No matter how empty your portfolio is, never do free work to fill it (or super-cheap work, for that matter). Your client will think they can walk all over you - and although I hate to generalise, I found it to be doubly so if they’re a non-profit. Have faith in your skills and charge what you’re worth, after all, you don’t ask to see a plumbers portfolio before he unblocks your toilet!

Say No To Spec!
http://no-spec.com/

Always use contracts for every client, friend or family.

Love what you do.

Sounds simple, but it can be a hard thing to do.

If you’re freelancing and you find yourself unhappy with being a business or with your clients or projects, your work will suffer.

Love what you do, and your work with glow.

STAY POSITIVE!

The worst thing for your productivity is to get down in the dumps. So what if a client didn’t accept your proposal? There’s someone else out there who knows what you’re worth, and how talented you are. You’d much rather be working with them, than with the client who thinks you charge too much.

Looking on the bright side makes it much easier to live with the decisions we have to make on a day to day basis. This is where having a good support structure is very helpful. Friends, family and significant others are always happy to give you that confidence boost you need, just when you need it! This isn’t just good advice for freelancing, but for life in general.

Be patient, success will come with hard work and a little luck…

Learn to do a great job marketing yourself and your services. There are ways to do marketing that cost money, some that cost time, some that cost both and some that are ineffective. Do as many as you can and learn which is the best way to lure your best clients.

Handle your freelancing like a business where your family depends on your continued success instead of as a way-station to the next full-time job.

Be helpful. This is also a great tactic for selling to clients without actually feeling like you’re selling.

Act like everything you do and say and write is going to be seen/heard by at least 100 potential clients. This goes to @Henry’s comment about professionalism.

Spend money to make more money. In other words, if a tool costs $100 and saves you 20 hours a year, it’s worth buying. Save as much as you can for a rainy day, because there are always going to be rainy days.

The idea behind freelancing is not to just sell your service.

We have all seen some of the great media freelancers online that could not sell their service and ended up back in a cube thumb-tacking frowny faces into the mesh barriers of their new prison. You need to ultimately understand the basics of customer service and know that regardless what others might say, showing some level of professionalism when interacting with others will never hurt.

Sure we can all put on this artsy fartsy mentality because we are designers, kings/queens/or both (for some) of the online media. But let’s face it … is that the image you really want to sell to people?

Be more than just a freelancer. Be a professional at selling yourself because you are your company.

All of the above are great tips. Might I add two?

- Have a great network of friends and allies - people to exhalt to, comisserate with, bounce ideas off of or otherwise just help when you need a nudge or an ear. Mine is my wife. But I also have a mastermind group and a couple of peeps I can just chat with.

- Persist. Cash flow woes will bring you down. Droughts will come. Tomorrow will look cloudy - sometimes. As a friend once said after a particularly lousy sales trip, “Everyday can’t be Christmas.” Ah, but for the professionals among us, persistence pays.

Almost 20 years after starting this gig, I still heartily believe that!

steady progress and consistent work. you are unlikely to make it ‘big’ in a year - just keep at it

MARKETING - MARKETING - MARKETING …. Make sure you’re marketing is in place and running smoothly. Without it, how much harder will it be to attract clients and potential site viewers?

Also, NO SPEC WORK! ever….. I mean, ….. EVER

Learn about business, don’t only concentrate on the work and your field but consider yourself a business complete with a business plan and all. Set goals to measure your success.

The #1 mistake I see people making in freelancing (and this goes for experienced freelancers as well as new ones) is allowing insecurities to dictate how business is done (i.e. not using a contract because it seems intimidating, not charging more because of fear how clients would react, not networking because of shyness, not defending a piece because of a fear of seeming pushy, etc etc). So my #1 piece of advice is: Do whatever it takes to become confident and fearless. Step out of your comfort zone and try at least ONE thing that you feel timid about every month. Cold-call a client, raise your rates, take on a new type of job, expand your skills to something you’ve never tried, get your paperwork in order, get your finances in order, say “yes” to an invitation that you feel nervous about, put yourself out there more.

Remember that freelancing is incredibly lonely! Make sure you have people in your life you can rely on and talk to, not just about work matters. The absence of co-workers and bosses may seem like a blessing, but being alone in a career makes the overall journey that much harder.

My advice would be simply to think twice about your professional [and personal] relationships. Do you have a mentor? Partners? Peers you can bounce ideas off? I hope so, because it’s hard to find them as a freelancer.

Fantastic tips everyone — what a wealth of advice!

My suggestion would be to provide fantastic customer service. Not in the sense that you let clients walk all over you, but that you’re professional, communicative and polite. If you make it painless to work with you, you can charge big rates and still get fantastic referrals. I think the #1 thing people want from a freelancer is really an *easy* experience.

Another vote for the ‘don’t sell yourself short’ message here! I recently didn’t get a contract because I appeared too good to be true - my quote was too low and the potential employer viewed this as a weakness. I learned a lot from this and won’t be doing the same again. Charge what you are worth, the person or business that you are trying to get work from wouldn’t undercharge you, so why should you undercharge them?

totally agree with getting an account first thing. I didn’t my accounts were a mess and got roaylly screwed when it came to sorting it out.

Be prepared: People want scrolling text, midi files, ‘under construction’ signs with little men with spades and hit counters. Develop your powers of persuasion early on and all will be well.

Don’t be afraid. Stick to it. Lots of people will not understand, but don’t worry about them. Persevere.

OK, technically that’s four things– but they are all closely related.

Always express your appreciation to clients, vendors and peers sharing advice.

I would say don’t overwork yourself. Remember why you got into freelancing and the advantages it offers. Make sure you get out and enjoy life - hike, bike, swim, whatever you love to do. If your life in general is not better because of freelancing then its not worth it.

(Also, exercise!)

Dig your well before you’re thirsty.

Along with the wonderful advice from these clever commentators, I’d like to add this simple concept that I wish I’d known at the start of the executive career that, 10 years ago, spawned my own business. It’s the title of a great read by Harvey MacKay and, as you can guess, means to broaden (not just widen) your circle of friends, colleagues, acquaintances, professionals, experts, vendors, competitors, etc. NOW so that you have a current, useful, supportive, mutually beneficial relationship with them when you do need their support, advice, ear, opinion, referral, etc. Yelp.com may help you find a local dry cleaners, but when you really need a go-to guy in your life, your work, your world — meeting them ‘now’ may be too late.

Dig your well BEFORE you’re thirsty.

Some great advice!!!

A few of my tips:

- network
- don’t be afraid to ask good friends to recommend you and sell for you
- manage client’s expectations and be very clear what you are going to do for them
- focus on your business every day in some way, shape or form - it all adds up!
- get your web-presence sorted out -showcase you, as a brand and what you can do

Cheers from rainy England!!

PS Would love to keep in touch with a few of guys and gals across the pond - I think we have a lot to learn from you! If you fancy a chin wag with a friendly English chap, then try me on Skype - jonmossman

“And when he reaches heaven, to saint peter he will tell ‘one more man reporting sir, I’ve spent my time in hell’”

This quote serves great purpose. Heaven is your freelancing lifestyle, and hell is working for “the man: remember this quote. You deserve to be a freelancer.

Base your decisions on opportunity costs, not sunk costs. (And re-familiarize yourself with what these terms mean at least once a month)

Outsource what you don’t have a comparative advantage in. It’s okay (and often costs less whether in time, money, or stress) to pay somebody to do what you are not good at.

1. Whatever your weaknesses are, be honest with yourself and be prepared to hire someone to help you in those areas. Some people I know have lost millions and are shutting down their new business. They were idea people, great with concepts and creating, terrible at business, accounting, and marketing. Due to control issues, ego, and tight funds, they tried to do everything themselves, and now have lost it all, including their house. Spending a little money in the beginning, budgeting, and planning, will save a lot in the end.

2. Have a financial safety net for at least a year, some kind of part time gig or income or saved money; you’ll need it!

3. Coffee! (That’s what brought me to this post.)
Here’s what I have to say about coffee:
http://www.screenwritingforhollywood.com/life-tips/a-writers-best-friend-coffee

(Great advice everyone. This is a fun forum. Thanks.)

Look professional in EVERYthing you do… When I started out, I dressed like a bum, and was compensated accordingly. Now I have collateral, I dress well, keep well groomed, and deal with good and well paying clients.

Don’t procrastinate, DO IT NOW!