5 Common Freelancer Mistakes I’ve Made (And How You Can Avoid Them)
One of the best things about freelancing is being your own boss — no one tells you what to do.
And one of the worst things about freelancing is being your own boss — no one tells you what to do.
So you play it cool, pretend you know what you’re doing, and fake it til you make it.
In the beginning — even the first year or two — you make a lot of mistakes. With no one telling you how to succeed, you have to first define success for yourself — then figure out how to build it.
I’ve been at this for a while, and trust me when I say I’ve made my fair share of common freelancer mistakes. But the beauty of freelancing is this:
Mistakes are no more than an opportunity to course-correct.
Mistakes are uncomfy, I get it. That’s why I’m going to share some of my own from when I first started freelancing. My hope is that you can avoid these mistakes by learning from me. You’ll make your own, of course, but hey — that’s how you grow. 😉
Mistake #1: Not Opening a Business Bank Account Right Away
When I first started freelancing, the whole “making money” thing seemed a little… nebulous.
People will pay me to write? Really?
Maybe that’s part of the reason I didn’t open a business bank account right away. I was ever-so-slightly doubtful I was going to make any money to put into it.
Spoiler alert: I did make money. And I funneled it all into my personal checking account with the vague idea that I’d sort it out later. Bad move.
Fast forward to tax season: I did sort it out, but it wasn’t pretty. Tax time is never fun, but it’s an absolute nightmare when you have to manually separate your business expenses and income from everything else. Plus, those pesky self-employment taxes have to come from somewhere, and I certainly didn’t have them set aside in a designated savings account.
The thing is, there’s no reason not to set up a business bank account immediately. It will save you so much time and stress. Plus, you can set up a free business account before you make any money. You don’t even have to go to a physical bank — It’s a completely introvert-friendly process.
And if you ask me, opening a business bank account is like signaling to the universe, “Hey, I’m ready to make bank, people!”
Your wallet — and your accountant — will thank you.
Mistake #2: Not Charging Enough
Not charging enough is a common freelancer mistake — especially among women. I’ll be the first to admit — I was very guilty of this when I started.
For the first couple years of business, I charged way too little. And I missed out on a lot of money I totally deserved to be making.
Unfortunately, we as women are conditioned to undervalue our work. We want to give, give, give, and we feel bad charging for the value we create.
The thing is, it’s okay — actually, it’s more than okay — to charge more.
Here’s a quick and easy way to shift your perspective and, hopefully, convince you to raise your prices:
Say you’re a writer who wants to make $10K per month. Fantastic!
You could do this with…
40 blogs @ $250 each, or
20 blogs @ $500 each
See how drastically your workload changes when you raise your prices? The thing is, yes, you could work your butt off and write 40 blogs in a month. Or, you could write 20 amazing blogs and charge a fair price for the value they create. And spend half the time working.
When you max out your workload and you’re still not reaching your income goals, that’s a glaring sign it’s time to raise those prices.
Mistake #3: Working Too Much
Regardless of your workload, you might feel obligated to sit in front of your computer from 9 to 5 every day. I know I did! When I was getting started and trying to fill up my client roster, I felt guilty for leaving my desk before 5 pm.
The thing is, working harder is not the same as working smarter.
For many of us, working 8 hours a day isn’t great for our productivity. Research shows most workers are actually productive for less than 3 hours per day. Most of us won’t get more done just because we sit in front of a computer for 8 full hours.
Despite how much you intend to work each day, it can be a challenge to stick to your plan. When you work from home — and you’re on your own schedule — boundaries between work and personal life tend to evaporate. Just because you can send emails from the bathtub doesn’t mean you should.
Put a limit on when you work. Experiment until you find something that feels good — I encourage you to aim for fewer than 8 hours a day. It sounds counterintuitive, but with reasonable limits on your workday, you’ll be more productive and happy.
Mistake #4: Not Prioritizing My Own Marketing
In an effort to make money and prove to myself that I could do this freelance thing, I took any job that I could find when I first started out. I was too scared my next lead would be my last — so when anyone asked if I could take on a project, I said yes.
It was a good way to get experience, but it didn’t feel good. I didn’t want to be in a desperate position where I had to say yes to every opportunity.
I knew I needed a way to create a steady stream of ideal clients — AKA, I needed to market my business.
Most people fail to market themselves because it’s uncomfortable or they don’t see the need when times are good.
But here’s the thing: When the next project wraps up, you’ll need a new one to take its place.
Here are some ways to avoid the starving freelancer trap and market your business:
Ask for referrals
Send cold pitches
Improve your website’s SEO
Continue doing outreach even when you’ve got a full client load
Treat yourself like a client and prioritize your own marketing. You can’t make this work without money coming in, and a solid marketing strategy is the best way to make that happen.
Mistake #5: Working with the Wrong Clients
Ask any freelancer about a bad client experience, and I bet they’ll waste no time spilling the tea.
Unfortunately, working with a bad client is something most of us can relate to.
Luckily, I was able to avoid any major catastrophes. But I did have a frustrating situation that led to me having to start a completed project from scratch. In hindsight, paying attention to red flags and making decisions accordingly could have saved me hours of stress. 🫠
I can give you some tips for how to avoid messy client situations, but in some regards, it’s a rite of passage you need to experience at least once to fully understand.
Plus, everyone’s different, and my nightmare client might be your perfect client. What’s important is being clear about your expectations, setting boundaries, and taking red flags seriously.
That said, here are client behaviors I’ve learned to be wary of:
Needing constant reminders of your policies.
Missing your scheduled calls.
Asking for major discounts.
Acting rude (obvious, but worth saying!).
Remember, it’s your business. You don’t have to (and shouldn’t!) work with anyone who dangles a carrot in front of your face. Instead, only work with clients you enjoy working with.
Learn from These Common Freelancer Mistakes
I’ve learned a lot of lessons over the past few years of freelancing. And many (okay, most) of those lessons are the result of mistakes I’ve made. And you know what? I’m in a better place because of it.