I was surprised this last quarter at the number of articles from professional publications warning companies about The Great Exodus. Expecting some Moses references about plagues and oppression, I instead learned that more people are resigning from employee/employer relationships because they are feeling empowered by the time spent in quarantine and working from home. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed to people what is most important to them in their life and what they want out of a workplace experience. To better realize what they want out of their work-life balance, people are choosing to run their own business by going freelance. Having freelanced most of my life, I support the increased awareness by individuals of how they work and who they work for. Are you thinking about going freelance or already doing it?

If you are thinking about freelancing or have been doing it for a while, here are my top 5 freelancing tips that I think also happen to be good for life:

Be Skillful: First, identify what your top skills are. This may be a process of testing where you find the most success and where you are doing good work. Don’t just look at your formal degree or training. Notice where you are exceptional. Those skills are the services you offer first. Build from there. Secondary skills are perhaps not the top services you provide but may be complementary areas to build knowledge and round out your primary skill set. Spend at least a little time every week with those secondary skills learning something new or improving an area where you could use some more practice. You may also consider taking on an occasional project to flex a skill you may not be using as much as you want to be.
Listen: Take the time to hear what your business sector is talking about. Attend an event and read articles. Talk to other freelancers and meet with individuals at companies you want to collaborate with. Ask good questions of those you respect in your field and just listen. Cultivating the ability to listen and to be gracious in conversation will be an important skill to practice as you manage your own clients and perhaps hire collaborators.
Explore Diversity: Notice the voices you surround yourself with. Are all your clients, colleagues, and working tools homogenous? Diversity is not just ethnic, so explore and find ways to observe and engage with various expressions of diversity in working styles, nationality, socioeconomic status and within gender, sexual orientation, or any cultural outputs, such as music, visual art, etc.
Establish Boundaries: The best and the worst part of freelancing is the flexibility to build the life you want. You are in charge so think about what energizes you and also provides the revenue you need. Think about when you are most productive and when you tend to need a break from focusing. Do you have kids, a romantic partner/partners, or a pet that is meaningful to you to spend time with? Build your time spent working around what gives your life meaning and then stick to it. It is okay to say no, even if it is to yourself when you want to take a break 10 minutes into your 20-minute focus session. You can always adapt to better meet your needs if a particular boundary is not helpful.
Plan for the Future: Build habits for resiliency, such as an emergency savings account, regular working hours, and a diverse group of mentors. Developing strong financial health allows you to prioritize the jobs that will build a work portfolio you are proud of. Know what you are worth and be selective in taking jobs that diminish your service value by paying you less than what you are worth. Having regular times when you are working and exercising your skill will help you from slumping into despair over stalled inspiration or slower than usual sales. Cultivate mentors who understand what you do and can see your blind spots or just remind you that you are doing good work when the going gets tough.

You got this! As always, I would love to hear from you about your experiences. Connect with me on socials (@e.a.potter) or shoot me an email. Until then, peace.