5 Strategies For a Successful Freelance Business

Laying down a solid foundation for any freelancer.

How do you make a successful freelance business even more successful?

How do you help a fledgling freelance career survive that first year?

Much of it comes down to hard work and focus. The trick is knowing where to place that focus and what tasks need to be done.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelance writer, editor, artist, designer, or someone who builds luxury custom cat trees. There are always things you can do right now to help you and your business thrive.

Build a Better Workspace

Whether you call it your office, studio, or workshop, the place where you conduct most of your business should be set up to provide maximum focus.

This doesn’t just mean being positioned somewhere with few distractions. It also means your workspace should be laid out, so the tools you need are within easy reach. Do you have a place to keep your schedule or business paperwork safe? Are your cables and cords a jumbled mess? How is your lighting?

Even if it takes time out of your schedule to arrange your workspace, it’s worth it. It will save you time and aggravation, making you more productive and less stressed.

How do I know?

Because several years ago, I spent over a week looking for notes an author had sent me by mail. I eventually found them in a box where they got mixed in with papers for another project. I almost lost the client.

Poor organization on my part. A week later, I invested in a good, old-fashioned filing cabinet.

Worth it. I still have that client, and I no longer lose things. (Or, not as much anyway.)

Take a good look at your work area now. What could be improved, upgraded, or expanded? Create a plan to address this within a week or two.

Even something as simple as some new art on the walls or a paint job can positively affect your work simply by changing the mood of the place.

Set Lofty Goals For Yourself

This is kind of like the old job interview question. “What do you see yourself doing five years from now?”

Instead, make it more like a year from now, but the idea is the same.

Do you want to be writing a book? (Or, better yet, having finished writing a book?) So you want to have an article you’ve written accepted by The New Yorker?

Or is it money? Do you want to see your modest 4-figure income bloom to a 6-figure income?

It’s doable, you know.

Maybe you’re a freelance artist producing filler illustrations for some magazines. Would you rather be illustrating children’s books or working the next hot superhero property at Marvel?

If you work in marketing, who would be your dream client?

Write your year-away goal someplace where you’ll see it every day. I write mine in the notes columns on my monthly planner. I’ve even checked one of them off this year. (I wrote a book.)

From there, ask yourself what steps you need to take to reach your goals. Integrate those steps into your planner or whatever system you use to stay organized and treat those steps as part of your job.

Track your progress.

Give it the appropriate amount of time. Update your goals yearly. You’ll see more forward momentum than not.

Keep Current In Your Field

When I started freelancing back in the Dark Ages, I sent large files to clients via FTP or on a disk sent through the mail. I laid projects out in Aldus PageMaker or Quark XPress. I designed books strictly for printing onto paper. Ebooks weren’t really a thing yet.

Of course, publishing is a very different field now. I use InDesign. I’ve taught myself how to make ebooks. I write on Google Docs, and I share files with Dropbox. I’m not sure I even remember how to transfer files by FTP.

The point is technologies change. Industry practices change, and the way you work will have to change.

“Evolve” is probably a better word.

If you can’t adapt and change with the times, you’re doomed to fail.

Pay attention to what’s happening in your field. Are you a freelance editor? Make sure to check out the Associated Press’s yearly grammar updates. In technology, it’s vitally important to know what the latest issues are with system software, viruses, and cybersecurity.

Subscribe to industry-related publications. Attend conferences and conventions when you can.

Don’t be a dinosaur. You’ll end up getting left behind.

Round Out Your Skills Set

When you freelance, you’re usually a team of one.

That means you are your first go-to when it comes to marketing, accounting, billing, equipment maintenance, and so forth.

You can be the most fantastic freelance Python programmer on the planet, but it means nothing if you can’t keep track of your own billing.

Yes, you can often outsource many of these tasks — and as your business grows, you may find that preferable.

But when starting out, you’re going to be on the hook for running every aspect of your business. It will be your responsibility to take care of your taxes, software upgrades, and bills.

While you don’t need to know everything before starting out, don’t wait too long to learn what you need to know to keep your freelance business operating.

Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance

When starting out, many new freelancers discover that they often end up working more hours than they had at a previous traditional job.

The days of eight-hour 9-to-5 days are in the past. There is no longer a regularly scheduled lunch break.

That said, there’s no reason why you can’t keep following something similar to your old schedule. The greater flexibility in hours may have been a reason why you went freelance to begin with. Now you can divide your workday into a couple of four-hour chunks if that works best for you.

A lot depends on what kind of work you do and what obligations you have. For instance, I divide my day with three hours in the morning and five at night. This way, I can still take care of my family, get chores done, and get some sleep.

Don’t sacrifice family and friend time to work. You need that time for human connection. It will make you less dressed, and therefore more productive. Maybe even better at your work overall.

The key is sticking to a sustainable schedule. When your day comes to an end, let it end. Hang out with friends. Play some basketball with the kids. Go for a walk. Read a book.

Live your life.

You work to support your life. You shouldn’t live to support your work.

Successful Freelancers Change

I’ve been freelancing for over 25 years. In that time, I’ve had my share of ups and downs. While I’ve learned a lot from my successes, I also hope that I’ve learned from my failures.

Maintaining a consistent, successful freelance business means being willing to change and grow. Even if it seems safe and secure, it does you no good to stay stuck in a rut.

Accepting that will take you a long way.

About John Teehan

John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2