Is freelancing all it\u2019s cracked up to be? Sure, it is! But it takes a lot of hard work. And I should know. I started freelancing in 2004 when I was 20 to help pay for college.<\/p>\n
My very first paying writing gig was an article for a teen arts magazine about Irish dancing. I\u2019ve gotta say, getting that first paycheck for $50 was exciting. And that article was certainly a mile away from the subject matter of WordPress. So how did I get here and why should you care?<\/p>\n
Because the freelancer\u2019s journey is similar across professions, that\u2019s first. But second, if I tell you my story, maybe you can avoid some of my biggest mistakes. So, as you embark on your WordPress freelance journey–whether as a writer like me or a developer, designer, marketer, or something else altogether–know this: many people have walked in your shoes.<\/p>\n
Speaking of shoes, maybe it\u2019s time to fasten yours as you walk down memory lane with me and learn tips and tricks from someone who\u2019s been doing this freelancing thing for over a decade.<\/p>\n
After the initial rush of landing my first paying assignment as a freelancer wore off, I struggled. In a myriad of ways. I struggled to find jobs (and I struggled to find ones that paid anything near a living wage). I struggled to promote myself and to develop a good reputation. And when I hit the brick wall called depression, I struggled to submit work on time–or at all. So much for being good at this business stuff. My career was dead in the water.<\/p>\n
Mental health issues aside, my business floundered because, for a long time, I undervalued myself and my work. I’d lower my rates to bargain basement prices and I’d churn out keyword stuffed content for a stream of clients. I wrote for sites about pregnancy, gambling, and even mesothelioma. I distinctly remember a project having to do with asbestos exposure on naval ships. But I digress.<\/p>\n
During an eight-year period or so, I (barely) paid the bills and I was in constant burnout mode. It wasn\u2019t the best time in my life.<\/p>\n
Things did change for the better, however. I had my first child in 2012 and I found a new reason to wake up in the morning. I got super motivated and pursued identifying a niche for myself. I initially chose business and after placing a few high-quality guest posts, I wrote for outlets like QuickBooks and The Motley Fool. Then I applied to work as a ghostwriter for another freelance writer who specialized in WordPress. He got me my first byline in the WordPress niche over at ManageWP toward the end of 2013 and the rest is online history.<\/p>\n
From there, people started to seek me out for writing work. That had never happened before. But it all started because I decided to:<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll get into more detail about those three things below. But for now, know this: no matter where you\u2019re currently at in your personal process of building a career, you can make this work for you. I can\u2019t promise my tips will help you achieve that, but it should give you some insight into what can help you carve out a spot for yourself in the WordPress space.<\/p>\n
Your goals can be anything you want but you need to make sure they\u2019re divided into short-term and long-term goals. A short-term goal might be, \u201cFinish site mock-up by Friday,\u201d whereas a long-term goal might be something along the lines of, \u201cGrow profit by 10%.\u201d Whatever your goals may be, you need to stay accountable to them once they\u2019ve been committed to paper.<\/p>\n
Consistent evaluation is a must as well. You should check-in with yourself at least monthly to make sure everything you\u2019re doing is accomplishing either a short-term or long-term goal–and preferably those short-terms goals will inch you closer to the long-term milestones.<\/p>\n
While there are certainly some people doing business online that are jacks of all trades, not everyone can be Amazon. So, in the WordPress arena it\u2019s important you select a niche that can help you differentiate yourself from the sea of people competing with you.<\/p>\n
Many developers have done this with success. For instance, Laird Sapir is the owner of Memphis McKay<\/a>, a boutique design firm that specializes in WordPress sites for authors. You might think that picking a narrow niche could be limiting but it\u2019s actually liberating. It gives you focus. Plus, it makes it easier to systematize business operations when you\u2019re dealing with the same kinds of clients with similar needs on a regular basis.<\/p>\n If you recall my attempts at making a plugin<\/a> from a while ago, expert coder I am not. And yet I’ve managed just fine because I don’t pretend to be one. I know enough to understand what I\u2019m looking at and I\u2019m able to focus on other aspects of WordPress that are of interest to people like design trends<\/a>, industry developments, and reviews. So, if there\u2019s some element of your WordPress-related business you\u2019re not so great at, don\u2019t sweat it. There are plenty of opportunities to improve your skills or simply focus on an area that suits your strengths.<\/p>\n People make entire businesses out of writing about WordPress (ahem), designing icons sets and fonts that complement WordPress themes, or developing plugins or themes to sell. There is space for you here, I promise.<\/p>\n Think your plate is full and you can’t possibly take on any more work? That can change tomorrow. I\u2019ve had it happen to me on more than one occasion. To combat the flux of freelancing, you should always set aside time to look for new clients and to invest in your own marketing efforts. Freelancing is unpredictable, so learning how to ride the tide is essential for longevity here.<\/p>\n As a freelancer, you\u2019ve got no one else to sell your skills or your business but yourself. If you don\u2019t know how to pitch your services or maintain a positive relationship with clients, you\u2019ll struggle. Learn communication and customer service techniques that\u2019ll make it hard for anyone to say no or let you go.<\/p>\n While you should always continue to do work yourself, it’s important to recognize when you need help and that doing everything yourself can actually inhibit growth. Things to consider outsourcing include accounting, task management<\/a>, and social media. If your business gets so large you can’t handle your client load yourself, bring on another freelancer so you can work together on projects. Your clients should always know this situation upfront, however.<\/p>\n Have a nest egg put aside so that those droughts don\u2019t require you to turn your attention elsewhere (like stressing about incoming revenue or out finding a new job). This can be really hard and it\u2019s something I continue to struggle with. Rent ain\u2019t cheap in So Cal, let me tell you. The good news is once you get used to setting aside a bit of extra money (aside from the percentage for quarterly tax payments), you\u2019ll have a decent nest egg before you know it.<\/p>\n For some reason, egg metaphors are abundant in this article. Nevertheless, another secret I\u2019ve learned over the years is that you need to have a diverse client list<\/a>.<\/p>\n I mean, you are a freelancer, after all. You probably decided to go into this so you wouldn\u2019t have to report to one boss or client anyway. As tempting as it is to hunker down with one or two regular clients, you must diversify. Doing so will mean that the loss of one client won\u2019t take down your business.<\/p>\n When is the busiest time of year for you? When are the slow periods? This is something you\u2019ll have to figure out over the course of a year or two. Once you\u2019ve tracked your personal workflow pattern, however, you can better prepare yourself for each work season. That way, you\u2019re maximizing output and working on other projects or self-promotional efforts to fill the gaps when work is slow.<\/p>\n Your time is valuable anyway, but as a freelancer, it\u2019s everything. With that in mind, it\u2019s absolutely critical you stay on task, keep within preset budgets, and never let your time be taken from you. Using a time tracker can come in handy so you see exactly how long a project takes you (so you can ensure you\u2019re billing the correct amount) and to prevent potential \u201ctime hog\u201d clients from taking advantage.<\/p>\n While you do need to push through sometimes\u2014at least until you can hire someone\u2014don\u2019t ignore the signs of burnout<\/a>. It can be just as detrimental to your business as losing clients. So, take regular breaks throughout the day. Work out. Go for a walk. Getting outside is especially important when you\u2019re cooped up behind the computer all day. And be sure to schedule a vacation here and there, too.<\/p>\n WordPress is always releasing new core updates. Web design trends change. Changes to your target industry can also affect the work you do. The more you can stay on top of your area of specialty and learn new ways to do it better, the greater likelihood you\u2019ll stay in business for the long term.<\/p>\nSecret #3. Embrace Your Strengths<\/h3>\n
Secret #4. Not Interested in Developing Sites for Clients? That\u2019s Okay!<\/h3>\n
Secret #5. Continually Seek Out New Opportunities<\/h3>\n
Secret #6. Work on Your People Skills<\/h3>\n
Secret #7. Outsource What You Can<\/h3>\n
Secret #8. Understand the Feast and Famine Cycle<\/h3>\n
Secret #9. Don\u2019t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket<\/h3>\n
Secret #10. Learn About the \u201cSeasons\u201d of Your Work<\/h3>\n
Secret #11. Pay Attention to Time<\/h3>\n
Secret #12. Don\u2019t Deny Yourself Breaks<\/h3>\n
Secret #13. Keep Yourself Educated<\/h3>\n
Secret #14. Make a Name for Yourself Within the WordPress Community<\/h3>\n