You may not have thought about this, but there is a huge difference between having a freelance job and a freelance business.
Let’s look at some of the attributes of each.
A freelance JOB...
You are tied into a constant and relentless cycle of finding work, doing the work and billing for the work...over and over again...one assignment at a time.
You usually get paid by the hour.
When you take a vacation or are sick, you don’t make any money during the period you are off.
You tend to be at the beck and call of your clients, and think twice before saying no even to their most unreasonable demands.
While you are busy working on this month’s projects, a part of you is already worried about picking up enough work next month.
You sometimes accept work that really doesn’t suit you. But you take it because you need the money.
Now let’s look at some of the attributes of a freelance BUSINESS...
You are very focused on a set of ambitious, long-term goals for your business.
You seek out only those clients and assignments which move you forward towards achieving those goals.
You aren’t paid by the hour, you charge a value-based fee for each assignment. (And you earn significantly more per assignment than if you did charge by the hour.)
You have a reputation as an expert and authority in your niche, so you spend very little time looking for new clients – because they come to you.
You work on very few small assignments, and are skilled at expanding the scope and value of every assignment you accept.
You are comfortable saying no to a client or prospect when you need to, and feel yourself firmly in the driver’s seat of your own business.
You have developed, or are developing, some passive sources of income for your business. This means you can take that vacation and still make money while you are away from your desk.
How do you make the switch between having a freelance job and a freelance business?
Step one is an inner game, inside your head. You have to make that switch in attitude first. You have to create an inner determination to be in control of your business and set some clear goals.
Then you have to take action, on a consistent basis, with each step taking you forward in the direction of your goals.
This is a big topic, and is the focus of my latest course, just published, called Breakthrough Freelance Success.
The course takes you through all the steps necessary to creating a more profitable freelance business.
It doesn’t matter whether you are just starting out, or have been freelancing for decades. Nor does it matter whether you are a writer, copywriter, designer, coder, virtual assistant or consultant.
The same principles and strategies apply.
For more on creating a freelance business that works for YOU, learn about Breakthrough Freelance Success here...
Let’s look at some of the attributes of each.
A freelance JOB...
You are tied into a constant and relentless cycle of finding work, doing the work and billing for the work...over and over again...one assignment at a time.
You usually get paid by the hour.
When you take a vacation or are sick, you don’t make any money during the period you are off.
You tend to be at the beck and call of your clients, and think twice before saying no even to their most unreasonable demands.
While you are busy working on this month’s projects, a part of you is already worried about picking up enough work next month.
You sometimes accept work that really doesn’t suit you. But you take it because you need the money.
Now let’s look at some of the attributes of a freelance BUSINESS...
You are very focused on a set of ambitious, long-term goals for your business.
You seek out only those clients and assignments which move you forward towards achieving those goals.
You aren’t paid by the hour, you charge a value-based fee for each assignment. (And you earn significantly more per assignment than if you did charge by the hour.)
You have a reputation as an expert and authority in your niche, so you spend very little time looking for new clients – because they come to you.
You work on very few small assignments, and are skilled at expanding the scope and value of every assignment you accept.
You are comfortable saying no to a client or prospect when you need to, and feel yourself firmly in the driver’s seat of your own business.
You have developed, or are developing, some passive sources of income for your business. This means you can take that vacation and still make money while you are away from your desk.
How do you make the switch between having a freelance job and a freelance business?
Step one is an inner game, inside your head. You have to make that switch in attitude first. You have to create an inner determination to be in control of your business and set some clear goals.
Then you have to take action, on a consistent basis, with each step taking you forward in the direction of your goals.
This is a big topic, and is the focus of my latest course, just published, called Breakthrough Freelance Success.
The course takes you through all the steps necessary to creating a more profitable freelance business.
It doesn’t matter whether you are just starting out, or have been freelancing for decades. Nor does it matter whether you are a writer, copywriter, designer, coder, virtual assistant or consultant.
The same principles and strategies apply.
For more on creating a freelance business that works for YOU, learn about Breakthrough Freelance Success here...
