The Freelance series: Intro

Hi everyone!

I've been freelancing for almost a year now and I thought what better way to kick off the blog with a journey! I'm also going to share some tips and tricks along the way explaining how I've come this far. My last post introducing the new blog I mentioned that I took about a year and a half to freelance. This post is going to be all about how that year went, I highly recommend reading if you're thinking of switching from a 9-5 to freelance or you don't know what's next for our career plans. 

Making the switch from your monthly paid job to a freelance life can be daunting, but I made the leap and now I'd never look back. 

How did it all start? 

Do you just ever have a really bad day and decide that nope... The events of today can never repeat. I had a terrible day at my first job, at VUE Cinema. My manager just had the most  annoying attitude ever, the customers were rude and I was doing 3 hours overtime with my queue getting longer with no chance of getting home any time soon. Although that all annoyed me, the last straw was when I asked my manager to leave and she had given me the 4th "no" of the day. After an 8 hour shift without a break, slave labour much? That's when I walked out, it boiled my blood and in the heat of the moment I quit and got my belongings and left. Not thinking about my next move it felt good to finally ditch the hell hole. 

I discussed with my mum that I had left my job and there was no way I was returning. She encouraged me to look for another one, but the more I was encouraged the more I was much more determined to be my own boss, set my own deadlines and earn my own rates. That's when I began to do my research on freelancing and how it could work out for me. 

I am a fashion illustrator and designer and after doing my research, I found out that there is actually a boom and demand for creative freelancers. 

@efyalauren 

The harsh reality

Unfortunately there is a harsh reality and these are some things you will face at the beginning or your freelance career but I prefer to tell you the lows before the highs!

1. Money shortages 

I'm in the beginning stage of my freelance career and this happens a lot! You go through a great few months of getting lots of work and jobs and another few months of maybe not getting any jobs or clients, This is where good money management and personal accounting kicks in. When you do get a job, you have to make sure you're not undercharging the buyer / client and you also need to make sure that the money you're getting will stretch. I'll be addressing this in more detail in a different post explaining how to charge for your projects. 

2. Not every client is a serious one

Some companies are literally just doing research and gathering quotes, it's exciting to be contacted by companies, but take it easy. Do not start fitting them into your schedule until you've talked rates. Do not be afraid to bring up your hourly rate or how much you'll be charging them for a project, some people literally might think if you don't, you're doing a generous freebie. 

3. You'll get rejected 

This is number 1 for beginner freelancers with no experience, but sooner or later you'll break out of this. You need a good portfolio / website and a good description of yourself. There are a number of reasons for rejection and it's not always because you're not good enough:

• They can't afford you 
• They're simply not ready for any serious agreements 
• They're looking for something different 

3. No routine 

This is a pro for me because I like a spontaneous lifestyle however it may be a con for people that like a straight forward routine. You can't tell how your week or month would look like specifically as if you had a 9-5 job. You may get a new client within the next week and this may mean making extra time for them and sorting them out. 

To me, none of these reasons are enough to not freelance because:

You are your own boss

With my employment history and experience this reason always wins me over. I love setting my own rates and determining when I'll work. I highly recommend this if you are a college or uni student fitting work around study, it allows you to be at home and not over stress. It also allows you to save money on commute and travel. 

@efyalauren

Am I eligible to freelance?

It is so important that this question is thought about in detail. Freelancing takes a lot of patience and time. Someone who is easily agitated and angry cannot handle such a career switch. 

You also should be an expert in what you do, you should not still be in the deep stages of learning the fundamentals of what you do. When people pay for work professionally, from a freelancer it is in return for professional work, you cannot give them something mediocre. 

I hope I managed to cover the fundamentals of freelancing! My next post will be about agency freelance and why it's an amazing place for startups. Thank you so much for reading and do shoot me any questions!

Lauren x