As the gig economy grows, people are increasingly attracted to freelancing nowadays, and this is the fact that there are far more freelancers around us now than there were ten years ago.
Freelancers are individuals who work on a contract basis with a business or company for a set period. Their clients typically hire them based on their skills, portfolio, and previous experiences.
Though freelancing allows you to have complete control over your life and work schedule, however, everything has a cost, and being a freelancer entails far more than simply ‘being your boss.’
Here are some of the issues that you will experience in the early stages of your career:
Problems related to clients:
- Finding clients- Finding clients as a beginner is a bit cumbersome because no one wants to hire an inexperienced freelancers. It could take weeks or months before you will discover your 1st potential client, with a ‘fresher tag, on your resume.
- Convincing clients- Even if you have previous work experience as a firm employee, your client will be hesitant to believe in your work or hire you because you are a beginner. You previously carried your employer’s brand value on you, but now you must create your brand.
- Pleasing clients- It can be tough to comprehend exactly what your clients want as a newcomer. There are two critical reasons for this: first, you are new and unfamiliar with market terms and terminologies, and second, clients are wary of you since you are inexperienced.
- Dealing with clients- As a newcomer, you will meet various clients, not all of them will be kind. They might try to dominate you. But keep in mind that dealing with these clients calmly will teach you how to negotiate and balance professional relationships in the future.
Problems in representing themselves:
- Selling and representing themselves- A fresher is required to show themselves and their work in the best possible form; otherwise, they may be rejected very quickly by clients. Many non-creative freelancers fail to convince clients that they can do their required job.
- Proper expression of work- A great portfolio determines a lot about where you will stand when you step your first foot in the freelance profession. Even if you are well-versed in your niche, your portfolio must reflect this. This will aid in influencing your client.
- Behavior- No matter how irritated you are because you have been unable to locate a customer for a month or how rude your previous client was, you must always act respectfully, or you may scare away your new potential clients. Your humility is essential when you are a beginner and even when you are an expert.
- Client comes first- A satisfied client is a gateway to your success; thus, bear in mind that your client’s comfort and requirements must come first.
Problems in Managing Finances:
- Payment and billing- Many freelancers suffer payment issues as a newcomer. The majority of the issues are clients who do not pay on time, underpay clients and clients who try to dupe you into doing things for free.
- Budgeting and managing finances- You will not receive your paycheck on the first of every month, as you would if you were a regular 9-5 employee. Some months you will have no money and others you might have many great pay-cheques. You must understand your cash flow in the early days.
- Filing taxes- In the early days’ taxes structure becomes extremely confusing for freelancers, making it quite difficult for them to navigate. Try to understand them the best you can in your initial days.
Problems in Deadlines and dates:
- Deadlines and dates- Apart from natural calamities, nothing can be used as an excuse for an unfinished or late project or assignment! Meeting deadlines should be your top concern since failing to do so may backfire on you in your early days.
- Project delivery time- To better your client’s relationship, you must specify what part of the assigned project you will deliver when. Missing a deadline is considered highly unprofessional
Various problems:
- Isolation- Though freelancing separates you from office politics, as a beginner, you will miss the office setting, The encouragement of teamwork, as well as an extra helping hand from your coworkers in the initial days.
- Lack of benefits- When you leave a workplace, you also leave the benefits that come with it, such as a holiday bonus or free vacations. You will be responsible for paying for your medicals, traveling, and insurance coverage.
- No paid holidays- Every office offers their employees some paid leave for an emergency, such as when you fall ill or if you meet with an accident, which you would no longer receive. You will get paid only for the days you will work.
- Stealing of ideas- As a beginner, you will always be concerned about your ideas being stolen by crooks or not receiving credit and payment for your efforts. Be careful with it.
As a freelancer, you are solely accountable for your actions. Beginning your career in freelancing will be much more complicated than you anticipated. Still, if you can stick to it, you will fully experience all of the perks of freelancing that you have read and heard about.
Edited by: Mahi Gupta
Published by: Vishakha Verma
