9 Habits Of A Successful Freelancer

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between those freelancers who are super successful, constantly in demand and booked out for months at a time, and never seem to have to do any extra marketing VS those who are constantly hustling for the next project? It turns out, that the most successful freelancers have a few things in common that set them apart from the rest.

As a freelancer, you have the freedom to work and manage your core business activities at your own pace. This sense of freedom gives many people the perception that being a freelancer is easy. But being a successful freelancer relies on having the skills and motivation to effectively manage your time and projects….and without being told how to do it, either.

So, what are the ingredients of a successful freelancer? In this article, we'll explore the most important habits that you must develop to be successful at freelancing.

1. They have a growth mindset

The most successful freelancers are always learning new things. They adopt a growth mindset and realise that there are always ways to refine and improve processes, have techniques to learn (in all senses of creativity, workflow and ways to grow their business), and never assume they know everything there is to know. They are always willing to do what it takes to invest in themselves with books, mentors, courses, attending conferences and are willing to be the ‘idiot in the room’ to learn from experts. There’s a sense of having confidence, yet a complete child-like curiosity and open-mind to new concepts and ways of working. Remember how curious and exciting it was to learn something new when you just started out your creative journey?

2.?They are organised

One of the?best habits to adopt?as a freelancer is being insanely organised. It’s been a game-changer for me to set up a daily schedule each and every day and develop a discipline to stick to it, no matter what. Us creatives constantly strive to organise themselves because sometimes we thrive in the chaos of creativity. When I talk about organisation, I mean this in our workspaces, our After Effects layers, our folder structure, our naming systems, how we track our clients and in our entire personal and business life. Being organised allows us to make the most of our time. When we know exactly where our project files live, we have more time to focus on the creative work. When we want to reach out to our V.I.P clients for new opportunities, we know exactly who to contact.

As a freelancer, you are your own boss, and there is no pressure from competing with your co-workers. And therefore without this accountability, it’s far easier to become inconsistent and skip a deadline. But this only results in losing the trust of your clients. So, make sure to stay organised and streamline all your business activities.

3.?They look for gaps In the market

Successful freelancers go beyond trying to find a niche. They avoid the mainstream flows of jobs, and look for the gaps in it. Whether that means working with smaller companies, obscure jobs, or doing something they’ve never done before.

The gaps in the market are where they make a name for themselves, and generate a lot of their income.

Don’t just try to find a niche and hope things happen, look for the gaps that no ones seen before. This is when you marry?what you love, with?what the world needs, with?what you’re good?at and?what you can be paid?for to translate into your?vocation,?profession,?passion?and?mission?in life**.** The Japanese concept Ikigai is a fantastic example of this, which is translates to:?'a reason for being’, to define your purpose as it where, into these overlapping 4 quadrants.

4. They set up systems

Establishing systems is one of the best ways to keep your freelance business running smoothly. Systems can be used for everything from client onboarding to invoicing to marketing to project setup.

Systems can be built from your current workflow and often work best when you can at least partially automate them. Think about things like invoicing. You might need to send your invoice manually, but you can automate reminders being sent if it isn’t paid on time.

Having systems in place frees you up to concentrate on other money-generating business activities. Instead of having to frequently check whether invoices have been paid and sending out reminders to any clients who haven’t paid, you can just automate this and if needed, check in weekly or biweekly to see the status of any outstanding invoices.

We have several tools to help you in all these processes, to supercharge your freelance processes?you can access them here.

5. They create a focused environment & designated workspace

When you freelance, you have the opportunity to work from any location you like. And in most cases, freelancers work from their homes. Not having a designated workspace and simply working from your bed or couch can be demotivating. It can make it extremely challenging to complete tasks without getting distracted as well as associating your environment with relaxing and work can be sending your mind and body mixed messages when you’re in that space.

Having a workstation gives you a chance to have an environment that inspires you. A proper workplace encourages productivity. It motivates you to stay focused and achieve your goals in a state of flow. Even if you are working from home, creating a home office or simply a designated nook can make a huge difference to associate ‘work’ to that specific area.

6. They market themselves every day

While some successful freelancers don’t have to market themselves in the traditional sense and get new clients purely by word of mouth, that doesn’t mean they’re not actually doing any marketing.

Freelancing is known to be a ‘feast or famine cycle’. One month you can be rolling in projects, and the next, you may even find it difficult to make ends meet. To ensure a steady flow of work, you must allocate a set amount of time each day to promote your services and reach out to potential clients. It is the?best daily routine for success?that can help you avoid lean times as much as possible.

Connect with clients and other freelancers on your social media is a great start. Spend some time every day spreading the word about what you do specifically, who you serve and how you can help solve problems with your skills. Learn more about?how to market yourself as a freelancer here.

7. They surround themselves with like-minded people

Like attracts like. There are plenty of freelance designers out there who are just in it for the money, who don’t really care about levelling up their skills as long as they keep getting paid. Those are not the designers you want to hang out with or work with if you want to find true success.

Instead, seek out the designers who are better than you are, who are constantly learning new things or developing new skills, and who want to be the best designers they can possibly be. Those are the people to build a professional relationship.

“Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers, and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it in yourself.” –?Steve Jobs.

8. They under-promise and over-deliver

Under-promising and over-delivering is one of my favourite business tactics and one that I learnt at my time working with Apple. Under-promising also protects you as a freelance designer in case something does go south. Let’s face it, life happens and we can’t predict every outcome. Sometimes that deadline you were 100% confident on that you could meet gets sidelined and you end up having to make excuses and apologies to your client.

Successful freelancers do not believe in?‘that’ll do’. A job half-done is a job not done at all. If anything, 100% completion is the status quo, it’s communicating ‘that’s good enough’. To stand out and get constant repeat business, you have to go above and beyond what is expected.

9. They know how to say ‘No’

The most successful freelancers are picky in the work they choose to take on. They don’t work with every client who comes their way. They pick the projects that are going to be rewarding, fun, challenging, be an awesome experience, portfolio piece and advance their skills and career.

In the beginning, you might need to take on every project that comes your way so that you can pay your bills. But as your reputation and skills improve, you should become more selective about who you work with. Only choosing to take on projects that you’re genuinely excited about, results in better work, happier clients and a happier you.

Freelancing at the core is about?freedom?– the ability to choose who you want to work with, on what, and even when you would like to work throughout the year. To fully enjoy that freedom, every freelancer should learn that saying no can sometimes be the best decision. But turning down a project is not an easy task!?Learn when to say no at work and how to do it in my full Freelance Mastery course.

Build better habits for freelance success

Implementing just a few of these ideas can improve your freelance business and put you on a path to more success. Pay attention to what the creatives and mentors that you admire are doing, and take inspiration from their habits, workflows, and business practices.