Lessons learned the fifth month

Lessons learned the fifth month

Hey! Welcome back to another installment of Lessons Learned. Let’s get to it!

1. It’s not all billable hours
   In the beginning I was trying to stick to a 40-hour work week and I got frustrated pretty quickly. I soon realized that you’re not necessarily putting in all billable hours in that time frame. You now have to wear many hats and juggle different departments if you will. Bookkeeper, HR, accountant, lawyer, marketing, business development are all areas that you now have to take into account on top of actually doing the work. The great part of that is that you get to have control over how you do your business.
   

2. Mind your money
   Even when you have everything planned out and timing feels right, give yourself some wiggle room. Projects almost never finish on time and it’s important to keep a rotating amount in your account to cover your expenses while you’re waiting for the next check to clear.
   

3. Protect yourself
   With contracts and deposits. Waiting on that money can be frustrating and might have a negative effect on your productivity and motivation. Making sure you set the boundaries and terms at the beginning of the project will help save you from headaches and friction with your client.
   

4. Give great service
   After all you are operating as a business so act accordingly and treat your clients how you’d like to be treated if the roles were reversed. Show some empathy and listen to their needs. The problem you’re trying to solve is between the lines.
   

5. Mind your sources
   Where are you getting your information? Is the media you’re using (if not provided by the client) licensed? Copyright infringement is a scary real thing but can definitely be avoided by gathering assets from trusted sources.

What lessons have you learned so far freelancing?