It Is Okay To Say NO As A Freelancer
When building your portfolio as a freelancer, you may be tempted to take on every gig that comes your way and you may constantly sell yourself as the best fit for new leads.
If you also think of the economic challenges in a country like Nigeria, your hustle game has to be A1 to make a living — but as a freelancer, there are times when NO should be your answer but the question is how do you know when?
We’ve put together indicators that may require you to turn down a freelance job:
When you are overwhelmed — There are times when you have too much on your plate and it is advisable to decline new offers. Taking on too many jobs at the same time ultimately leaves you burnt out (mental strength, work and personal relationships) and you find yourself doing many things at the same time haphazardly.
Essentially, you need to define your limit according to your capabilities in order to deliver your best work. Once defined, it is better to drop lower paying jobs for the ones that pay more; this allows you to earn more money while working less.
Overall, the point of freelancing is to make money while owning your time so a little more freedom while getting paid isn’t a bad idea.
When you don’t buy into the idea — Freelancing brings different spheres of projects your way and to be honest you can’t control them. But when a project comes your way and you generally don’t buy into the idea, it’s okay to say no to it. Loving the job you do helps you to put in more effort, passion and even some extra research to gain more knowledge to execute better.
If a job doesn’t align with your interest or passion it is very okay to turn it down— its your call.
When you are being under-paid — Sometimes the remuneration that comes with a job just doesn’t cut it; especially when you’ve spent your earliest freelancing days accepting everything that came your way just to build a profile and gain experience. So if you feel you are at a point where you need to stick to a value/price you have placed on yourself, it is completely okay to say no to offers that don’t match up.
While regular paychecks are important, it isn’t out of place to say no to a few based on the principles you’ve put in place for yourself.
If you are new to freelancing and it’s path you are looking to explore, you should read this article we published a while back to get some tips on how to get started making extra cash!
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