Here is an excellent article on why many first-time freelancers fail. I know i have faced many of these issues myself and readily identify with the problems presented. That said, while freelancing can be — let us say — challenging, it can also be tremendously rewarding and provide you ways to put your family above your career. I have often said that I have forgone more money for more time with my son, now 14. I like to think that our relationship remains strong because of the time I have had to engage with him as he has grown up. This is so important as he enters his high school years. It is hard to believe that he only has 3.5 years before he is off to college and on his own, so I have been very happy with my decision to freelance, even if I a may not be a monetarily successful as some of my peers.
Top 10 Reasons Why First-Time Freelancers Fail
There’s quite a fetish for failure-as-fodder these days. Search “failure” on popular business sites like Forbes, Entrepreneur, or Inc, and you’ll get loads of articles on how it can be a great teacher.
I have to admit: I used to party on this bandwagon. Rally people to feel free to fail, as if it encourages higher-levels of creativity. Self-destruct certain projects just to see what happens.
Then the Harvard Business Review released their Failure issue. And I saw the cult of failure for what it was: a misguided attempt to ease anxiety.
This got me thinking. Do I have to fail at being a first-time freelancer to learn to be a successful freelancer? The answer is an unequivocal NO.
Listen, failure can be a great teacher—especially if you learn from someone else’s failure.
So, if you are a first-time freelancer and would like to become a seasoned one without having failed—then read on to learn the top ten mistakes first-time freelancers make and how to avoid them. Achieving success doesn’t require you to fall flat on your face first.
