24 November 2011
At the outset it seems great, "being your own boss, earning more money than working for someone else, only doing the projects you want to do, working when you feel like it..." the list goes on, but all are the assumptions of people who haven’t actually tried it.

A few of the staff here at Hydra used to freelance on a professional level and all have the same story...

At the outset it seems great, "being your own boss, earning more money than working for someone, only doing the projects you want to do, working when you feel like it..." the list goes on, but all are the assumptions of people who haven’t actually tried it.

In an ideal world I doubt most people would willingly get up and go to work early, but when you freelance, if you're not "up and working", how exactly is the money coming in?? And even when the work is finished and the invoices are out, what happens when the client decides not to pay, or worst still, goes out of business owing you money? ?

My main question for someone looking to freelance (or indeed anyone looking to work for themself) is how much stress can you actually deal with? If you are happy selling your services to new people, sorting out paperwork, chasing money, and (not to forget) doing the actual work, then freelancing can definitely be beneficial for you. If you're not comfortable doing all of the above yourself, then consider a partnership with someone who can fill in the gaps you can’t do - but even this way won't be stress free.

If I haven't put you off too much already then the final piece of advice would be to build up a good small client base before taking the plunge. If you're a freelance designer, approach design agencies to see if they have an overflow of work - freelancers generally charge less than an agency, so you will find many will work with a small group of trusted freelancers knowing they will get a good service and be able to still make a bit of money on top of a job (just don't take it for granted you can use the work in your own portfolio at the end).

There will always be others who are willing to work for less than you and at shorter notice, so make customer service your priority and you're on to a good start - people will be prepared to wait a little longer or pay a little more knowing the final result is worth it.