inspiring tales of freelance liberation
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- blaw0
I went full-time solo a year ago, hoping to stay afloat on my own merits.
Today I'm waiting to hear from the Realtor if my offer was accepted on a property, which I'll use to expand the business to include a few employees.
Opening my own design studio: How's that for a getting to be wanted you wanted to grow up to be?
- Nice!Meeklo
- Thanks, man. I'm over-the-top excited about this and the coming year.blaw
- Congrats!arthur
- thats pretty huge!
(thats what she said)kerus - Sweet! I hope to be there soon too, man!ukit
- Dang - good luck blaw!!jevad
- Thanks for the well-wishes. There was a zoning issue, so the offer didn't go through, but I'm heading in the right direction. More to come. :)blaw
- ...direction. More to come. :Dblaw
- former20
Long term game plan is a good point. Human interaction is another.
jevads points are essential too.
Be prepared to contemplate what you want, long term. Freelancing has turned into a rapidly growing business and it takes a lot of time to manage projects, manage clients and keep quality high and plan for ongoing expansion.
Hardest part with growth is finding other talented, hard working people to work with. Reliability and consistency are qualities that are far too rare (unfortunately).
Do what you say and meet deadlines, keep quality high and do whatever it takes to provide what you promise.Networking is key and can help with business and also collaboration and exploration into different avenues, which can be both fun and profitable.
- kerus0
im hoping i dont find myself broke and kicking myself with holes in my shoes in a few months. gonna send out some promo kits and resumes to a few places around here. all i know is i need OUT. i cant stomach another person who doesnt know the difference between the internet and a box of thumbtacks making strategic decisions on the projects.
ive had to code a few projects that should have never seen the light of day. truly truly abysmal work. </vent>
- blaw0
"i cant stomach another person who doesnt know the difference between the internet and a box of thumbtacks making strategic decisions on the projects."
The name changes from 'management' to 'client', but doesn't simply disappear.
*Just goofing, of course. It's amazing how well a well-run project... er... runs.
- It's all the same bowl of pudding in the end.duckofrubber
- at least if it's a difficult CLIENT they can be out of your life as soon as you finish their project - FT you dont have that luxury
himynameischase
- kerus0
i can handle the client wanting dumb shit done, thats their decision to ruin their own work, i will at least have the comp PSDs to keep for myself :)
but when its internal censorship, affraid to take a chance and make something interesting, and the people dont even realize the shit looks terrible, that is a much bigger problem imo.
ive been doin this for almost 10 years now, im not really new to client douchebaggery, i just can't handle my particular situation anymore. ive been here 7 years and am still treated like a total scrub.
im also just realizing that i havent the foggiest idea how to pull in my own clients, but thats a different thread. hehe
- leadtrum0
One thing I learned along the way is to not only keep in contact with good clients, but stay in contact with your peers and make strong relationships with other designers. You'd be surprised how many jobs you can get when other designers get busy. And in return you can reciprocate as time goes by.
Really helps keep a steady flow of income coming in.
- kerus0
who knows, maybe by some miracle ill find a nice small shop around here to meld into
- find a creative staffing agency to throw projects your way...I'm a creative for one and I get 5-10 offers a day for various jobs and positions - an d all I had to do was pass their screening + testshimynameischase
- arthur0
Starting can be a bit rough, so have a backup plan or a little nest egg to get through the lean times. I've been freelance for 11 years and it's great, though it has it's stresses, lots of them, highs and lows. I could never make as much $ as I do working for someone else, that I know. But it can wear on you and your family, though I see my family more than any other working folks I know.
- Soler0
I've been indie since February of this year, and it's still hard to tell if I can keep it going. I work with a recruiting company that sends me on gigs to various agencies in town to make ends meet because my personal clients don't yet pay the bills completely. So far I make about the same as I did FT and I work far less. And being somewhere 9-5 is much easier to stamach when you know you're out of there soon - being freelance in an agency is pretty awesome. I was feeling the same aprehension but in the end - it's worth a try right? The worst that can happen is you fail and have to get another job. At least you know you tried if you go for it. Personally, I'd rather deliver pizzas to make ends meet before i get another FT 9-5.
- fyoucher10
Been freelancing for almost 9 years now, a little over 6 years as a full-time Flash freelancer, only held one full-time position for close to two years. Loved the FT job, made great friends but didn't make very much. Freelance pays great, but if you only work at home like me, then you'll miss the human interaction. That's the only caveat I'd make you aware of. I'm a home-body so I like being home all day. Might not be for you though, you can always work as an in-house freelancer too. Some key tips: Do your best work for every client (big or small), every time, meet every deadline (no matter what), make connections, be professional, never burn bridges, be personable, have fun, do what you love. You'll have no probs being a successful freelancer if you do. But just like Arthur says, it has its stresses, especially when you're first starting out and when you're trying to turn it into something more than just freelance.
Go to this site and sign up for their newsletter, some great articles.
http://www.freelanceswitch.com
- kerus0
i have a few friends making the plunge as well, and some freelance buddies who are egging me on as well. thanks for the pep talk.
probably gonna have to get married before doing this so i can get benefits :O