
The Ten Golden Rules of Freelancing for Gig Workers
Learning how to get gigs — the economic reality in the gig economy — is the new survival skill of our times. Technological change is a disruptive force, and many jobs today are changing or disappearing entirely. Freelancers who can adapt and respond to the new opportunities being created will emerge as winners in this new gig economy. But how do you become a freelancer? There’s no university degree in freelancing, and jumping in cold can be exhilarating but also disorienting. Here are ten quick tips you can start applying right away to help you get the gig, keep the gig, and keep getting more gigs.
- Never take a gig for granted: All clients are independent entities, subject to their own internal politics and the shifting tides of market forces. Never assume your golden client is going to be around for ever.
- Diversify your client base: While most freelancers start with one or two main clients, your goal is to treat your client base like a portfolio manager does equity holdings, to reduce your risk. If one gets hit with a systemic issue, you’ll have others to fall back on.
- Be ready: Think, “scramble the jets” type ready for any situation. Ready to answer a call, hand out a business card, discuss pricing, submit a quote. Whatever happens to you, be ready to respond quickly and well. Being quick — to respond to client queries, to deliver the goods, to answer questions and adapt to a changing situation on the ground, are all essential traits to develop. Never underestimate the power of the last minute. When a client calls, you want to be the first to respond.
- You’re only as good as your last gig: No matter how great you think you are, or how much of a reputation you’ve built up, you are only ever as good as your last job. Screw up once with a client and they will remember it forever. It’s important to always stay focused on delivering the best that you can and never let yourself “mail it in.”
- Stay hungry: Keep hunting, keep training, keep your eyes and ears open for new opportunities. Your plate may be full this month but you don’t know what’s going to happen next month, or next quarter. Always be open and searching for new ways to ply your trade and grow your client base.
- Teach: The best way to stay sharp and to learn something inside and out is to teach it to someone else. Teaching helps you uncover areas where you need to learn more, and learning how to communicate what you know helps both of you learn a subject more deeply. You need to be the expert in the room on your field of work. Teaching it helps you master your own chosen craft.
- Be frugal: Don’t shoot yourself in the foot when you are beginning by blowing your budget on all the gear you think you are going to need. Take a page from the lean development startup mind-set and work with an MVP (minimally viable product), only changing things when you’ve reached the limitations of what you have. Spend when you see it will bring benefits and help you earn more. Rent when you can and buy only when you can justify the expense as an investment in an asset that will pay for itself in multiples.
- Leverage your downtime: Use any downtime you have to put in place the background documents you need to market yourself and sell your services. When you are not working directly on a paid gig, you should be working on the arguably more important work of building your business — whether that’s writing a blog post, looking for new clients, taking a nano course or networking.
- Ask for recommendations: Once you’ve done the work and delivered your project successfully to a delighted customer, ask them right then and there for a referral or recommendation online. Trust today is measured in 5-star reviews from objective third parties. A core plank in your marketing strategies must include gathering testimonials from clients. Make it a habit to ask for a review immediately when you are still top of mind and your client is feeling good about you. Wait even a day and you may miss the window of opportunity.
- Stay in shape: a lot of time spent alone working at your desk is not good for you, and in the long run will wear you down. As important as it is to keep your business objectives always in the forefront of your mind, you need to treat yourself as your company’s single most important asset. That means making sure you get enough sleep, practice mindfulness, workout and eat sensibly so that you can maintain the level of energy and enthusiasm for life that you need to thrive.
For a deeper dive into freelancing, check out my book Gigonomics: A Field Guide for Freelancers in the Gig Economy (available on Amazon) written for gig workers looking to learn how to become a prosperous freelancer.
