Life as a freelancer allows you to control your work hours; you can decide when and for how long you want to work, and having a lie in or going out is your own responsibility. Being able to control your own working day has a lot of benefits, from encouraging creativity to being able to set aside time for those important family engagements.
However, freelancing isn’t all about choosing your own working hours and being your own boss. There are many problems that every freelancer faces and you may be unsure of how to deal with them, but if you seek help from the right people and stay organised and motivated, you will easily overcome them.
Irregular Income
Working as a freelancer can be tricky; one month your phone may be ringing off the hook, and the next month you might have very little work. This constant state of ‘feast and famine’ can be taxing and it will test your motivation, resilience, and patience as you try to get more hours of work.
How to fix it?
Freelancing is a job, which means that when you get paid you need to save money. If you have a ‘feast’ month, save as much as you can. It can be difficult to not buy everything you need for the house or to simply treat yourself for your hard work, but you will need money to support through the ‘famine’ times.
Chasing Pay
We’re sure you take pride in your work and how efficiently you deliver it. Freelancers often struggle with client payment delays; when you deliver your work quickly but are made to wait days or weeks for payment, this issue might leave you feeling disheartened.
How to fix it?
Honesty can sometimes be the best solution; explaining to clients how payment delays affect your personal and business finances might be a method of speeding up the payment process. You can also setup a reminder email in your invoice software; a nudge from automatic invoice emails might do the trick.
Heavy Workload
More work hours mean more money, but you have to be aware of when you are pushing yourself too hard. Working through the night or working very long hours will take a toll on your health and on your personal relationships, which in turn can make you unhappy.
How to fix it?
Giving yourself standard, working hours will help you feel like you are working alongside everyone else, making it easier to finish a day of work when 5pm comes. You can also keep your time organised with time management software and work on the specified hours only. If you’re finding you can’t keep up with work, try taking on less work until you are back on track.
Marketing Your Business
Staying busy is a regular issue; you will need to market your business to gather clients. As a freelancer, this also means marketing your name and yourself as an employee.
How to fix it?
LinkedIn is a great tool for freelancers. You can make connections with other freelancers and with potential clients that will help you expand your business. You can use it as your CV, to show prospective clients your skills and the work you have already completed.
If you want to know more about how we help freelancers and contractors with their business goals and professional success, you can contact us on 0800 195 3750 to speak with our highly-skilled team. Alternatively, you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.
