Best Practices for Successful Freelancing

How do you build a long-lasting career as a freelancer, instead of it being a stopgap or short-lived side hustle? For starters, optimize for interesting, focus on financial longevity, and diversify your offerings. Passing the decade milestone as a freelancer, I’ve identified what’s helped to sustain my interest in the work, continue to drive demand from clients, and other insights that have made self-employment a viable, rewarding path. In my latest for Fast Company, I explore lessons in building a long-term practice based on what’s proven effective for myself and other freelancers. ➤ Niche down strategically so it’s clear what you offer, the types of clients you serve, and what’s unique about your expertise. You can’t be everything for everyone, get specific instead. ➤ Consistently share your ideas publicly, whether through podcasting, a newsletter, or otherwise so clients find you based on your insightful ideas and solutions. ➤ Craft a deployable network. According to Lola Bakare, build relationships with colleagues across sectors, and when the time is right, deploy their willingness to support you. “Be very willing to not just ask for help, but surround yourself in help,” she suggests. You can’t just rely on yourself to make it happen. ➤ Secure social proof. “Over-index on social proof. Early in your career, it's essential to ensure you're being taken seriously,” advises Dorie Clark. “The best way to do this is to gather as much social proof - i.e., easily understood and verifiable symbols of your competence - as quickly as possible.” ➤ Prioritize reliability. “This doesn't mean you have to perform perfectly. It means that you need to show that you value the relationship, and have appreciation and respect for clients who've hired you. That means doing what you've committed to doing, when you've committed to do it, and ensuring open communication around that process,” says Melissa Doman, M.A. ➤ Commit to yearly growth by setting aside time annually to go in-depth on a new learning opportunity that allows you to explore a new area of your business or expand upon an existing offering. ➤ Learn from missteps. “We will all make mistakes, and in my early years, I made a costly error when I relied on a verbal agreement with a friend. That experience taught me the indispensable value of contracts. By clearly defining what our services include—and do not include—we eliminate confusion and potential disputes. It's a preventive measure that has saved me from challenging clients,” added Nicte Cuevas. ➤ Pass on misaligned work. “Many freelancers burn out by working for difficult clients at low rates and then quit. They do this because they need the work — any work. If you can help it, don’t go full-time until you have enough savings to confidently turn work down. Even better, don’t go full-time until your business is threatening to interfere with your job,” suggests Josh Garofalo. Read the article below for all the lessons in more detail. ⭐

Let's get real for a moment. You know those months where your inbox is eerily quiet? When you start wondering if your last client was actually your last client? Yep, as someone who used to be a lone freelancer, I've been there. More times than I'd like to admit. Freelancing can sometimes feel like you're on the world's most unpredictable rollercoaster. But over the years, I've crafted a strategy to not just survive, but thrive during those 'no income' months. Grab a cup of coffee (or tea, if that's your jam), and let's dive in. 🌺The Rainy Day Fund: First things first, always have a safety net. You know those days of abundance right? Instead of spending the money on things you only want (not need) , set it aside. I set aside a portion of my income during the good months. It's not just about paying bills; it's about peace of mind. 🌺Upskill Time: No clients? No problem. I use this time to learn something new. Whether it's a course on a new design tool or brushing up on marketing trends, I come out more marketable than before. In fact, my first portfolio as a freelancer (which gave me my first $1,500 here on Linkedin) was borne out of one of these dry spell days. 🌺Network, Network, Network: Remember that coffee date you kept postponing or that webinar you bookmarked? Now's the time. Opportunities often come from the most unexpected chats. Human beings can't function well alone. You need other people. Which makes me wonder if the phrase “Self-made” is actually correct. 🌺Re-Evaluate and Pivot: I take a step back and assess. Is there a service that's not getting traction? Maybe it's time to pivot or repackage. Use this period to get expert feedbacks and improve on something. Innovation is the only way to stay ahead in the world of today. 🌺Self-Care Isn't Selfish: It's easy to spiral into anxiety. But I've found that a walk in the park, spa dates, a good book, a weekend getaway or even a Netflix binge can recharge you and take your mind off things for when the next client comes knocking. 🌺Reconnect with Past Clients: A simple 'Hey, how's it going?' can lead to repeat business. It's not about being pushy; it's about staying top of mind. 🌺Golden Nugget Alert 🚨: The Portfolio Revamp: This is my secret weapon. I take this downtime to polish my portfolio, update with recent work, and sometimes even do mock projects. It keeps my creative juices flowing and often attracts new clients who see my updated work. Portfolios are extremely important and if you don't have one, you're missing out. A well-crafted portfolio can be the difference between a 'maybe later' and a 'let's work together now!' If you're wondering how-to get started, you can find a curated list of optimized portfolios through the link In my bio or comment section. In wrapping up, remember this: Dry spells don't define your worth or talent. They're just a part of the freelancing or even entrepreneurship journey. So, tell me, how do you handle the quiet months?

Earlier this month, I posted that I was looking for some freelance writers for a project... and I was, frankly, overwhelmed with the response. (Im still getting back to folks!) As a result, I've spent a few days looking through applications and portfolio sites. It's been fun! But I took notes on things that tripped me up or made it difficult to advance folks. In case it's helpful for your own process: 1 - Give me links to work that matches what I said I was looking for. I asked people for evidence they did a certain kind of writing. Many times they would reply with a link to their entire portfolio. I need you to curate for me! I have 100 folks in my inbox, help me say yes to you! 2 - Organize your portfolio by _type_ of writing rather than where it appeared. Example: "Q and A with industry leader" vs "Here's my article in Fast Company" The publication only tells me about the audience you wrote for and not the kind of work you did. 3 - Show me that you can write for niches and audiences that you are not a member of. I know we all like to write content about content or do marketing about marketing. Show me the detailed blog post you did for middle school teachers, or RevOps leaders, or retirees. 4 - Not all portfolio links are equal. I found myself docking people who shared links that appear in what can only be described as a content mill. We all start somewhere, but remove those links ASAP once you've "graduated". Let's be real, I know that many freelance writers apply to dozens of opportunities each month and this can get tiring. But this doesn't have to be a volume game. You can instantly be in the top 10% by curating the best, most relevant work for each opportunity.

90.99% of all my freelance work has come from referrals. Ok so that's not an exact figure, but it's close. I've landed one client from a cold email and another through Upwork. The rest: All high-quality referrals. Since many of you asked, I'll tell you how. Here are three things I consistently do to get referral business: 1. Give referrals. I stopped trying to be everything for everyone a while ago. I realized that if I do my best work and tap other people to do something I don't specialize in, it's a win for everyone. If we've worked together on a project or developed a relationship (and I know that you do good work), then you're on my list. I'm constantly giving referrals and pointing leads in the direction of folks who I know can get the job done well. More importantly: they're lovely to work with. This creates goodwill. It also keeps me top of mind with my referral network. When a job that matches my skillset comes across their world, who they gonna call? Not ghostbusters. 2. Maintain a system for building relationships. This "system" for me is nothing more than an AirTable spreadsheet, where I list my contact's name, what they specialize in, their ideal clients, and notes from our most recent conversation that'll help me deepen the relationship. That last column is the most important. During all of my relationship-building calls (a.k.a. networking), I take note of things that are top of mind for the person I'm speaking with. Maybe they just had a baby. Maybe they bought a house. Maybe they're about to launch a new product or service. Then, I put a date on the spreadsheet for when I want to reach back out and check in with how it's all going. I genuinely care, and having a check-in system ensures I'm following through on building the relationship over time. 3. Create strategic relationships. Beyond the relationships I naturally build with people I work on projects with or friends of friends in my network, I'm strategic about whom I spend my time talking to. By that, I mean connecting with people who provide adjacent services. For me, that means people who do PR, design work, paid ads, email marketing, social media management, etc. These are all folks who provide complimentary services to my content strategy work. We don't compete—we compliment. That's a beautiful referral ecosystem right there. There's more to this, but these things will get you started if you're not already strategically using your network to get ideal clients and projects. Was this helpful or should I go deeper here?

On the job market for the first time in a long while? Things have changed. Take consulting/freelancing seriously. I'm seeing a bunch of senior/director-level folks in my DMs and on my feed who are on the wrong end of a middle-management purge. Folks with 10-20 years of industry experience, including a long stint at the large company that just dumped them. Many haven't worked anything but a long-term job since college. Getting a job is really hard right now. Getting freelance gigs is a lot easier, and to many, it's a lot more fulfilling. Here's what I've learned being on both sides several times in the past few years: 1. It's a two-way door. Getting a consulting gig or two doesn't preclude you from going full-time later. Don't agonize over the decision. 2. Differentiate yourself. If you're open to doing a wide range of things you'll be forgotten by the time someone you know needs someone do to what you do. Pick one or two things you're damn good at and build your brand around it. 3. Work keeps your sprits and skills up. Looking for a job is draining. Doing work, even for less money than you used to and less than full time, is more energizing than scrolling through job listings. 4. Gigs often turn into jobs. Prove yourself and make great connections on a short-term project, and it might turn into a full-time role later. 5. Everyone is a friend. Don't see other people with a similar skillset and interest as competition. There's enough to go around, and enough variation in what'll make for the right fit, that an abundance mindset will go a lot further than hoarding. 6. A W-2 is no more secure than a 1099. You just learned this the hard way. Work comes in various forms, take it where you can get it. 7. If you're emerging from the corporate world after a long time, you'll need to get smart about the different ways smaller and newer businesses operate. (This is especially true if you're coming from a place like Google that mostly uses its own platforms.) Gigs are a wonderful way to be paid to learn how things work. 8. Many companies with strict RTO or hybrid policies still welcome remote contractors. 9. Your network is everything. Make sure everyone you know knows what you're available to do. Ask for help, and give it very generously. Even if you neglected staying in touch for a long time, people like to help and will usually happily share their time and advice.

I've gone to the dark side: over the last few weeks, I've been helping a few clients find and hire additional freelancers. Usually, I'm on the other side of the equation. But after walking a mile in a hiring manager's shoes, I have a few tips for my fellow freelancers: 1) When asked for relevant samples, don't just share your entire portfolio. Send direct links to 2-3 of your best and most relevant samples. These folks need to hire support because they're busy; they don't have time to dig through dozens of samples to find what actually matters to them. 2) Share your email. Don't make them hunt for it on your portfolio site (see above). 3) Respond promptly to messages, ideally within 24 hours. Even if you don't typically support next-day turnarounds (I don't), when you're talking to a prospective client, it's a good idea to email back immediately. A quick "Got your message, I'll send you my contract this week" tells them you're organized and on top of things. 4) Follow up! Again, these folks are busy. Unless they've told you they aren't interested, if you haven't heard from them for a week, check in. They will likely appreciate the nudge, and you'll be seen as proactive. Or they'll tell you they've moved on, and you can stop wasting your time and energy. 5) If you take on a trial project, set extremely clear expectations about when you'll turn work in. "I'll have this for you next week" is not clear. They will start to wonder where the work is on Monday. "I'll have this for you Wednesday" is crystal clear — and then you'll delight them when you turn it in Tuesday. Bottom line: be proactive. Communicate clearly. Make their lives easier. And, oh yeah, do good work.

It's a ⚡️HOT⚡️ topic right now—landing work as a FREELANCER—and having hired freelancers for 12+ years at GAP and eBay, and currently working as a consultant myself, I wanted to share my top strategies to help you "land" your next client... 1. Be Top of Mind Send out monthly availability updates to all producers and contacts, both current and prospective. A simple "Availability - Megan O'Brien AD July" type of email works wonders. Get creative too—consider sending a video text or another unique method to just provide a nice breath of fresh air from the millions of other stressful notes they receive! As someone hired to create and direct photography content, the goal is to stand out! 2. Be Original Don't send a generic note. You are the only YOU with your unique resume, gifts, talents, experiences. Make your communication personal! Share what excites you each month. For example, if I'm obsessed with shooting nature and tropical foliage, I might include a batch of a vibrant still-life images and say, "I love this color of ombre in this series." or "Spring is blooming." You catch the drift. 3. "Test" in Your Desired Space Testing can be tough, we all know, but it's essential. Before working with Levi's, I worked with savvy folks in the Bay Area on a classic Americana style creative exploration. When I sent my availability note, I'd add my recent test images to demonstrate why I specifically love art directing denim, how it's a blank canvas to tell stories, etc. Showcasing real-life examples as they might appear on a client’s site or socials is crucial. And, Producers love visuals. 4. Build Rapport Start your notes to clients with a open ended question, a check-in like, "How's business going this month?" or "I saw your new intimates launch, and the collection looks fantastic." Show genuine investment and authenticity. Remember, you are literally an extension of the brand and creative team. Don’t hesitate to share professional tidbits about yourself that enhance your work either. Being yourself- and human adds a personal touch that sets you apart. 5. Be Consistent You might feel like a stalker, (lord knows I have!) but consistency is key. Keep reaching out month after month, even year after year. Eventually, you’ll get a response like, "Love the inspo! Can we put you on hold for the week of XYZ?" Persistence pays off! And you just never know when it's your time! 6. Be Clear on Aligned brands (for you!!) Get CLEAR on who your ideal client is, and more importantly why? If you're an avid swimmer, surfer and also a photographer, that synergy is invaluable. Brands want to know how your passions align with their needs. As creatives, merging our lives and work creates an even more powerful connection! So, KEEP SHOWING UP, keep being YOU, and keep sending out those availability notes! There are amazing clients out there who can't wait to meet you. Here's to crushing the summer!

Fractional CFOs and FP&A advisors constantly hustle and chase new business. That can work. But the best form of marketing is so much easier. Be the consummate professional — the epitome of the type of person people want to do business with. 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔? 𝐀. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 - Understand your clients' needs and goals, meet expectations, and communicate with them regularly. - Offer personalized service, not just off-the-shelf solutions. Demonstrate that what you’re delivering is unique to them and differentiated in the marketplace. - Be responsive and accessible, treating clients with the respect they deserve. No, that doesn’t mean bending over backwards and being available 24/7. Example: I provide clients with recurring analytics and meeting summaries. They don't ask for them but they still get the reports because they help. 𝐁. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 - Share industry trends, what you're seeing and hearing with other clients, and why it matters. - Offer educational resources, articles, white papers, webinar recordings, books and insights you found valuable. They’ll likely find them valuable too. - Tell clients when you're thinking about them. Be in touch because it’s thoughtful, not just when you’re working together or you need something. Example: When I come across industry reports or news articles, I think about who might benefit. If given a free resource, I share it. If I read a great book, I let others know. Give, give, give. 𝐂. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲, 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - No one likes bad news. But even fewer people like to be surprised by bad news. Be honest, open, and proactive even if it's not what people want to hear. - Act in clients’ best interests. Ideally they should align with your own. If they don’t, you may be working with the wrong clients. - Be candid about results. There’s little that’s more disappointing than high expectations that can’t be met. Example: A young woman reached out to me and asked whether my advanced business modeling intensive was the best program for furthering herself in FP&A. Given her career aspirations, I told her not to join. If you focus on communication, being a giver, and delivering exceptional service, you're more likely to be seen as reliable and referable. You’ll still need to hustle. But clients and colleagues will help grow your company for you. --------------- We talk about this and more in the live Fractional CFO Power Skills Mastermind. The next cohort begins tomorrow. --------------- #seidmanfinancial

Many people stress the importance of having a side hustle. But where do you begin? Here’s what I learned on the path to becoming a top-rated freelancer in the top 1% on Upwork, with 100+ successful projects and 5-star reviews: ⭐ Start simple. Platforms like Upwork let you dip your toes into freelancing — no website, cold outreach or marketing needed. (And yes there are cons to the pros, more about that in another post.) ⭐ Pick a skill you enjoy and know well. Make sure there is a demand. ⭐ Protect yourself. My first potential client was a scammer! Always follow the platform’s terms of service to stay safe. ⭐ Study other freelancers. How do they position themselves? What keywords do they use? What do they charge? ⭐ Diversify your services. Offering more than one skill means more opportunities. ⭐ Build a standout profile. Use keywords your ideal clients are searching for, show how you’ll solve their problems, and make it clear why you’re the right choice. ⭐ Start your portfolio from scratch if needed. Create mock projects for the clients you dream of working with. ⭐ Consistency is everything. Bid on jobs daily. You probably won’t get most of them. At first, you might get paid total crap. Keep going. ⭐ Go above and beyond for every single client. That trust is gold, especially early on. ⭐ Vet your clients carefully. A bad review can hurt more than a low-paying job. If you’re still doubting whether you can do it, just know I almost didn’t start. I thought about taking a part-time retail job instead. I’m so glad I took the leap, and you can too. If an employer pays you to do a job, why wouldn’t a client?

When I started freelancing, I was dying to know the “boring” stuff like a FULL brand design process – not just the design bits. So here’s mine: 1️⃣ Initial outreach – either the client reaches out (referral, form submission, social media) or they express interest after I’ve reached out (LinkedIn, cold email) 2️⃣ Discovery call – I try to get the client on a quick call ASAP; this is the 1st major opportunity to: 1. see if it's a fit 2. get missing details (budget, timing, if they are considering other options, etc.) and 3. sell yourself further 3️⃣ Proposal – My proposal summarizes their needs, details my offering(s) (deliverables, price, estimated timelines, any other key details), and includes a clear call to action (ex: “Ready to get started? Reply to my email.”) 4️⃣ Agreement + 1st Invoice – I require 2 things to start: a signed agreement (for me, that’s the proposal + Terms & Conditions) and a deposit (% of the total cost) 5️⃣ Client survey – takes ~2-4 hours to complete and forces my clients to be thoughtful about the process; helps them realize we’re a team, both highly invested in getting things right 6️⃣ Survey Review + Kick-Off – 1-hour video call to review their survey in detail, and ensure alignment for the full project, i.e., you (client) need to do X, Y, Z, and you can expect me (designer) to do 1, 2, 3 7️⃣ Mood Boards – the level of completeness of the mood boards depends on how clear the direction is at this point. I review the board(s) with the client in another ~1-hour video call. 8️⃣ Concepts – I don’t promise a specific number of concepts; if I have 1 great idea, that’s what I’ll share. If I have 4, I’ll share all 4. I aim for ~100 rough ideas to distill down into strong concepts. I always present round 1 concepts live. 9️⃣ Review / Iterate – this is a looping process of sharing concepts, reviewing with the client, the client providing feedback, and then iterating again. We loop through until the core elements are approved, and yes, I usually limit revisions. 1️⃣0️⃣ Final Payment + Delivery – once the client approves their brand identity, I send the final invoice. Once payment is received, all files are handed off. The whole process takes anywhere from 2 to 8+ weeks depending on all kinds of things, mainly scope, client responsiveness, rounds of revisions, & feedback cycles. For example: if the client also signed up for collateral, we get through the identity first, then create the collateral as a second phase. All in all, if you take away just 2 things… 👉 You’re running a business – it’s okay to expect things like a signed agreement, or timely payment; good clients know this 👉 Logistics are love – clear expectations + communication make everything easier Fellow designers, how do you run your process? LMK 👇 #freelancetips #branddesign #branddesigner #branddesignprocess #designprocess #brandidentity #process #solopreneur