Overcome Your Freelancing Fears

Let’s admit it: freelancing can be scary.

There are so many things to worry about (especially if you’re a worrier to begin with). What if you don’t make enough money this month? What if your client hates your work? What if your quote is too high? What if this whole freelancing thing is a giant mistake? You get the idea.

But it’s impossible to move forward when you’re mired in fear and doubt. So what can you do to get past your fears and build a successful freelance business? Here are a few ideas.

1.  Focus on sales first. As a freelancer, selling your services has to be at the top of your list. You could be the best writer/ designer/ whatever in the world, but if you have no clients, you’re out of business. So the next time you find yourself fretting about where your next paycheck is coming from, focus on marketing and sales.

That probably means getting a little bit out of your comfort zone – selling is uncomfortable for most of us. But you have no choice if you’re going to make it as a freelancer, so you might as well start now. Make some phone calls, set up a few meetings, put together a special package and market it online, just do something to get the ball rolling. This is my favorite strategy and always makes me feel better.

2.  If you’re unsure about something, learn more. Never forget that you’re not stuck with your current level of knowledge or skills. You can and should keep learning, especially if there are things you’re unsure about. Worried that your rates are too high (or too low)? Do some research! Find out what the going rates are for freelancers in your field. Not sure how to attract more clients? Learn how. There’s an endless amount of information about marketing & sales out there, and you can get a lot of it for free at your local library.

3.  Consider the alternatives. If you’re truly overwhelmed with fear and worry, consider your other options. One of two things will happen: (1) you’ll figure out that freelancing isn’t really for you, and try something a little less stressful; or (2) you’ll realize that as scary as freelancing can be, it’s worth it – so you might as well put your fears to the side and get down to business.

4.  Talk to some other freelancers. It can be helpful to share your concerns and get support from others in the same position as you. Reading this blog and sharing in the comments is a great start, but you should also try to meet some local freelancers that you can talk to in person. It can be very lonely working from home, so don’t forget to get out of the house and socialize every once in a while. You may find that just getting your fears off your chest makes a big difference.