolute best way to get new clients. A recommendation from a happy client carries a LOT of weight.
When I was growing my freelance business, I got the vast majority of new clients through referrals.
Read, are you working for your ideal clients here.
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Q: I’m A Freelancer Thinking Of Starting A Small Agency. Should I Do It?
A: I was a freelancer who started a successful agency (it grew from 2 of us to 30 people and was acquired by an IT company within 5 years), so my natural answer is yes.
However, consider this. If you start an agency bigger than yourself, your job will change. In addition to practicing your craft, you will become a manager. Think hard about whether that’s for you. You have to be a “people person” to pull this off.
Assuming your agency grows, you’ll have a larger overhead, meaning you must keep feeding the beast. Make sure you have a strategy for getting the types of clients that will fund your growth.
Assuming you can do all of that, go for it!
Want a Free Taste First?
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This chapter covers essential areas such as Clients vs. Projects, Corporate Clients vs. Small Business Clients, How to Create an Opportunity Document, the Benefits of Finding a Niche… and much more.
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