You may or may not know that I currently work freelance as a private educator (think tutor). This means that I’m my own boss, I set my rates and my hours, and I pay for my own expenses. And today I’m sharing about what I’ve learned so far.
I never expected myself to be a “freelance-r.” The idea of working freelance has often reminded me of that sleazy blond guy in The Devil Wears Prada who seduces bright-eyed Anne Hathaway in Paris. “Freelance” seemed to mean “dilettante,” and not in a good way. Who wants to write that down as their career?
But, while I am by no means an expert, this almost-year of working freelance has humbled me and forced me to grow– as a professional, an adult, and an educator.
As a private educator, I’ve found myself working with diverse families. I love the students and parents I work with, but navigating the ups and downs with each family is different. Such is the experience of a freelancer– clients vary greatly and exhibit a wide variety of needs and patterns.
In order to keep myself going through weeks where I’m quite busy as well as weeks when I have very little work, I’ve compiled some of the lessons I’ve learned this year.
6 Lessons I’ve Learned About Working Freelance
1) The “Economy of Relationships” is real.
When it comes to working freelance, relationships with clients are all you’ve really got to go on. They’re the ones that recommend me, rely on me, and trust me to do the very best I can in enhancing their child’s education. What keeps my job secure is that relationship— and of course, the fact that I achieve results. Read more about the Economy of Relationships in this Forbes article.
2) Going the extra mile will get you further than a mile.
There’s a fine line between exceeding expectations and overworking, but I’m talking about the former here. Just because someone doesn’t ask you to do something, doesn’t mean that you don’t do it. In fact it’s the opposite. It’s done wonders for my business and my relationships to go the extra mile for my students, whether it means putting together a review packet, helping them find sources, or choosing books for them from the library.
3) Being a professional sometimes means assessing your clients’ value.
Believe it or not, sometimes I say no to an inquiry, and not always because schedules don’t line up. I’m able to tell when a client is going to be a good client— someone who communicates, does their end of the work, shows up on time, pays without complications, cares about progress, etc. If a potential client seems unlikely to make the most of my services, I kindly let them know that I am not available.
4) Give something a try before you choose not to offer it.
Sometimes we decide we’re not fit for a task before we give it a whirl. And we can be right about that, but we don’t know for sure until we’ve tried. I worked with a student last week to study for the SAT’s the afternoon before. I had never done it before, and felt bad that she was literally cramming for a long test (a huge no-no). But the session went well! That said, I learned that I probably wouldn’t do it again, and have realized I do not enjoy offering test prep services.
5) Earn flexibility with consistency and appropriate boundaries.
Sometimes people forget that a freelancer is not their personal assistant. While I want them to feel cared for and catered to, they have to realize that I serve other students throughout the week. Balancing customer service with earning their understanding means that I have to be on top of it all the time. I’m never late, I check in often, I always respond quickly, I ask for feedback– and then when I need to go out of town for a week, no one questions my dedication.
6) It’s only worth it if you love it.
Freelance is hard. I personally have found it quite preferable to having a boss, but there’s much less scaffolding holding my business up. It’s unlikely that all of my students will cancel my services within a week, but clients do come and go, and I have to continue to look for them. I’m also in charge of my own professional development, marketing, content and client relationships. Furthermore, working part-time usually means a smaller spending budget and slower investment. All of these things are only worthwhile if you love the job.
Have you ever worked freelance, or are you planning to one day? What tips and experiences do you have? I’d love to know!
Number 3 is very important, if not crucial. I’ve read so many articles claiming that in order to be a good freelancer you have to work on every project you’re offered just to get publicity and experience. This way of thinking is just wrong. You can be a newcomer to freelancing but still have some boundaries about your work. In order to build a successful freelance business you have to be at least a little bit picky about your clients.
Love this post! I actually want to get into freelancing this year or next. I have many ideas of different types of freelancing I could try that uses my various passions. I like the idea for many reasons, because I have social anxiety disorder so I can put interactions more on my terms, it’s more flexible, I would be my own boss, and I could be more creative. I’m happy to hear freelancing is going so well for you! <3
Ah thanks, friend! Yes, difficult clients can be awful– especially when you give samples and such and they cancel. I tend not to have that issue so much as people who reschedule all of their appointments last-minute!
Thanks so much! 🙂 I really appreciate you stopping by!
That’s good to know! Most of my clients will hire me on the spot because they need immediate help… but I should remember that some people might hire me later if they realize they need my services.
Wow girl, you’re awesome! I freelance in design work and photography and sometimes it can be so tough! There are some clients that are just so difficult to deal with (like the girl who ordered 5 bridal shower games and then after I had sent her proofs of all of them and it came time to pay her invoice, she decided she really only needed one)…but it can be super rewarding! I love what you’re doing!
Whew! Free lancing is such hard work! Way to share your experience and help others on their journey 🙂
My husband left his job almost three years ago. One thing we’ve learned is you might meet and pitch and hear nothing for months…but all of a sudden they will contact you ready to begin working. It’s not necessarily immediate.
Aw of course! I’m sure there’s tons to discover in terms of what people need and what they’re looking for. Good luck, friend!
I’m really glad this resonates with you Sam. And yes– I’m learning alongside people in tons of different professions. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Thank you so much Anita!! 🙂 Capsule wardrobe post is going up tomorrow!
Haha, thank you so much for that little compliment 😉 I think it’s a combination of the area and like you mention the priorities of the area I’m in. You’re right that freelance (certainly makeup freelance) tends to appeal to more affluent clientele. I’m currently in the process of brainstorming services that I would want as a makeup consumer in the area I live in… So, we’ll see. Just have to enjoy the ride of life and see where all this takes me!!
Much LOVE!
As someone who has been a nanny and a private tutor to many families, this resonates with me. There are a lot of pros and cons to freelance type work (even though mine wasn’t as serious as yours). What I like most about this post is that you can apply most of your tips to any job. Especially #2. Going the extra mile makes a world of difference in business.
–Sam
http://www.BesosFromAmerica.com
The “relationship economy” article is so interesting, and so is yours! Can’t wait to see your capsule wardrobe post as well. 🙂
Always, Anita
Wow, yes finding a client base can be SO hard. I think that discovering how much of a need there is for private education was a huge encouragement for me to pursue it. But we do have to consider what the priorities are in our neighborhood and what people can afford! Working freelance generally means that your client base has to be relatively affluent. But I’m sure you’re SUCH a great makeup artist and that you do amazing work!
Thank you so much Laura! So good to hear that 8 years into it, you’re still loving it! 🙂
Awesome blog post! I actually started my Cosmetology career thinking I was going to be all about that glamorous freelance life (like the evil blonde before we really catch on to what he’s doing) and live happily ever after. The problem? Freelance can be hard work, and if you’re not in a prime area for that field it can be brutal or even impossible to find work. I’m about a two hour train ride from where the real beauty/hair work is so I worked a few gigs and realized it was either move, or find a new Cosmetology related way to earn money. I’m still totally lost, but my blog has been a major help for me. Your last point of “it’s only worth it if you love it” is SO TRUE. It’s what I learned while I trying the freelance makeup artist life, and it’s what I’m learning now with other freelance ventures. If you don’t love it, don’t force it. As you say, it’s hard work! Thank you for sharing!!
Much Love,
-Stephanie Eva
http://www.stephanieheva.blogspot.com
Great post Daisy! I have worked for myself from home for eight years now. It definitely has it’s ups and downs and the additional stresses you mentioned of finding and keeping customers, but at the end of the day, I love it. I definitely don’t look as cute as you do while I’m freelancing…lol I love that top!
Thanks Shireen!! It’s never too late! 🙂
That’s awesome Rachel! I will say that tutoring tends to happen between 3:30 and 9:30 (at least for me), which is when your own kids will be out of school too. Just something to think about. 🙂 Right now it works well for my husband and me, but it’s also when we’d probably want to be around for our kids through the week.
This is a very good read, Daisy but I have come to expect it from you. Your posts are always well written and very inspiring. I have never gone freelance, I thought of doing it in the past but there was so much fear and insecurities in me that I never took the plunge.
Shireen | Reflection of Sanity
Thanks for this post! I’m planning to probably go into part-time freelance tutoring at some point down the road, largely because I see it offering more flexibility than a school schedule, and when we have kids I know I’m going to want the ability to set my own schedule. It’s helpful to hear what you’ve learned!
Thanks Katie! We’re kindred spirits 🙂
Thanks Amanda! 🙂 Good luck, let me know when you open your shop!
That’s super exciting!! Can’t wait to see your shop 🙂 It does take some time to figure out when to say no, or which service is not a good fit for a certain client. At the very beginning it was fine for me to work with whoever hired me though, because it gave me a taste of the type of diversity that was out there. Now that I have an “ideal” client in mind, it’s easier to say no.
Yes, I used to say yes to everything– I still work with some clients that may or may not have been the best choice at the time. So glad you can relate!
Yes absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing this Sheryl!
This was a really encouraging post! For me, as a beauty blogger, I can really relate to everything you said. It is REALLY hard work sometimes, and frustrating at others, but because I love it…it’s totally worth it to me. 🙂 I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Love your post! (and your outfit is SO cute!)
Aw thank you Kiki! That’s really encouraging and means a lot to me. I really enjoy my job, but like any job, it’s not for everyone!
Thank you Brittany! You are so encouraging, I really appreciate that! And yes, I rely a lot on word of mouth– I’m listed on some websites, but the word-of-mouth market is the way I really want to grow!
Hahahah you’re so kind! 😉
These are great tips when someone is wanting to be a freelancer! I have thought about opening up an Etsy shop for a while so this came at a great time!!
I’m currently working on opening an Etsy shop and then pursuing some freelance work next month. I’m really struggling with #3 – it’s so hard to think of myself as “professional” since I started out by just playing around and am self-taught. It’s also difficult to act professional since I’m so disorganized. . .really need to work on that!
Your points are spot on, Daisy!
Especially when it comes to learning when to decline work. When I was first starting out, I would say yes to pretty much everything, and it left me compromising how much my time was worth. I also said “yes” to clients that I didn’t enjoy working with because they didn’t value my time or see how much value was in the services I offered (some people just don’t “get” it when they hire a freelancer).
It’s so important to respect yourself as a freelancer, otherwise your clients will not respect you either and you’ll be really limiting your earning potential.
Freelance work has pros and cons and isn’t for everyone. I continue to work on keeping my schedule and keeping boundaries with my work and clients. I continue to be a work in progress.
I applaud you for being a private educator. It seems like hard work and not for everyone. I feel like a person has to have a real passion for freelance work and their heart and soul has to go into every ounce of what they do. Thank you for sharing how passionate you are about your job. (:
http://www.accordingtokiki123.blogspot.com
Great tips, Daisy! It is definitely a fine line between exceeding expectations and overworking. Since you’re in charge of your own marketing (and I imagine much of it is word of mouth from current clients), it’s important to deliver. I think it’s so smart that you know when to say no, because this definitely helps you give the very best work to your clients. Also, I just love what you do and how much you love to do it. It really shines through in your writing that you’re passionate about education and working with kids!
Not going to lie…I clicked on the post email SIMPLY because of the adorable picture of you! Freelancer looks good on you! 🙂