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Freelancing on the side while keeping a full time job can be a good way to test the waters and save money before plunging in full time. In fact, I freelanced part time for three years while building up the confidence and the clips to succeed as a full time freelance writer.

Though it’s often the sensible thing to do financially, it’s certainly not the easiest. Any part time writer, designer, coder, or other freelancer will tell you that it requires careful discipline and superior time management skills.

Here are several tips on tackling freelance projects while keeping a full time job.

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Let’s face it. Some freelancers don’t always want to be freelancing. Some want out. How about you? Is freelancing what you really want to be doing, long term? Is it a means to an end? Do you have something that you’re gearing up to do? Maybe you haven’t decided yet what comes after your freelance career.

If you have decided where you’re headed — whether it’s into freelancing, out of freelancing, or into a different type of freelancing — do you have a plan for your career transition? Even if you do, you know better than anyone how much time client work takes up, and how much “free time” is left over. You might feel confident that your next career will happen, but do you really have the time to make the switch, and do it properly?

The sum of those parts usually means that many freelancers do not follow their dreams. It’s been said many times before that if you’re sufficiently complacent in your life right now, you have little motive to change it (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). You’re not “hungry” enough. The spirit of your goal might stay with you, but it’ll never have form beyond that unless you “get hungry” and take action. However, that action doesn’t have to be painful, or rushed. Continue Reading

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I was updating my LinkedIn profile the other day and couldn’t help but notice that under the “Independent Professional” heading was the time stamp: 2 years.

Has it really been that long? It sure doesn’t feel like it, but it gave me pause to sit back and think about my career so far and what lessons I’ve learned that can be passed on to others.

Like most people fresh out of college, I focused all my energy on finding the 9-5 staff job. Problem was, returning home from a unpaid newspaper internship in another city, I barely had enough money to put postage on resumes, let alone gas to drive to job interviews.

It was a few days after my return that I woke up to my phone ringing. It was my editor from the out-of-town paper. Something related to their coverage area was happening near me and… could I cover it? Continue Reading

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Recently, Logan Strain wrote at Freelance Switch about the four reasons he doesn’t want to be a freelancer anymore. It’s probably true that most people are not born to be a freelancer — many just fall into this career and are happy with it. Others find it’s not for them, despite what they thought. But can you go back to salaried work?

Vangelis Bibakis of Mainframe.gr offers some great freelancing tips in an unnumbered article dating back to December 2006. However, there’s one point I can’t agree with, from hard experience. It’s in the one titled “Be ready to fail” (numbered with “θ“, theta.) and it says, “If by any chance you see things looking black, don’t despair. You can always switch back to a ‘proper’ job at anytime.” Continue Reading

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1. Play it Smart. The more you plan, the easier it will be for you to make the switch from side-gig to full time professional. Finances are definitely something you should look into and plan for. It may be very possible that you see a drop in income while making the shift.

If you plan for it in advance, it will be much easier to handle. Talk to others who have made a similar career switch and ask them what they did right… and more importantly, what they wish they had done differently. Heed their advice! Blogs such as Escape From Cubicle Nation and Anywired can also provide support and advice.

2. Gather the Troops. Any type of career change is a big move, but switching from employee to freelancer is perhaps one of the greatest moves. And like all great moves, it requires support. So, gather the spouse and kids. Let them know your plans and ask for their help. This can be your greatest asset when making such a transition. Continue Reading

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I’ve been creating websites for about half of my life now — nearly 14 years focused on creating comps, writing code, and, of course, making designs look right in Internet Explorer. I’ve spent many of those years moonlighting, creating websites for clients who didn’t mind me working only at night. But it was only eight months ago that I decided to quit my third job in four years (all of which were decent jobs by the way) and launch out on my own.

Although I’ve really enjoyed the last eight months, I will say that I’ve learned quite a bit about freelancing and myself. Many of these lessons are the more obvious ones like “Work Hard” or “Budget Well,” but there are a number of lessons that are probably not so apparent. Here are eight that I’ve learned:

1. Focus Your Offering
An easy trap to fall into as a freelancer is to accept any work that is offered, even if the skill necessary is not really related to your field. You quickly find yourself promising the finest work in not only web design, but also in print work, content writing, photography, and business consultation. I guarantee that no individual can be all these things, and potential clients that hear you say this will be equally skeptical. Though there may be times when wearing multiple hats is necessary, in general, try to keep your offered skills focused. If your talent and skillset are up to snuff, there will always be work in your niche.

2. Business Skills Are More Important Than Freelancing Skills
A talented businessperson with subpar freelance skills (in whatever field) can still make a pretty good living. But a talented freelancer with subpar business skills is often found working 80-hour weeks for much less than what he/she could earn in the 40-hour corporate world. When you’re freelancing, you’re running a business, and thus, you need to develop those business skills (or find someone who can help or do it for you). There’s no reason why a freelancer should not be able to make a good salary. Continue Reading