How to Live with Freelance Success

February 5, 2008

Believe it or not, if you stay dedicated to your freelance business, you will be successful. And with that success comes just as many doubts, fears, and uncertainties.

Below are 11 tips on how to live (properly?) with freelance success.

1. When success (defined as going full-time) comes, don’t assume it will continue. Clients comes and go. You can start to breathe a little easier but you can’t stop marketing.

2. Get used to the ups and downs of being in business for yourself. Embrace both the high and low times. Try to keep your emotions from overtaking your life. Plan for the down times as much as you plan for the busy times.

3. Never assume you’ll collect money on time every time or even at all. You are the accountant and collections agent. Get comfortable with these two roles.

4. Never spend money you haven’t received or checks you haven’t cashed yet. The only legitimate money is money that is sitting in your bank or hand.

5. Don’t increase your lifestyle as your income increases. Choose the income you can live comfortably on and save the rest. Pay off your credit cards. Pay off your house. By paying down debt and living on less than you earn, you’re actually preparing yourself for the lulls in your business.

6. Never flaunt your success. Don’t judge others based on what you’ve done. You never know when you may need help later.

7. Don’t rest in your current circumstances. You may have two months of work but what happens during the third month? Keep the marketing pipeline filled as full as you can.

8. Be willing to help others—within reason. Once people find out you’re successful, they’ll want a lot of free advice. Tell them the steps and work involved to get to where you are. Don’t do the work for them—ever.

9. Keep growing and learning in your chosen freelance career. Be willing to add new and different services.

10. Be grateful for what you have and what you’ve been given. Celebrate the goodness you’ve been shown.

11. Enjoy the ride. It’s too easy to worry about the future, the work you’ll get (or not), and the money you’ll earn. I would venture to say the journey is the point, not the destination.

Tags: freelancing, freelancer, freelance career, freelance full-time, freelance business