Last year, I went Freelance and I still stand by that it was one of the best decisions of my life. That said I’ve learnt a lot in a short space of time and why not share it with you all?

If You Want Something, Go And Get It.

Opportunities aren’t handed to me, if I want to do something I have to chase it. Whether that’s by going to networking events, connecting with people I don’t know on Linkedin, sending a tonne of emails to people who have no idea who I am, and most of the time ignore them. It’s all part of getting where you want to be.

You Have To Think Positive

I learned pretty early on that if spend all your time worrying things will fail, they normally will. So, I normally throw myself into things and believe they will work out – doing everything to make that happen.

I have a motivation wall next to my desk and you’ll regularly see me sharing positive posts on Instagram (@chloemetz_ if you want to follow!). Positivity isn’t always easy and there are days when all I want to do is lie in my bed and hide, but, being negative won’t get you where you want to be.

People Will Project Their Fears On To You

I had a lot of people thinking I was insane for going freelance. That I hadn’t thought it through, that I was too young, etc. Later on, after speaking to other freelancers, I realised a lot of people were projecting their fears on to me. They couldn’t imagine themselves doing it, so they didn’t get me wanting to.

You know what’s right for you, so just let it go over your head. Mostly, people say this kind of thing because they care, although you will also encounter people who are just arseholes.

You Need To Get Educated About Your Money

I’ve always been very conscious about money, but this isn’t the way for everyone. When I was working as a full-time employee I knew exactly what I made in a week, a month and how much I paid into taxes. I initially used this as a basis for what I needed to earn as a bare minimum.

That said, I’m not an expert. I’ve had to spend a lot of time looking at taxes and making sure I’m putting enough away to cover them. I also need to look into a self-employed pension – something I’ve been putting off…oops. But if you do splurge a little one month? That’s ok! I’m guilty of this, nobody is perfect.

What’s The Worst That Can Happen Is The Question To Ask Yourself

When I email a business or try to connect with someone on LinkedIn I have to think – what’s the worst that can happen? The worst they can say is no and then what have you lost? Nothing.

Connecting With Others Can Get You Work

For some reason there’s this idea that other people in the same industry are your competition. Actually, connecting with others can be great for work opportunities as well as being great to discuss your industry with people who get it.

Sometimes Things Don’t Work Out, That’s Ok

I’ve had things not work out with clients. There are so many reasons this could happen – they don’t have the budget anymore, you realise that you don’t work well together and everything is a struggle and sometimes they’re just short term.

It’s part and parcel of being a freelancer. Sometimes you’ll make a mistake or the situation changes. These things can be super scary and cause a lot of anxiety. Know that it’s ok to have a bit of a freak-out or be anxious about how things are going to resolve, it’s human.

At Some Point You Will Freak Out – That’s Normal

That feeling of ‘what the hell am I doing, I can’t do this’ is felt by every single freelancer. If they say that they have never felt this way then they are lying. We all do to varying degrees.

Of course, you’re going to freak-out! Sometimes it looks so much easier to just go get a job and know you have the stability, the routine etc. That’s fine, BUT, don’t make any rash decisions. Take a deep breath, have a cup of tea and sleep on it.

No One Knows What They’re Doing

Not even the people who have multi million pound businesses actually know what they’re doing. They might say they do but they’re almost certainly lying. Plus, what works for one person won’t necessarily work for others too.

You do you.

Know Your Worth

It’s hard in the beginning to know exactly what you should be charging. There’s so many different factors. When I started out I literally googled what other people were charging as a daily rate and went from there.

You’ll probably find in the beginning you’re kind of making it up as you go along but as time goes on you get more confident, know what you can offer and what you should charge. It takes time.

Is there anything fellow freelancers would add, or maybe you have questions. Let me know in the comments below!