I started working as a full-time freelance writer and marketing consultant in May of this year, and in general, freelancing seems to continuously improve. Benefits like setting my own schedule, being able to get up from my computer and wearing comfortable clothes are just as enjoyable as day one, and finding work has gotten considerably easier. In month one, with the help of my last paycheck from my part-time job, I was able to cover all my expenses. In month two, I covered expenses with my freelance income, plus had 30 percent to set aside for taxes, and I'm on track to do the same in month three.
For the first month and a half, most of my time went to pitching for work and building relationships. I primarily use UpWork to find jobs, and Fiverr to post my services. UpWork has led to many more jobs so far, but I also invested quite a bit of time into proposals. I submitted at least 25 in the past two months and won about 20 percent. Way less than I thought before looking at the numbers, but all but one of the jobs I won turned into multiple projects. The key to winning proposals (at least in my experience) is pitching for jobs with less than five applicants.
I also spent a good deal of time trying to network and make face-to-face contact with potential clients. I unsuccessfully sought clients at a local job fair, semi-successfully networked at an event in Milwaukee and successfully used friends and family to find two ongoing partnerships. In the coming months, I plan to attend more networking events and better spread the word about what I'm doing among people I know.
In the second half of month two and in month three, more than half of my clients have hired me for additional work. I didn't have to pitch for new jobs in July because my current clients kept me busy, which is great for my ratio of billable to non-billable hours. However, I did put time into applying for freelance and/or remote contracts via Indeed and LinkedIn. None of those applications have turned into anything, and I'm ready to write off both platforms as a feasible means of finding work. (Though I did just read LinkedIn is making improvements for freelancers).
Now that July is over, I need to thoroughly assess my income vs. hours spent in my first quarter of freelancing, determine how to improve my efficiency and consider if my lifestyle will be sustainable through times of little work. Feast or famine has been an applicable trope in the past weeks, and while I'm not doing this to be rich, I would like to make more than I need to live paycheck to paycheck.
As I start crunching numbers and reading about writing off business expenses, I leave you with three possibly helpful lists about what to expect when you're building your freelance business or for the majority of people reading this (aka friends and family), some of the things I've been doing that you may or may not have known:
10 Benefits of Full-Time Freelancing
Waking up without an alarm (most days)
Working whenever I want (most days)
Unlimited breaks to go for a walk, annoy my cat, do laundry, binge read books, etc.
Wearing comfortable clothes on a daily basis
Being in a comfortable temperature most of the time (no more freezing office syndrome!)
No one monitors how long you spend in the bathroom
Having time to go to the bathroom, eat and do human things like have conversations (not always the case in the newsroom)
Working from somewhere other than my desk if I feel like it
Answering personal phone calls instead of disgruntled viewer calls
Being my own boss (Only one party to consult for decisions and that party is always right haha)
5 Issues with Full-Time Freelancing
Not the best workspace (I am in desperate need of a desk and chair update)
Personal time and work time blend into one
Not everyone respects my office hours (Just because I work from home doesn't mean I'm not working)
Grinding to pitch for work and having to justify my hourly rate
Rejection from clients (especially after putting time into pitching for work)
Here's What I've Been Doing
Working for Free (But I Don't Mind)
I volunteer as marketing and events coordinator for United Way of Northern Ozaukee. Typical tasks include making signage, coordinating event committees, creating invites and other marketing pieces for events and meeting with potential sponsors about our events. Our Donor Thank You party in June returned with great feedback from attendees and front page coverage, while a Fish Day washout dampened success at the inaugural parking lot fundraiser. A golf outing fundraiser and family picnic are up next in September.
Writing about Women & Diversity
If all of my assignments fell into this category, I'd be ecstatic. The Wisconsin Law Journal and Daily Reporter, based in Milwaukee, had Women in Law and Diversity in Business Awards in May and June. I wrote feature stories about seven of the nominees, which you can read here.
Thinking of Getting Engaged?
I can tell you just about everything you need to know about engagement rings, wedding bands and gemstone jewelry. I'm working with Lila Moon on building a knowledge base for customers looking to create custom rings. These are some of my articles:
Walk For Your Health
Walking, healthy eating and writing. Three things I love culminated into one project. I worked with Dr. Huntley to turn her podcast episodes into blog posts for her website. She's inspired me to revisit some of my own podcast ideas (and also to get up from my computer more often than I do). These are must-reads if you have diabetes or know someone who does:
Is Ketamine What I Think It Is?
That is an actual email subject I wrote for a health care marketing company. I'm writing magazine-style articles and other marketing materials about transcranial magnetic stimulation and ketamine treatment. The articles are off to the designers now, but I will post when I receive the completed magazine.
Building My Computer
After hours of watching YouTube videos and reading about computer parts, I decided to DIY it for my new computer. I built the thing, and it actually works. Well, at least most of the time. I'm still having unexplained problems with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects. Computer people, please help.
What is your experience with freelancing? Do you have any helpful hints as I get started? Any client horror stories from which I can learn? Comment away!
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