The Endless Dance: Survival Tips for Freelance Life

From the late nights and panic deadlines to the ghosting on LinkedIn, the frustrations of freelance life are real. But so too are the joys. In this article I share some of what I've learned over 2O+ years of freelancing, including the last 13 years when it's been my entire working life. And all whilst living with a chronic but invisible illness.?

I share it because when I started out I was focused only on the work itself. I had no idea that the work AROUND the work would count just as much.?Now I know better.

My Origin Story: From Pinball to Professional

I'm from a family of writers. Two generations of them. And maybe because of that, I believed making a living as a writer was plausible.

But I drifted a bit after graduating. Then my dad passed away suddenly one grim, rainy Friday in January.? Before he died I’d applied for a job writing abstracts about art for an academic publishing company. By the time the interview came, he was dead a week and I didn’t give a s*** if I got the job. Of course, I got it.?

Abstract writing is highly prescriptive, but the material was endlessly fascinating and the skills I developed in skim-reading and condensing material have proven a godsend.?But I missed writing anything over 150 words. So when a friend of my dad's asked me to write a feature for a new magazine she was launching, I said yes.??

That 'yes' turned into a lucrative side hustle writing features first for her magazine and then, for several years, for a Sunday tabloid. I learnt loads, and finally I had the mix of creativity and financial security I craved.?

But then, almost 16 years ago, I got sick. And what an utter pain in the arse that turned out to be. One minute my legs went from under me, six months later I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. My limbs ached, my joints burned and my head felt like it was made of cotton wool.?

Gradually I got better (a long story), but it’s fair to say life changed forever.?At work I was able to manage — just — thanks to a stellar boss who gave me then-unheard of autonomy.?Then, in 2011, we were all made redundant. The recession meant?jobs were scarce, but I’d built a good network so I just took the leap into freelancing full-time.

Today I can say it’s worked out even better than I hoped. Most days I love what I do, the fibro is (mostly) under control and I’ve a healthy work-life balance.???

I share this because living with a chronic illness has been probably the greatest single determining factor in me being freelance. Because my time is my own and I don’t want to waste it. When you simply cannot physically do everything you want, you’re forced to think hard and ask yourself what you really want to do work-wise — and in many other areas of life.?

It's a question I still ask myself today. I make myself. In fact, I invite everyone to ask themselves the same question, often. That is my first tip.

The other tips fall into two major categories: The Work and The Work Around the Work.

Let's dive in.

The Work: Being Great at What you Do and How you Do It

Don't Overlook the 'Love' Piece

Assuming you’ve become freelance or are thinking about it, there’s a high chance you love what you do and are good at it.?But then again, you can be highly competent at many things and it doesn't mean you have to do them for a living.?Focus on doing work you are great at and that you allows you to enjoy/experience a 'flow state' when doing it. Sometimes this means trying things on for size first. When you do work that you enjoy (at least 80% of the time), you'll feel it. And you'll do better work.

Don't Panic: Nothing is Wasted

Don't worry if you DO get diverted into something else, even if it's for a while. If I've learned anything it's that nothing is wasted. You can turn any experience into fuel for growth. But you have to choose to. Actively seek out the lesson(s) in your mistakes or meanderings, or ask trusted friends or mentors to tell you — and listen to them.?I've worked in interior design, hospitality, publishing and marketing. And I've taken very useful learnings from them all.

It's not just the work, it's the way you do it.

Busy clients want prompt communicators and savvy collaborators who 'do what it says on the tin'. Even better if you can do it with good humour and a can-do attitude.

The upshot?

Don't mess people around. It’s your job to SAVE clients time, not take it up. Don't let a slack attitude do it for you. Take responsibility, communicate clearly, be consistent and SHOW UP.?In every sense of the word.?And when you're wrong, apologise. A simple (and sincere) sorry goes a long way.

But don't suffer fools?either

That client who doesn't value you? Ditch them, politely.?If I have one rule in business since I sailed past 40, it's about putting boundaries in place and holding them. I had to learn the hard way, but now I am FREEEEEE! I recommend it.

Get Feedback: Get Better

Ask for feedback so you can improve what you do and how you do it. Whether it's via a short online survey or over a coffee, find out what's good (or not) about your work. Most clients will share if invited to do so. Even better if you can structure feedback into your work process so it becomes a matter of course.?

Learn to Focus

Give your attention to one task at a time. Focus is the new currency (see Terence Mauri on this). Multi-tasking dilutes your focus and, along with it, the impact and quality of your work. Science backs me up here.??

REST

And I don't just mean sleep. As this recent Irish Times article says, sleep and rest serve different functions. Doing nothing, even for 10 minutes every day, gives your brain and body a chance to rejuvenate. Turns out staring into space can be useful! And yes, I know it's not easy to rest. You, like me, may have to LEARN to rest (and no, ‘resting’ can’t be any activity where you’re on your phone).?And if people close to you tell you to slow down, consider paying attention.??

Take Time Off

Holidays are rest's long-lost cousin. Schedule them in, even if you're just staying put. As a freelancer, work can creep into your life like smoke through a crack. Don’t give it that chance. Avoid burnout by consciously carving out time to restore your energies. Give clients plenty of notice and timely reminders, and most will be good with it.?

Learn from others

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There’s always something new to learn from how others approach their work. Watch, listen, take stock. Or even better, ask. Most people are happy to share what they've learnt over a coffee, call or email.

Celebrate the wins

Put a system in place for securing client testimonials. And when you get nice feedback from a client (or regular work) thank them for it.?Gratitude, as they say, is the attitude.?A bottle of wine/flowers isn’t always necessary. Sometimes a text is enough.??

The Work Around the Work:? Staying on Track

Put in place supports and systems that work

Admin can make you lose the will to live. You WILL need to do it, but you can - and arguably, should - outsource things like book-keeping. I nearly had a breakdown doing my first tax return myself, but my accountant gets it right every time.?And the apps available are astonishing; Otter literally transformed how I work with some clients.?If you can afford it, get a critical illness or income protection plan. The peace of mind is worth every cent.?

Track leads on a spreadsheet

Yes, make friends with Excel/google sheets so you can assess where work is coming from (referral, LinkedIn, etc) and how long it takes to go from initial inquiry to completion of the first project.

Having a clear 'map' of work you're doing/pitching is also a handy daily reminder to sow the seeds for future work as often as you can. Over time patterns emerge and you can leverage these to secure more of the work you want.

Thrash out the brief to the nth degree and then some

As my brother Simon Fallon puts it, it really is a case of 'sh** in, sh** out' when it comes to the brief. Insofar as possible (because some things will always be out of your/their control), get absolute clarity at the outset on (a) what the client wants and (b) how you will deliver it.?

And you can’t always expect the client to be clear on everything - often, not having all the answers is one reason they choose to bring you on board. So,?ask the right questions and together tease out the nuggets.?Then in the brief…….. Spell. It. Out. The project, and your relationship with the client, will be all the better for it.?

Get the scope right

Early in my career I didn’t have a clue that I needed to consider (and charge for) ALL the time I spend on a piece of work — the phone calls, emails, meetings, research and the rest.?I also didn’t understand that different clients work differently. Some trust your experience and give you latitude. Others need more control, or have none so can't stop adding extras.?It's only with experience that you can tell one from the other.??

You don’t necessarily have to choose between them, but your fees should reflect the extra time you’ll inevitably give to the second type. Otherwise you'll just get resentful, which is good for no-one and nothing. And it will be nobody's fault but yours. So listen to your gut if you sense someone will take up a lot of time or assume their time is far more important than yours. Either way, use a robust system to track the time you spend on a project.??

Submit a Statement of Work (SOW) for every project

An SOW puts all deliverables in black and white so both parties can refer to them should questions arise later about what’s included in the brief (and the fee) or not. Your SOW should include the number of revisions (I usually include two) and details of your fees for any further revisions.?

Get a Purchase Order number

Do this well ahead of time if working with a new client. Your invoice will be? processed faster. Some big companies can take months to onboard a new supplier. You just need to ask.

Keep your invoices timely

ALWAYS invoice promptly after a project is finished, or at the end of the month if on a retainer. If you delay, the message the client gets, like it or not, is "It's not a priority." So make it one.?On the client side, timely invoicing means they get no nasty surprises down the line when yearly budgets are running down. Be timely, be fair, and you’ll hopefully be treated the same.?

And be clear about payment terms. I’m a solopreneur so mine are ten working days from invoice submission, and 95% of my invoices are paid within that time-frame.?

Keep learning so you stay current

You can always level up your skills, and the accessibility of online learning means you’ve no excuse. Any costs can be offset. If you live in Ireland, your Local Enterprise Office offers an amazing array of free or low-cost supports and courses for small businesses and solopreneurs. Use it.

Find your tribe

Full-time WFH was not for me. Particularly after Covid, I needed stimulation, collegiality and NOT to be looking at the same four walls every day.?So I returned to the Fumbally Exchange , a loose but intentional co-op-style work community near Dublin city centre. My desk share is not a huge outlay financially, I have more fun and connection, and I'm more productive. Oh, and my daily steps count has quadrupled! Consider a desk-share/part-time space if you find yourself losing your mind WFH or just not as productive. It doesn’t have to cost the earth.?Or join a network of like-minded people where you get the support you need.

Learn how to market yourself — properly

In freelancing, it's alarmingly easy to forget to work ON the business rather than just IN it. I can't recommend Finola Howard 's courses highly enough. She's a straight-talker, you'll learn loads and you'll be accountable!

Be sure to tap LinkedIn and any network you’re in too as long as it’s one that actually generates real value for you. If it doesn’t, find one that does.?

Finally, at the very least, ASK people who love your work to tell others about you. And if you get work as a result, remember to thank them!?

I’m certain there’s a lot more that I’ve still to learn about being a freelancer. And I look forward to learning it. Freelancing can be scary but it’s also exhilarating. It can certainly change your life for the better if you let it.?Working for myself has also given me the space to transform my health.?

But that’s another story.??