Last month, I wrote an article entitled “What I’ve Learned As A Freelancer“. That was part one, and discussed the importance of communication. That really is part of retaining focus on your client’s needs. Part Two focuses on your needs.
The term “Who’s The Boss” probably brings up visions of Tony Danza in a hopelessly 1980’s northeastern household, or if you’re like me and was a junior high boy in the 1980’s, visions of Alyssa Milano in a denim jacket start to cloud your brain– but I digress.
In freelancing, it’s important to remember that you are the BOSS! Not Bruce Springsteen, but the guy in charge. Really. I know it sounds obvious, but this is YOUR business. It’s YOUR company, YOUR rules, YOUR livelihood. Many freelancers never get out of the corporate mindset. You may have left your corporate job for the freedom, the money, the control, but never really break into the right mindset. What does that mean?
1. It means you don’t have to take every job that comes down the pipeline. You may feel desperate – bills are looming, and you want to take every job you can get your hands on. And to be fair, sometimes you have to scrape for every dollar you can get. But YOU’RE THE BOSS. That means you can assess the hidden costs and turn down a job that appears to costly. Will this client be so needy that you spend 2 hours coddling them for every 1 hour of actual work you do? Will this client be so demanding that you lose your motivation and end up doing a crappy job? Will you have to incur expenses you can’t bill back? Will this client take an extra 60 or 90 days to pay? If you can identify these things up front, you’ll save yourself time and money by either turning down the job, or charging what I call the “high-maintenance tax”… bid it out to compensate you for the headaches you’re about to get into. Not all of these things can be identified up front, but after a few high-maintenance jobs, you’ll learn to spot the signs quickly.
2. It means that when it comes down to it, you set the policies and procedures. If you’re not used to running a business, you might find yourself getting run over by clients. If you set your policies and procedures up front, and are clear about them, don’t be shy about sticking to your guns. A client who CAN run you over, WILL run you over.
3. It means that you don’t have to answer to anyone but your client and yourself. This is the part I’m sure you got down right away – if you need to take the day off, and you can still meet your deadlines and pay your bills, then take the day off. Don’t feel guilty about not being at your desk. Some will say the way to succeed as a freelancer is to treat it like a “real job” – work consistent hours, restrict vacation time, and so on. I say that’s a load of bovine excrement. If you want to treat it like a real job, then get a real job! Me, I prefer the reality of being able to work as much or as little as I need to, or want to, depending on the circumstance. There are times when I spend several days putting in immense hours – which is the price I pay for having days where I work very little, if at all. And dangit, if I want to take a Monday off, there’s no one who can tell me no.
Remember – You’re The Boss. You may not look like Tony Danza, but you get to set the rules. Don’t forget why you got into freelance in the first place.
Next time, I’ll talk about workflow. Workflow is really the other side to the freedom issue – that is, how do you keep the lid on your wild side so that you stay organized and productive?
