5 Beliefs That Will Stop You From Making True Income As A Freelancer
It’s easy to have the wrong beliefs as a freelancer. We are all trying to understand how to make money online, and it’s a guessing game for everyone. I’ve held many of these same beliefs while getting started as a freelancer, but I’ve learned to see the light. Today I wanted to shed light on five beliefs that will stop you from making true income as a freelancer so you can learn from my mistakes. Do you currently believe in any of these statements?
1) Having A Niche Will Stifle My Creativity.
When I first started freelancing, I was doing way too much. I was working with marketing/blogging about blogging, higher education, and human resources clients. I was confusing AF. I don’t regret that time in my freelance career because it helped me get where I am today. I am glad that I have a niche now, though.
When you say things like, “having a niche will stifle my creativity,” you are making it infinitely harder to accomplish something worth talking about. Instead of having a fantastic career in one type of work, you’ll have a fractured work history that’s hard for your clients to decipher.
I guarantee that if you get in-depth with one niche, you’ll never be bored. In my niche of HR tech writing, I’ve talked about the following topics:
Company culture
Diversity
Employee engagement
Generational differences at work
Personal development and learning
Productivity
Office design
Corporate housing
Recruitment
Throwing holiday events
…and so much more.
All of this fits under HR tech, but it’s all so different. I’ve gotten to chat about so many cool topics, but I didn’t have to delve into a new niche to do any of it.
2) They Create Consistent X, So They Don’t Need My Services.
When I first started freelancing, I was so bad about pushing the myth that consistent content creators don’t need more freelancers. As I’ve grown in my business, I realize that this is categorically untrue. Honestly, this statement couldn’t be further from the truth. What it means instead is that they have the budget to create consistent X so they might want another contributor on their team.
You never know how swamped the people creating content might feel. They may realize they need to hire another writer soon, or their current team will implode. You are going to show up and offer them a hand and stop them from drowning in content, podcast editing, graphic design, etc. Don’t be afraid to connect with people who seem like they have it all together.
I am doing great at putting out a podcast every week, but it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t entertain a podcast editor if I had the disposable income (I don’t right now, by the way.) You never know if you don’t ask, so swallow your pride, and get an answer one way or the other.
3) What I Do Is Easy, So I Can’t Charge A Premium Rate.
In an article I wrote for The Happy Arkansan in 2018, I talked about the five things freelancers have to stop telling ourselves. In that article, I talked about the myth that what we do is easy. Everyone cannot do the job that you are doing. Some people can do what you are doing, but they don’t want to. What you need to understand is that your job is easy to you.
Your clients are probably in awe of the amazing work you do for them each day. If you shrink yourself and undercharge for your services, you block out the incredible money you can make from pursuing your creative dreams. Instead of assuming that everyone finds graphic design, writing, podcast editing, etc. easy—stop blocking your ability to monetize your talents.
4) I Don’t Live In X, So I Can’t Make A Living As A Freelancer.
I’m going to let you in on a secret. I live in a super small town in the middle of nowhere in Arkansas. I live so far away from most tech hubs like California or New York. My internet is shoddy at best, and I complain about it every day. I am still able to make amazing connections with HR tech companies across the country and the world. It’s pretty stellar.
Where you live has nothing to do with the living you can make as a freelancer. You can find amazing companies willing to pay you a decent rate if you have the skills they are looking for. Often location is wrapped up in things like the language you speak, which can cause you to have trouble making money with things like freelance writing. Hopefully, your skills can speak for themselves, and the companies you work with won’t judge you or try to pay you less if you live in a different country.
Ultimately, you need to get clear on who you help and build a portfolio and testimonials that support those statements.
5) I Am My Own Boss, So I Don’t Need To Do X.
I think we all struggle with I am my own boss syndrome. When you get started as a freelancer, you are usually doing it to get out on your own and create the kind of environment you can thrive in. Here’s the thing, while you don’t have a big boss, you do need to make your clients happy. There is nothing wrong with this. It’s honestly going to be challenging to move away from owing someone something as a freelancer, blogger, or online creator.
If you aren’t beholden to your clients, you are indebted to the people who read your content or invest in your products. We are all beholden to someone. You can’t make money in a vacuum.
So, yes, you are your own boss. You can choose to hire or fire clients. You have way more control as a freelancer than you would working 9-5. But you can’t just do whatever you want. Your clients deserve respect because this is an exchange. If you are charging your clients correctly, you are making money, and they are getting services that live up to their expectations.
Don’t boss yourself out of a paycheck, but don’t be a doormat either, please.
Conclusion
There you have it, five beliefs you need to unlearn in your business. I hope you found this article helpful as you are building a better freelance business for yourself. I know these beliefs are rampant in the freelance community, so I hope this gave you some insight you can use to become a better freelancer.