Leaving my full-time, full-benefits corporate gig was the biggest leap I’ve taken in my life. It was scary, uncertain, and overwhelming, but it was also so thrilling to know that I was taking my career into my own hands.
To be honest, I didn’t make the switch quite like they tell you to. In fact, I didn’t go by the book at all. See, I’m about as impatient as they come, so I really only prepped for the big switch for about 3 months (I’m pretty sure most folks recommend 6 months to 1 year of planning and saving). I made up my mind that I wanted out of my 9-to-5 ASAP and decided I would just figure it out as I went. Everything would work out one way or another.
In retrospect, I learned that my know-it-all self didn’t know it all. I can count on two hands the mistakes I made and the things I would’ve done differently. So here are ten of the most important lessons I learned along the way:
1. At times, you will be lonely.
There’s no getting around it: there will be a culture shock when you transition from a room full of bustling coworkers to a small, quiet home office. In fact, I vividly remember how lonely I felt once the honeymoon phase of my new business wore off.
But I quickly discovered that there are so many ways you can still get human interaction when working solo: in-person client meetings, Starbucks sketch breaks, library brainstorms, the list goes on. Or… you can just get a puppy like I did. 😜
2. Always schedule time for prospecting.
Alright, so you’re a wizard at your craft. You can churn out well-crafted logos like it’s nobody’s business. But if you don't devote at least a bit of time to generating new relationships, your pipeline might just dry up.
When I had my corporate gig, work landed on my desk, whether I was at lunch, on vacation, or secretly not wanting it at all 😈. But the second you step out on your own, you have to be your biggest salesperson. Unless your momma is willing to knock on every door, new business isn’t just going to fall in your lap on Day 1.
So here’s a rule I lived by in my first year: 60% designing, 40% prospecting. This made sure I devoted at least three hours a day to hunting down new work. I scoured every job search site out there, I called each small business in town, and I even made cold-visits to companies in the area. (In retrospect, I don’t recommend the latter, but I’ll dive into that in a future post.)
3. word-of-mouth will take you far.
Here’s a fun fact for ya: 84% of B2B decision makers kick-off their businesses with referrals. That means, a business-owner who is looking to rebrand is more likely to choose a designer who was referred to them by a friend, rather than to hire a complete stranger on Fiverr.
And after witnessing the growth of my business in the past three years, I can totally vouch for that. I’d even dare to say that 60% of my clients have been referrals! This might be overwhelming for someone who is just starting out, but I promise that if you work hard, treat your customers fairly, and produce quality results, new business will come knocking at your door in no time.
4. Don’t limit yourself to local.
For some reason when I started my biz, I was under the impression that all of my clients had to be within a quick car drive. I guess I figured that meeting in-person was a requirement for a conducive business relationship. But once I started working with clients from all across the country, I learned that long-distance is only a phone call away. Now, I have at least 3 timezones memorized and I’ve worked for businesses all around the U.S. and even a few in Europe!
5. make time for personal growth.
I know your first thought: how the heck are there enough hours in the day to drum up new business, churn out current business, and still make time for personal growth?? Well, true, it can definitely be tough. But if that means getting up an hour early or working through your lunch, you really should devote at least a bit of time to developing your craft.
The only way you will become a better designer is if you remain receptive to what’s going on in your field. Here are some of the ways you can stay on your toes as a designer: read about trends on CreativeBloq.com, attend a meeting at your local AIGA, take free classes on Creative Live, or even just follow your favorite designers on Instagram!
Also, while on this topic, I want to stress how beneficial it is to take on personal projects as well. This could mean entering a poster contest, designing a logo for a local non-profit, or starting a design blog. Whatever it is, do something that sparks your fire! These projects will bring so much excitement to your workday and will keep you from feeling burned out.
6. Making your own schedule isn’t all roses.
Everyone seems to have this misconception that freelancers spend their days hopping around local coffee shops and working three-hour workdays. And while it’s true that setting your own hours grants you the freedom to come and go as you please, there’s a whole lot more to the story.
Setting your own hours doesn’t come without a price. Sure, I might have the flexibility to attend a 10am workout, but that means I must clock into work at 6am to clear the projects off of my desk first. Trust me, we put in our time.
In fact, as freelancers, we have a bad habit of working around the clock. When your to-do list is just a few steps away in your home office, it’s so easy to log on and “knock out just a few emails” after dinner. And considering you’re the lifeline of your biz, it’s even harder to shut your work brain off after a challenging day. Oftentimes that 24/7 business mindset can trickle over into your personal life, your health, and even your overall happiness. (It’s something I’m currently struggling with as well.)
7. Spend some serious time learning how to file your taxes.
Ugh, taxes. The absolute worst part of being a freelancer. I haven’t come across a single designer who actually enjoys this element of their business, but it’s obviously something we must all face.
Truth be told: I probably didn’t spend enough time researching this before I branched out on my own. I took a few online courses here and there, but when it actually came time to file my quarterlies, I was a deer in headlights.
Let me back up a bit for those who are new to the game: as freelancers, we still file our taxes annually but we also now have to pay something called estimated taxes. These basically cover the medicare and social security taxes that aren’t being taken from your paychecks anymore.
Not going to lie: these bad boys can be a headache. So here are my two bits of advice for you: get to know Quickbooks and take a class or two on how to fill those forms out correctly. Whatever you do: don’t let your estimated taxes fall to the wayside. The IRS will penalize you if 1) you don’t pay them, and 2) you don’t pay enough. Try to be as accurate as possible, but there’s no penalty if you overpay (you’ll just get the overpayment back when you file your annual taxes the following April).
ORRRR if you don’t want to touch taxes with a ten-foot pole, find a trusty accountant to help you out. 😉
8. Keep your portfolio brand-spankin’-new.
I know you heard it enough times in design school, but you never know when a prospective client will ask to see your work. Invest in a fancy website and keep your portfolio polished with your latest projects. After all, it’s an extension of who you are as a designer and what you’re capable of!
9. don’t take it personal.
It’s rare that you come into conflict with a client, but hey, sometimes it happens. And when it does, my best advice is to remain professional and don’t take it personal. The dispute probably has nothing to do with who you are as a person, but instead about the work in question.
Don’t get your feelings hurt and don’t carry those negative vibes over to your other projects. Take it as a lesson learned and move forward as a seasoned, resilient business person.
10. be thankful.
About six months ago, I started this new thing where I count five things I’m grateful for at the end of each day. In some way or another, being able to work for has always made that list.
Be thankful for this incredible opportunity of being your own boss. Sometimes you’re going to think the grass was greener when you had a corporate roof over your head (particularly around tax season 😜…), but always remind yourself that you’re living the dream that so many others wish they could. Freelancing is freedom!
Fellow freelancers: what are some of the game-changing lessons you learned along the way?