Freelancing Mistakes, Lessons, Tips, and Why I Gave Up: Part 1

This piece is originally published here at What The Nomad!

The piece is divided into two parts. Part 1 of the piece talks about my freelancing mistakes that every aspiring freelancer must avoid. And Part 2 refers to a few tips on freelancing and why I gave up freelancing.

When I quit my second full-time job as an SEO content writer, I had two options:

(i) either I find a new full-time job or

(ii) start freelancing and build something of my own.

Without giving it a second thought, I chose freelancing as I wanted to build a business. And it’s pretty contradictory as I left freelancing for a stable job later.

So, what led me to give up freelancing? We’ll talk about it in Part 2.

Without extending, let’s jump right into the mistakes I made in freelancing that you shouldn’t make. And later, we will talk about some freelancing tips and why I gave up.

Mistake #1: No Plans on Lead Flow

So I was sure I would make a living with freelancing if I put in my time and energy, knowing I already had two clients before giving up on my job.

But when the projects ended, I had nothing. I had to hunt for leads every time the funnel dried.

That was my first mistake!

Instead, I should have remained active and attracted clients even though I had a stable flow of projects.

A strong plan will help you with it. Sit and brainstorm where you will get your next project from— before you end the existing one. Identify what will be your preferable lead generation method.

You might have to experiment with different methods to identify what works best for you. If you are getting results through social media, stick to a platform (such as LinkedIn) and leverage it best instead of jumping from one to another.

Mistake #2: Moving Like a Grasshopper

Though I found my first two clients via LinkedIn, I was unaware of how powerful the platform could be. And I would have kept using LinkedIn until I heard somewhere that Twitter is a goldmine.

I was hopping from one platform to another. Be it Quora, Reddit, Twitter, Indeed, Naukri, Upwork, you name it. I was drifting with trends before even decoding the one I started with, i.e., LinkedIn.

The truth is that all platforms are good enough if you know to leverage them. And once you understand this, you understand the game. Then, move to the next medium/platform to expand.

Mistake #3: Had LinkedIn Value Bombs as Breakfast

LinkedIn is home to many freelancers. As per a LinkedIn guide, there are 2 million active publishers on LinkedIn. And you will be bombarded with tons of valuable posts if you have a good number of connections.

However, not everything shared on LinkedIn is worth considering. Many freelancers(offering the same services) have things to tell that worked for them. But it might not work for you.

Few steps that will help instead;

• Create a plan and stick to it.
• Network with the people in your industry who know their craft.
• Build connections with them on other platforms/channels they are trying to grow. Indeed, a great hack to build solid contacts.
• But give before you take, i.e., help them first. You can help with an infographic or feedback on a recent live stream. Later, you can ask for help in the areas you’re struggling in.

I might create a separate post on LinkedIn regarding the same. But let’s move to Mistake #4 for now.

Mistake #4: Became an Official DIY-er

Your networks are going to help you when you’re in deep water. But if you are more like me — trying to figure out everything by yourself — do so only if you have plenty of time to waste. If you want to end the struggle of figuring it out all yourself, ask for help. But as I said earlier, offer something first before you ask.

That’s where I made a mistake! I think a bazillion times before asking someone for help. But you must avoid doing so, especially when you are a beginner.

Therefore, ask more and network with the right people. You can also work with them for free or at a lesser rate and learn from them side-by-side. It is a far better approach than figuring it all out by yourself. But make sure the freelancers you’re working with know their game.

Mistake #5: Became a Sloth

When you pick freelancing, you pick overwhelmedness, confusion, decision-making, and hundreds of other tasks for yourself. No doubt, being a freelancer is no less than starting your own business.

And when you keep piling up the tasks, thinking and trying to find an easy substitute for them — which I did — you lose to your competitors.

Regardless of how much is enough for everyone, one freelancer is a competitor to another. And when I didn’t do what I was supposed to do like;

• creating a social media content calendar
• developing a guest post
• creating content for the next week or month
• cold emailing ‘that company’

I was setting myself back.

Unintentionally, I was finding a substitute for those tasks and ending up doing nothing. The freelancers who began after me climbed the ladder while I was in the same place.

Mistake #6: Thinking Beyond the Theory of Relativity, i.e., Overthinking

When you plan to do something, you often find yourself in a dilemma about whether you are on the right path or not. And the answer lies in, ‘you won’t know it until you try.’

Ask yourself, what could happen worse if you do it? If you can afford the worst-case scenario, do it.

I discovered that LinkedIn was a great platform to attract B2B leads, but I kept thinking about whether;

• it is the right approach,
• there could be an easy way to do it,
• I shall try cold emailing, Twitter, Facebook, or Upwork.

Instead, I could have used LinkedIn consistently for 3–4 months before moving to other platforms. I should have relied on a different lead gen approach if showing up every day on social media wasn’t what I wanted to do.

Mistake #7: Made a Live-in Relationship with Patience!

Be Patient!

You might have heard this many times, but I drowned in patience so bad that I didn’t see that I was losing. If your efforts aren’t enough, patience will lead you nowhere.

So, is there a way to distinguish whether you need to be patient or put in more effort?

The rule of thumb is to set a realistic goal/milestone. If you can’t notice adequate results or fail to achieve the goal on time, you are doing something wrong or maybe not putting in much effort.

For instance, you set a goal of serving at least 5–7 clients in the first three months but got only three clients. In the next three months, you didn’t go beyond it. Neither you;

• Upskilled yourself
• Made more than the last three months
• Nor got more leads than before.

Even worse, you spent the whole month searching for projects. It indicates that you’re moving but not growing!

Mistake #8: Open to Failures But Not to Lessons

I tried LinkedIn, Twitter, Cold emailing, freelance platforms, and guest blog pitching and failed to leverage them. The worst, I didn’t take the learning with me. I go to Google and try to find every new method of lead generation that I could try instead of optimizing the existing ones and becoming good at it.

A destination can have multiple routes to it.

And you have to remain consistent with one path you chose for a sufficient time. You cannot keep switching between different alternatives and expect results. Understand why your approach is not working and what you can do to improve it. Work on the basics and stick to them until you see some results.

Do a self-analysis. Ask yourself whether you are giving your full potential to it. And you might have to do it frequently to get the answer.

It may take time, but it works!

Mistake #9: Waiting for a Season to Leads Come Across

Inbound leads take time (even if you’re doing it right), but you have to be patient with them. However, you don’t need to sit and wait. Here’s what you can try instead — cold emailing.

I started cold emailing too late, but it was fruitful. All it needs is good research and the skill to draft the mail right. I closed a high-paying client of all time with cold emailing.

No doubt, cold emailing is a good bet until your inbound engine ignites and starts propelling.

Mistake #10: Stacking Ideas Like a Bibliophile

Whenever I don’t find leads or seem out of work, I come up with a fresh idea to recharge the funnel. However, I kept stacking and saving them for later — another reason for my setback.

When you have a lot of ideas in mind, write them down and work on the one that is effective, has potentially higher ROI, and takes you closer to your goal.

Mistake #11: Allowing Desperation to Make Money Kill Me

The most significant mistake I made in freelancing is I expected my freelance career to start making money from the first month. Never aim for your business to immediately become the bread and butter for you.

I believe people who succeed in freelancing are the ones least attached to the monetary outcome. In contrast, those who expect their business to become profitable instantly are nothing but blinded by the zeal to make money.

The Law of Detachment;

The harder you wish or try to achieve your goal, the more challenging it will get. One must detach from the outcome to materialize the desire with the least effort.

Here’s how Deepak Chopra explains to practice the law of detachment.

It also depends upon your upbringing and culture because it sets your perception of money. It’s unacceptable for many individuals that if I follow Step 1 and Step 2, money will begin to flow. Contrarily, it is pretty easy for people that have better financial conditions.

The belief is subconsciously fed into our minds that money does not come easily.

The bottom line is if you want to earn money via freelancing, either create a primary source of income that can look after your bills or begin early. The time the pressure is released is the time when things will start falling into place.

Mistake #12: Leaving Portfolio Like a Stale Food in Refrigerator

I always believed I had plenty of samples in my portfolio, but they weren’t. And that’s where I made a mistake.

If I had enough samples to show the clients to gauge the required style, tone, and subject matter expertise, I would have been in a better place.

Keep building your portfolio! If you’re a content writer or marketer, set up a blog. If you are a graphic designer, ensure you have plenty of creatives to show the prospect to get the deal.

New writers can also try guest posting to build their portfolios. You can also help your friends and families with their website’s content and can collect web copies as samples.

Mistake #13: Believing Every Great Freelancer Has Fourarms

I used to believe that people making six or seven figures do it all on their own. I was trying to bring the most out of my daily routine to do everything and be everywhere. I find myself silly now when I think I didn’t know that those freelancers work with a team.

It is impossible to plan, create, distribute content, have clients’ calls, close the deal, and provide deliverables without missing a deadline while upskilling — all of it by working only 5–6 hours/day. You will certainly need more time and resources. The best way to add more hours to your day is to have people by your side to help when needed.

You can also collaborate with other freelancers if the workload surges.

That’s All in Part I

So these were the mistakes that I made when I was freelancing. However, I have a few tips for you if you have plans to begin freelancing.

Check Part 2 of Freelancing Mistakes & Why I Gave Up for tips that will help you in your freelance journey. Besides, I have also talked about why I didn’t continue freelancing.