Credit: Yuri Arcurs on Photodune

Freelancing comes prepackaged with a lot of concerns (mostly over the next pay check). These concerns can have a negative effect on us. It’s all too easy to fall into a path of neglect and poor health habits. For our careers to flourish we need to stay healthy, and not go down the dark road so many freelancers follow of ignoring their health.

Whether it’s that 24 hour session you pull off to finish client work on time, or the high blood pressure you gain from explaining to someone on Skype that you don’t do spec work, we are all affected (to some extent) by the rigors of our profession. As with most things in life, it’s better to tackle the issue head on, rather than await the inevitable burnout that is sure to follow.

Self-Regulation is the key to any successful, healthy freelancer, and knowing how you can improve a situation is central. Being healthy allows us to do our jobs better, remain focused on goals, not have to spend two weeks in bed feeling like you got hit by a truck, and it also allows us to live longer lives (which hopefully will suit those of you who do want to retire at a ripe old age).

We have day jobs, dependents, and responsibilities at work, so getting the balance right isn’t always easy to accomplish; however, there are proven, straightforward methods for keeping your health on track.

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Credit: Patrick Gaudin on Flickr

For some of us, the progression from a full time career to a freelance state of mind can be as easy as handing in the notice and running for the exit. However, for others the transition can be full of worry, stress and anxiety.

I’ve been pretty lucky in my freelancing career. My progression from hobby to job was sudden and straightforward (to the extent that I’ve never actually worked for anyone other than myself!), but there are many people who are currently sitting at their office desk, looking for a way to follow suit.

For some people, the event that triggers anxiety is being the only (or primary) source of income for a household (putting added pressure on a consistent pay check), for others the business side of things seems like a dark art full of mystery and complicated rituals. While both of these are valid concerns, I believe that anyone (no matter their background) can succeed as a freelancer, even with these variables at work. It’s all just a matter of learning to dodge a few easy to spot bullets!

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photo credit: kevindooley on flickr

Being a freelancer is great. You get to work in a way that fits around your hectic lifestyle and while you may initially put more energy into building up a client list (than working for an organisation which already has clients), once you’ve gained a good circle of regular clients and marketed yourself well, you’ve got a career for life. As a freelancer I like to look to the future and consider what may happen when I choose to retire but upon reflection my answer has quite simply evolved into two words: Why bother? Continue Reading

Working with clients is a tough job but someone has to do it, and most of the time it’s us! While the concept of giving your clients exactly what they ask for seems a daunting task, I’ve come to accept that there are certain invaluable truths which freelancers need to underpin. It’s an unfortunate fact of nature that we will all suffer at the wrath of a bad client at some stage, but using the following five essential rules, you can build a client relationship that makes the most of your abilities. Continue Reading