So, you have decided to start your own business and start freelancing? Good for you! It will be a time full of insecurity, anxiety, unpaid overtime, stress and probably some tears. The life of a freelancer!
This thing about freelancing. To let go of everything what financial safety means and to deep dive, with your head first, into the unknown. To start from scratch, with no returning customers, with no plan B or C, and without reliable support from the union or any unemployment fund. Paint your war-paint, put on the bulletproof vest, protection goggles and the high boots. Because you are not going on a sassy vacation ala influencer, you are going out in, knee high, sunbaked shit. You are going to war!
Like a human Swiss army knife
Without a permanent employment, all your income and the whole company economy, often together with marketing, sales and all that comes with it – is on you. You must sell, make sure you are being seen, heard and top-of-mind- You must do the invoicing and make sure you get paid together with doing or at least have one eye on the accounting. And, you must make sure you have coffee (important!).
Often you don’t have any colleagues or bosses to lean on when the days feels extra heavy. To get guidance and counseling from the union, as a one man/woman business, when the boss treats you bad is hard… You are alone, you are by yourself and on route for the unknown wilderness. But, goddamit you will have fun along the way!
Structure is important, but not always easy as a freelancer. At a 9 to 5 job the days are often (hopefully) pretty structured. You have a time when you start, have your lunch and a time when you get to leave. As a freelancer this is something, that surprisingly often, gets tossed out the window. We run to meetings on others terms, we eat a bowl of cereals in a rush in front of the computer because your client wanted to make last minute changes to the ad that was due 11 am, you sit with your face burrowed in your computer instead of the smartphone on the bus/subway ride home just to get a liiiitle more work done before driving the kids to practice.
Freelancing is a constant puzzle to make the life/work schedule work and still have time to work on your goals. But, you have the luxury to completely control your own time. With and without commitments. But, goddamit you will have fun along the way!
BFF for life
As a freelancer you will make amazing connections and relationships with customers. Relations that gives you energy and the feeling of that you are making a difference and contributing to an increase in sales and a stronger brand for your client. You will have clients who will worship you and clients who sees you as a natural part of their marketing team. But, you will also have clients who will try to take advantage of you as a freelancer, that sucks the energy and will out of you. You will have clients who stops calling, who gets displeased by your work or who chose someone else who will do it cheaper.
The life of a freelancer is not easy in anyway. Its time consuming, often lonely and it will give you a few extra gray hairs and wrinkles. But you will have the best time of your life! Because every minute you spend with working for yourself and your dreams instead of someone else’s is always worth the extra dents in your finish. The life of a freelancer!
Love,
Johan
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