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Cash Flow Disruption: Exploring the Drivers of Freelancing Volatility
And how to tame them.
The volatility of freelancing can’t be understated.
While it’s possible to tame this beast by instituting retainers and taking a proactive approach to client acquisition, I think it’s also worthwhile to analyze the drivers of volatility by exploring real experiences.
From Expansion to Contraction: The Rise and Demise of My Longest Client Relationship
My longest-running client was an auto refinancing company, which had an in-house editorial staff who outsourced articles to a group of freelancers. Their goal from day one was to build out their blog, boost their SEO rankings, and drive targeted traffic to their site.
From February 2020 to December 2022, I wrote 50+ articles for their blog, at about $500 to $600 per article. The math works out to a regimented two assignments per month, with an occasional third for good measure. But, surprise, it was a much messier inflow of work, as you can see in the chart below.
Let’s explore the events or “drivers” of this volatility.
