The Most Important Things I Learned About Freelancing in 2013

Last June, I left my job in Corporate America to start freelancing full‑time. While it was difficult to give up a steady paycheck and job security, it was a decision that's made me a lot happier. With 2013 finished, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on what I've learned and where I want to take my business this year.

Listening

The most important thing I've learned about freelancing is to listen to my clients. Last fall, I met a prospective client with a great startup idea. After discussing the concept with him, I realized he had so many potential directions that it was difficult to pin down exactly what he wanted to build. Rather than waste his money building a polished product that was likely to change, I worked with him to find several ways he could quickly and cheaply test his ideas. By listening and solving his real problem, I built his trust and turned him into a long‑term customer.

Every client has a different reason for hiring me, and understanding those reasons makes things go a lot smoother. Last year, one of my clients had a team of in‑house developers, but didn't have anybody who could do iPhone development. Another client had developers, but didn't have the capacity to finish a project. Yet another client didn't employ any developers but needed an minimum viable product built. It's my job to solve each one of these clients' problems in the way they want them solved. By catering to the client, I've been able to make them much happier.

Nuts and Bolts

Running a business is hard. Every decision I make affects my bottom line. If I underquote a project, take on a client that doesn't want to pay or screw up, it's my livelihood on the line. The upside is greater freedom and self-fulfillment. However, I understand now why entrepreneurship isn't for everyone.

There's a lot that goes into starting a freelance business. After I left my job, I attended a local meetup on business accounting. It was there I learned the importance of forming an LLC, licensing, insurance, finding a good accountant, bookkeeping, and a lot more about business. It was a lot of work to set up, but it was worth it to legitimize and secure my business.

One of the hardest aspects of being self‑employed is time management. Before I started freelancing, I thought I could easily work forty hours per week. However, I learned very quickly that billable hours are different than hours at a desk job. Finding new clients is time‑consuming. Administrative work leaches at my time. While I'm not fanatical about tracking every second of my workday, I won't charge my clients for extended breaks or lunches. A lot of software development is thinking, which tends to happen even when the clock isn't running. Thirty billable hours a week is a good target and keeps me very busy.

Branding, Identity and Marketing

Over the past year, my favorite clients were startups and small to medium sized businesses. Usually, these clients allow me more creative control and I feel like I can make a larger impact. Unfortunately, my branding doesn't reflect that at the moment. This year my goal is to get better at clearly defining my areas of expertise, the types of clients I work with and why a client should choose me over another freelancer.

in 2013, I wrote several blog posts. Blogging helps me to crystalize my understanding of a topic and is a great tool for marketing. My most popular article was 8 HTML Elements You’re Not Using (and Should Be). It had roughly 30,000 unique page views and close to 1800 shares. While most of the feedback was positive, I did make a few mistakes, and people were not shy about pointing them out. It's always hard to take criticism, but I learned several things I would have never known otherwise, including the importance of scrutinizing my sources. In 2014, I'd like to increase the quality and frequency of my blogging.

Taking a Break

I'm notoriously bad at taking a break. Working 100% of the time leads to burn out, which drastically affects the quality of my work. In 2014, I'll make a serious effort to work less and relax more.

2013 was a great year. I started a business and learned a lot in the process. Here's to hoping 2014 will be even better!