5 Reasons you will never make it as a freelancer
- 7 July 2010
- Articles, Web Design
- This post was written exclusively for PV.M Garage by Mike Smith
- Comments (15)»
So, you’ve been bit with the freelance bug and you’re ready to stop dipping your toes into “side projects” and actually dive into the deep end and turn your life around? You’ve got a new desk, a new computer, a 5 year plan and your first client. You’re off to the races, right? Wrong. Before you get too ahead of yourself, please be aware that most of you will not make it as a freelancer. You’re not built for this type of life. It’s ok, not everyone can be Michael Jordan, Bob Ross, Anderson Silva or even a full time freelancer. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll be able to enjoy your day to day life.
You still reading this article? Good. That means you could give a shit less about the downsides of freelancing and you’ve got it burned into your head that you are a freelancer at heart. That’s a great thing. But, just to be sure, why don’t you read the five reasons below that will let you know why you won’t make it as a freelancer and then see how you feel.
You’re absolutely horrible with deadlines
As a freelancer, you’ve got deadlines to keep and if you’re unable to do so, word will get out, people will be upset and you’ll inevitablly lose business. If you’re the type of person who lives by the “I’ll get it done when I get it done” mantra, you might want to just pack up your bags and head back to your cubicle because freelance life is definitely not for you. You’ve got to know how to set proper deadlines and crush them every single time. Yes – Every. Single. Time.
You’ve never been good with saving money
You make money every month, but your bank account (or shoe box in your closet) is empty. Yes, that is a bad sign. If you’re not good at saving money, try starting small and saving change first. If you can’t do that, you’re out of luck and you definitely will never make it as a freelancer because you’ll be broke your entire life. We’re not blessed with a weekly paycheck, so you’ve got to know how to keep some money stashed away for the darker times when work is slow and your invoices are not being paid.
You’re a complete pushover
Were you the bully in high school or were you the kid who got picked on? In this business, if you’re not a bully, you’re not going anywhere. Your clients will chew you up and spit you out. You’ll end up with the largest amount of scope creep that anyone has ever seen, a backed up work order that spans months, but is due in 2 weeks and you’ll end up pulling your hair out and jumping out of a 3 story building window. You’re going to need to draw a line in the sand and learn to not budge – you may lose a couple clients doing this, but the odds of them being horrible clients that you wouldn’t have wanted to work for anyway is extremely high, so don’t worry about it :)
You’re expecting 100% freedom from “work life”
If you got into the freelance business because you were tired of working for the man and you wanted complete freedom, you’re sorely mistaken as to what being a freelancer really is. You’re going to spend some late nights in crunch mode to get things done, you’re going to spend just as much time on admin tasks as you are on actual work and you’re going to have to be your own marketing & sales departments. This is not an easy life to get into, but once you get the hang of things and find a system that works, it does get easier – eventually.
You just don’t have the drive to win
Lazy? Unmotivated? Would you love to spend your days playing Call of Duty or watching soap operas? Guess what – Freelancing is NOT for you. You don’t have the drive to put in the hours to win. You will give up at the first sign of stress and you’re going to crumble under the pressure. Don’t worry, it’s ok – I hear that the bingo hall down the block needs a caller on Thursdays, you might find that a bit more to your speed :)
What do you think?
Are you still reading? Good. If you don’t agree with these statements, go out there and prove me wrong. I’d love for you to, because as much as freelancing is tough and stressful, is so much damn fun that I wish everyone could be as lucky as I am to be doing something they love every day.
Are these good reasons as to why you’ll never make it as a freelancer? Do you have other reasons why someone would fail at freelancing? Drop a comment and let us know.
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nice points…
PVM I noticed a alot more posts coming out! Great job on the new content
Good article, But I think the procastination is the worst quality a freelance can have.
But I dont think that saving money can be as important as the other elemtns on the list, Even if you spend all your money, if you work enough you can forget the saving part. Im nort saying is the best idea but it can be usefull
Luis I agree, procrastination is by far the worst quality for any freelancer
ha very funny article. tbh i think freelancing is alot harder than a regular job, you have to be so many different jobs..
Hey, all you have to do these days to become a Web 2.0 Freelance Writer is go to Amazon Digital Text Platform [http://dtp.amazon.com] and write directly to your Kindle readership [http://kindle.amazon.com], and then keep on truckin’! SK
Harsh but true. My biggest weekness is that from time to time I’m simply not motivated. But having said that, other times I’m simply to motivated and never get to bed. That’s what I love about freelancing, I can work the hours I want to work.
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