5 Lessons from 1 Year Freelancing

Today marks one year since I started freelancing full-time. It is a blessing that I’m still going, one year in.

Here’s my opportunity to expand on the three lessons mentioned in the video (and to add two more).

01 Keep marketing (even when you’re busy)

A packed project list feels great, but those projects will come to an end, like all projects do.

Treat marketing as an ongoing task, not just what you do when the projects finish. Build relationships, update your portfolio and stay visible, even when you're busy.

02 Manage cash (let good months cover bad)

Freelancing income fluctuates, sometimes wildly. Separate your business and personal finances, even if you're not running a Ltd company.

Pay yourself a consistent monthly wage to avoid financial stress during lean months. I pay myself on the 25th of each month: If I have a busy month, I know I can afford to pay myself on the 25th of this month and the 25th of next month… It means I can relax a little. I know I can survive a bad month as long as I keep paying things forward.

03 Organisation & Process are crucial

Use a project management system to track deadlines, budgets, and deliverables. You'll thank yourself when a client asks for details about a long-closed project or casually says something like “the budget is the same as last time”.

You’ll soon notice issues if you aren’t organised, and you will notice if you work with disorganised clients.

04 Think like a business owner

We aren’t employees, we are businesses featuring one person.

A day you aren’t booked isn’t automatically a day off. It’s a day you tackle marketing, admin and passion projects. Sit down at your computer at 9.30am just as if you were booked.

You are booked - to yourself.

05 Ignore the LinkedIn gloom

From what I can tell from speaking to other freelancers, the motion design industry boomed after the COVID lockdowns. Freelancers thrived without having to market themselves too much.

The market has taken a bit of a downturn, which in comparison to the post-COVID boom can be discouraging. But if you read The Freelance Manifesto by Joey Korenman, the advice isn’t “sit around and the work will fall on your lap”, it’s “get off your butt and go find it”.

I think the same is true now; focus on your work, not the pessimism.

Freelancing has its challenges, but with discipline and foresight, it’s immensely rewarding.