Here’s how:

1. Listen to your audience

To attract your ideal clients and customers, your content needs to answer the questions and help solve the pain points they are experiencing.  

In addition to solid SEO research (so you know what people are searching for online), another way to uncover this content rocket fuel is by reading social media posts relevant to your industry and business and scouring the comments sections to see what people are talking about and the problems they are facing. (Top tip: This can also help you when it comes to getting your marketing message across, as you can use their exact language when communicating with them.)

Good candidates for this type of research include platforms such as Quora, Reddit, and LinkedIn. You can also be helpful by posting and answering questions on these and other platforms, displaying your expertise and connecting with others. Another source of information (and inspiration) is Facebook business groups and online forums specific to your business or industry, which are usually free to join.

Once you know the questions people are asking, you can provide the answers with your content. You can even use some of the questions and answers as FAQs on your sales pages!

2. Ask questions

Another great way to better understand your audience is to directly ask them what they are struggling with right now and what topics they want to see covered. With this, you can go deep or wide.

If you have an email newsletter, you can send out a general email/survey to your list or include it in the welcome sequence (or both). Getting people to respond this way is great for engagement and can help build rapport.

Likewise, you can ask questions via your social media channels or host a live Q&A session. In addition to using the responses to generate content ideas, you could also use this valuable research to create new services and products or improve your service.

The key is that by reaching out, you are listening to your audience. People like to be heard, as it builds trust and makes them feel valued. And, of course, people tend to buy from those they know, like and trust!

3. Use storytelling

People love stories, so if you really want to connect with your audience, use storytelling.

A good place to start is the story of your business. For example, when did you get the ‘aha!’ moment to start your business or develop your product? What about any other people involved? What’s their story? Create content around your origin story, share the highs and the lows and show your human side. Being relatable makes you more likable. 

You can also share case studies, testimonials, and your experience helping other clients. By sharing your wins and writing about successful projects, potential clients will be better able to envisage how you can help them.

The same goes for behind-the-scenes content that you can post on social media.

All this makes for excellent social proof as well as compelling content.

4. Cover what’s trending

What’s trending in your industry right now? What’s everyone talking about? What’s everyone NOT talking about but should be? Sharing your take on industry topics is a great way to get eyeballs on your content. Using stats, figures, and industry research case studies can also be helpful as well as a source of inspiration for even more content.

You can also leverage some current events and breaking news if you are quick enough. This practice even has its very own term: Newsjacking. It can be very effective when done well, but it does depend on timing, relevancy, and being able to read the room!

The good thing about having conversations around trending topics and keeping up with industry news is that you can be perceived as a thought leader and authority in your niche.

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At the end of the day, coming up with good content ideas for your business is about knowing what’s going on in your industry, listening to your audience, being relevant, and solving your audience’s issues with your content. And the best thing is, it doesn’t have to be formal or stuffy; your content can also entertain and educate at the same time.

For more small business and freelancer tips, check out our business blog.

Try Invoice Ninja for free here.

Plan ahead

Planning ahead for your vacation and getting all your work in order is one thing, but another important aspect of vacation planning is your return.

Ideally, you’ll want to ease back into your schedule instead of returning to a long list of must-dos or urgent work that needs to be done. If possible, get ahead of your workload before you go away. Now is a good time to review your tasks, identify any that can be automated, and then set them up before your holiday. Preferably, you should implement systems that work autonomously.

For example, if you have client invoices and statements that need to be sent either when you are away or on your return, schedule them to be sent automatically. With Invoice Ninja, a leading free invoicing software specifically designed for small businesses, you can schedule the sending of invoices, statements, and chasers via email. Try it for free here.

Some people feel they need another vacation to rest and recuperate from their original vacation, so another way to ease yourself back in is to add a buffer or gap day at the end of your vacation. This is a free day for you to acclimatize, rest, or simply use it as a goal-setting or planning day.

Revisit your ‘why’

If you feel like you’re returning to work and back to the same old routine, and nothing is inspiring you, now might be the perfect time to revisit your ‘why’. Why did you start your business in the first place? What’s your overriding goal or passion? What’s your super skill and special value you bring to your clients? 

All these questions can be used to motivate you, as well as provide an objective overview of how far you’ve come and whether you’re on track with your freelancer goals or if you need to set some new ones.

It might even be that you see a new opportunity or need to pivot. Taking time out can be an excellent opportunity for your creativity to take over, so you can return to work not only refreshed but with a new outlook. When we let ourselves relax, our minds can better problem-solve, and we come up with new ideas.

If you need to revisit your ‘why,’ you could even consider writing a manifesto or visually placing your ‘why’ near your workspace so you can remind yourself of it when you need a motivation boost.

Do something you enjoy

A good way to get your freelancer mojo back is to start back with an activity that you enjoy.

This could be an activity involving your super skill that adds to your profit margin – always something to get you back into the groove. Perhaps you have an exciting new project lined up to start upon your return, or you’ve planned to attend a networking event where you can catch up with other freelancers to inspire you. You could even consider hosting your own event or simply check in with business colleagues online.

Another great way to get back in the freelancing mood is to check in with your regular clients and follow up with previous ones – they may even have new projects available where you’d be the perfect fit.

You could also consider changing your workspace around, giving it a nice spruce up, and even adding some of your latest vacation snaps for added inspiration. If you have the budget, you could even consider getting it redecorated while you are away.

Simple actions like the above can help shift your perspective and put you in a positive and productive frame of mind.

Finally, don’t forget to plan your next vacation!

The ability to perform deep work is a valuable skill for freelancers who need to dedicate their undivided attention to their most cognitively challenging tasks to achieve high-quality results. These tasks can range from coding to writing reports, composing music or designing a website, and so on.

In short, practicing deep work is basically the opposite of multitasking.

Here are 5 tips for deep work for freelancers.

1. Exercise

Exercise may seem an unusual first step for those seeking to achieve a state of deep focus, but having a clear head after exercising can do wonders for your productivity. It can also act as the starting ritual that prepares you mentally for your deep work session. It doesn’t have to be anything too strenuous either. A quick walk around the block or a stretching session can work just as well. 

Likewise, when you end your deep work session, you can use exercise as a transition ritual that takes you out of the deeply focused state. Regular breaks ensure you don’t burn out and can also enhance both productivity and creativity.

2. Set aside allotted time

Set aside a particular time duration for your deep work and stick to it. A timer or app might be helpful here. The key is to start and stop deep work at the times you’ve set and not go over or under these set times. This will build discipline and quickly become a habit. 

Also, be mindful of the times of day when you are most productive or creative, as well as which days work best for you to perform deep work. For example, you may have other care, parenting, or household duties depending on the day of the week, so set aside deep work time at times when you know you won’t be distracted.

3. Automate, delegate or outsource routine tasks

For smaller tasks, or what Newman in his book describes as low cognitive or ‘shallow’ work tasks that don’t require a lot of effort or are repetitive, such as routine administrative tasks, consider automating, delegating, or outsourcing some of these.

For example, if you are still creating and sending manual invoices, this can be time-consuming, fiddly and open to errors. Invoice Ninja is a free, leading invoicing software specifically designed for small businesses and freelancers to help you get paid fast and hassle-free. It has a wide range of handy features and use cases, including free, customizable and professionally designed invoice templates. See all our features here and try Invoice Ninja out for free here.

4. Have a ‘work-ready’ workspace

Maintain a tidy and ‘work-ready’ workspace with all the tools you need to perform the task at hand. You don’t want to start a deep work session only to find that you haven’t got the right equipment, data, or other necessary materials to perform the work. Going off to retrieve something will inevitably distract you and break your concentration. 

Furthermore, ensure your workspace is quiet and distraction-free. Close workspace doors if you have to, anything that will help you get your head down and focused on the task ahead. Likewise, eliminate anything that makes your work environment uncomfortable, such as cramped spaces, temperature disparities, poor lighting or unsuitable seating. All this can distract you from your task.

5. Avoid all distractions

Distractions can come in many different forms. So, in addition to turning off devices such as your smartphone (or at least switching off notifications) during your deep work session, you should also be mindful of other potential distractions, such as outside interference from pets or other household members. Let people know you are in a deep work session, block your calendar and ask not to be disturbed. Some people find that noise-cancelling headphones help. 

Also, be mindful of your thoughts and try not to be distracted by thinking about other projects or tasks. When you first start deep work sessions, it may be helpful to have a notepad to record all the distractions you encounter so you know how to mitigate them in the future.

You delay sending documentation

Following a discovery call or first contact with a potential new client, the next stage in the freelance-client journey is usually putting together your freelance proposal, which typically includes your payment terms and conditions, and a written agreement, etc. 

This is an important part of the client onboarding process, as what you state at the outset will impact how the project progresses, help manage expectations on both sides, and determine how and when you will get paid. Naturally, you’ll want to get this right. However, you’ll also want to be prompt.

So if you find yourself poring over every tiny detail and going back and forth, making minor amendments that have little consequence on the outcome and result in a delay, then you can be sure perfectionism is at play. 

The issue here is that while you’re sweating the small stuff, wanting everything to be perfect, your potential client might receive a proposal from another, more ‘prompt, not perfect’ freelancer who gets the gig.

To help mitigate this from happening, it is helpful to have a standard, customizable proposal template in place that you can use for all clients going forward. This will help speed up the process, especially if you set yourself a time frame to populate the template and don’t go over the allotted duration.

There are online meeting and proposal tools available that further streamline this process and provide attractive templates to which you can add your logo and brand colors. Another way to ensure you don’t let perfectionism suck up your time is to tell the client when they can expect to hear from you, and stick to this date.

Being prompt and clear helps build trust from the get-go and can go a long way towards helping you win your new client.

You procrastinate over essential tasks

If you find yourself procrastinating over small tasks, the other pernicious ‘P’ word could again be at play. Procrastination and perfectionism will inevitably lead to delays. They could even mean that you don’t get paid on time if, for example, you don’t send out your invoices when you should or have unpaid invoices that need chasing, but you are needlessly deliberating over the fine details of the draft chaser email!

To help mitigate this, it makes sense to automate or outsource repetitive tasks that need to be done but take up your time. This is where invoicing software can help.

Invoice Ninja is a leading free invoicing software for small business invoicing, fast online payments, tracking expenses and billable tasks. It also includes attractive, professional invoice template designs you can customize with your logo and brand colors. Again, templates to your rescue!

Another helpful feature is that with the Invoice Ninja Pro Plan, you can create custom email reminders based on the invoice date or invoice due date. You can set them up to be sent automatically at the frequency and timing of your choice. You can set ‘First, Second, Third’ or ‘Endless’ reminders to ensure invoices are not overlooked and you get paid faster!

Try Invoice Ninja for free here.

You constantly overwork

There’s a saying that ‘done is better than perfect’.

If you are working all the hours chasing perfection and obsessing over details, then it could mean that other important tasks don’t get done, you aren’t having enough breaks, your work-life balance suffers, and it could even lead to freelancer burnout because you are pushing yourself too hard trying to meet impossible standards. 

In addition to this, your fear of failure or not being perfect can ironically mean that you’re not reaching your full potential. You’re not falling forward and learning from your former shortcomings.

The antidote to this is action. Action beats perfection (another well-known saying).

So, send that email, stop over-editing your work, launch that product, and post that insight on LinkedIn. You’ll soon see how momentum builds and with that your brand visibility, not to mention your confidence.

That’s not to say you cannot go back and revise or improve on things. This can especially be the case with product launches that are often launched in beta mode just to get the first iteration out there.

To get the most from your imperfections, you first have to accept them and then reframe them into massive wins. You’ve got this!

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It’s important to remember that nobody’s perfect. And that’s okay! Clients aren’t expecting flawless perfection; they are seeking reliable, trustworthy, punctual freelancers who are a safe pair of hands and have the confidence and ability to get things done!

1. Take action and step outside of your comfort zone

You won’t be surprised to hear that the antidote to most things is taking action.

And when it comes to the business tasks you currently lack confidence in, taking action is key, even if it means stepping outside your comfort zone (or just tiptoeing for now).

In addition, you should find that the more you perform tasks or do things you’re hesitant about, the more confident you’ll become, whether that’s cold calling, making sales calls, or writing proposals and offering solutions to your clients. Practice makes the master!

Often, when you take steps to do the thing you think you can’t or are wary of doing, you soon realize there’s nothing to worry about. You just needed to take that first step.

While it might seem unlikely right now, you might even come to love the very thing you were worried about and lacked confidence in! But you won’t know until you try.

2. Use the right tools and get paid on time

There’s an old proverb that says, ‘A poor craftsman always blames his tools’. 

And while that may hold true to some degree, we can help improve our output, increase our confidence, and stay ahead of the curve by using the right ones.

Having good, reliable business tools helps businesses run with ease, and the time-saving element can even boost profit margins.

Take invoicing, for example; you want to be confident that you can send your invoices out on time, send reminders when needed, and have a range of payment gateways to choose from so clients can pay you online quickly with 1-click.

That’s where Invoice Ninja comes in. Invoice Ninja is a leading free invoicing software for small business invoicing, fast online payments, tracking expenses and billable tasks. It also includes attractive, professional invoice template designs that you can customize with your logo and brand colors.

Because what better way is there to build confidence than to get paid for your work!

Try Invoice Ninja for free here.

3. Set small but achievable goals

Instead of going all out for a massive win with your business goals, set small but achievable goals that contribute to the bigger picture. Rome wasn’t built in a day!

For each smaller goal, ask yourself: What am I looking to achieve here? What is the overall outcome? Does it align with my bigger-picture goal? Another useful exercise is to visualize yourself achieving your goals, as it will help put you in the right frame of mind for success.

If you are consistent and stick to your path, you’ll be able to cover a lot of ground in a less stressful way than you would if you tackle a big, scary goal all at once.

Reaching each mini-goal will keep you on track and also boost your confidence.

Before you know it, your bite-sized chunk methodology will lead you to the big win, with a lot more confidence to boot!

4. Curate positive feedback and request it

Keep a file of all the positive feedback you receive, including compliments, client testimonials, case studies, and referrals, and review it on a regular basis. 

This not only helps fend off any potential bouts of impostor syndrome, but you’ll also be able to better track your progress and know with confidence that you are capable of completing challenging tasks and delivering great results to your clients, which might all have seemed like a pipe dream before you started freelancing.

Make it a habit to ask for feedback from clients and colleagues. You can do this at the end of a client project or during the project’s duration. It’s a great way to gauge your progress and highlight areas where you need improvement.

As the saying goes, ‘Feedback is the breakfast of champions!’.

5. Cultivate a growth mindset and banish limiting beliefs

A growth mindset is essential when freelancing, as it helps you avoid getting stuck in a freelance rut. For example, if business is slow or you no longer enjoy what you do, and can’t see a way out of your current predicament.

A growth mindset, as the name suggests, means you are always moving forward, learning and expanding your knowledge. You reframe client rejections as learning opportunities and slow periods as excellent times to practice self-care and rejuvenate or refresh your skills.

With this winning mindset, there’s always room for growth, and you continually evolve and invest in yourself and your skills. This can be achieved through courses and upskilling, attending educational networking events, or developing solutions and products to assist your clients.

A positive growth mindset will go a long way toward developing and boosting your confidence.

Lacking confidence or feeling you aren’t good enough is a limiting belief that does not serve you.

Clients aren’t looking for sublime perfection; they are looking for authenticity and honesty, a job well done and a safe pair of reliable hands.

Confidence plus consistency equals happy clients.

You’ve got this!

1. Document your processes

When starting out, you’re likely to be performing some tasks for the first time, so it makes sense to document them and incorporate them into your everyday business processes and standard operating procedures (SOPs). 

This has several benefits and is not just an ‘aide memoire’ for you. For example, if you hire others, outsource, or delegate work in the future, you’ll have practical documentation that details the process to refer them to.

This is also a great habit to adopt when working on a new client project. You can document your processes as you go, making project notes, creating templates, and so on, which can be useful for future projects.

These documented processes and templates, in addition to serving as a training aid, could also be repurposed into info products and templates for other freelancers or used as helpful lead magnets.

You could even discover a new way of streamlining a process, so documenting your processes and procedures is beneficial from several angles and an excellent habit to develop.

2. Send invoices immediately when due

How, when, and what you get paid will depend on your agreed-upon freelancer payment terms and conditions. For example, you may require a deposit before the project commences, get paid at the end of the project or at intervals throughout. Whatever your terms and conditions, it’s important you send out your invoice as soon as it’s due. This will reduce the likelihood of late payment and help with cash flow.

With Invoice Ninja, a leading free invoicing software, once you’ve sent your invoice, your clients can pay you with just 1-click without leaving their client-side portal. What’s more, you can turn an approved quote into an invoice or allow auto-conversion from client approval.

Invoice Ninja also includes multiple payment gateway options, professional invoice templates, automatic payment reminders, quotes, deposit invoices, recurring invoices, time and task tracking, and lots more to ensure you get paid quickly, hassle-free, and on time.

Try it for free here.

3. Keep up to date with industry trends (and always be learning)

This can manifest as a daily habit to check in with online business groups you are a member of, a weekly practice where you spend a few hours brushing up your skills and industry knowledge, or a monthly or longer interval habit where you attend networking events, workshops, or courses. 

The great thing about this habit is that there is no downside to learning, improving your skills, and authentically connecting with others online or in person at events. You simply need to schedule time to do it and stick to it. 

By improving your skills and knowledge, you can also increase the rates and services you offer to your clients. Plus, networking with others increases the likelihood of referrals and new business opportunities.

You can even set up your own events. Find out more at EventSchedule.

4. Know your numbers

It’s a good idea to make it a habit to check what money is coming in and what is due out of your freelance business. 

While you probably don’t need to check your bank balance every day, you should make a habit of checking in at regular intervals to make sure your freelancer money goals are on track and ensure all invoices have been paid (accounts receivable) and business expenses that are due out (accounts payable) are up to date. 

The sooner you discover any discrepancies, the better. For example, unpaid invoices can negatively impact your cash flow and potentially put an easily avoidable strain on freelancer-client relationships.

This is where automated reminders come into play. With the Invoice Ninja Pro Plan, you can create custom email reminders based on the invoice date or invoice due date. You can set them up to be sent automatically at the frequency and timing of your choice. You can set ‘First, Second, Third’ or ‘Endless’ reminders to ensure that invoices are not overlooked and you receive payment on time.

5. Spend time offline

Schedule time to be offline. Or, if you must be online to perform your role, at least be mindful of the time you spend scrolling through online content.

Develop a habit of giving yourself a break during the day and going device-free, or at least away from excessive social media consumption. It might be as simple as turning off your devices and going for a walk outside during your lunch break, scheduling time for a short meditation practice, or doing some stretching throughout the day.

Whatever activity you enjoy, whether it’s a creative hobby or something more vigorous, take time out to be away from the digital world. These breaks can also boost ideas and creativity.

Regular exercise, taking breaks, having a mini digital detox, proper rest and prioritizing sleep are all habits that boost your energy and enhance your mental and physical wellness so you can perform at your best.

6. Maintain a tidy and organized workspace

This may seem like an inconsequential habit to adopt, but tidying your workspace and keeping everything in order at the end of your work session, so you know where things are when you return, can provide a welcome and convenient time-saving boost for the next working day.

Returning to an untidy workspace or being unable to find your online files can be disorienting and time-consuming. Now is also a good time to update your to-do list and prioritize tasks for the following day.

Developing a habit of tidying your workspace daily and keeping your to-do list up to date and files in order can also serve as a nice transition prompt into your free time. You know that once you’ve tidied your workspace and updated your to-do list, it’s now time to down tools and relax!

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By adopting these time-saving and practical productivity-enhancing habits into your workflow, you can improve efficiency, boost productivity, and get paid faster!

For this reason, you need to accept that, for whatever reason, you will most likely experience slow periods at some point in your business and plan accordingly.

These slow periods may be down to many factors, such as market conditions, which result in a decrease in demand for your services, a seasonal lull, or client budgets drying up, among other things. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a buffer fund or a fallback plan, such as another income source, to tide you over during these slow periods. 

However, these slow periods don’t need to be unproductive or viewed as negative and something to get panicked about. Instead, here are 5 productive ways to embrace them.

1. Enhance your skills

Learning never ends (or goes out of fashion), and learning new skills or updating and refreshing current ones is an excellent way to spend this downtime. 

Investing in yourself (and, therefore, your business) is never a bad idea. It may result in you adding new products and offering new services to your clients or simply adding to your skill stack so you can charge more.

It’s not just by taking courses that you can enhance your skills but also enrich them by listening to relevant podcasts or reading business books. All things you now have more time for so you can bring fresh insight and perspective to your work. 

How about digging into some industry research and all the latest trends? Research can get you ahead of the industry curve and perceived as an authority or thought leader in your field.

2. Reach out to others

Or ‘network’ as it’s known by its more formal name. Networking with other freelancers and solopreneurs can help put things into perspective, and it can also be helpful to talk through issues with others in your industry or profession, get their take on things, and share ideas. 

Your network can also refer you to new clients and make you aware of any new projects in the pipeline. 

As well as your professional network, take this time to nurture client relationships and follow up with previous clients, see if they need help with anything, or simply drop them a line to see how they are doing. It’s not about hard pitching but a genuine desire to help and start a new conversation – you never know where it might lead. 

You can ask them for referrals too – don’t be shy!

3. Take stock and review your business processes

Take this opportunity to review your business processes. Could some of them do with a bit of a spruce up or be brought up to date? Are there some manual processes that can be automated? 

Now is a great opportunity to get your business processes as slick and efficient as possible so that your operation will run like clockwork in the background when business is booming again. 

One task that needs to be done so you can get paid is invoicing. Doing this manually can result in delays (as well as take up your precious time). Fortunately, invoicing software can take on the heavy lifting and help speed up the payment process. Invoice Ninja is a leading free invoicing software for small business invoicing, online payments, recurring invoices, tracking expenses and billable tasks. 

Perfect for the job!

Try it for free here.

4. Update your website, review blog posts and optimize socials

Is your website up to date, or could it do with a bit of a refresh? What about the site speed and the on-page SEO? How are your blog posts ranking, and when did you last publish one? How much traffic is your website getting, and from where? This data will give you an insight into areas that need improvement. A couple of well-written blog posts shared on social media advertising to potential customers that you are open to work may be the boost your business needs.

Talking of social media – are the bios all up to date on all your social media channels or could they be better optimized? And what about your social media content scheduling? Is that as efficient, timely and effective as it could be? Or are you posting random content when inspiration strikes?

Social media content and scheduling so you are consistent and sharing valuable content can always be improved upon.  

A well-thought-out and received social media post could land you new clients; after all, that’s the point of your business being on social media in the first place.

5. Relax and rejuvenate

Finally, learn to go with the ebb and flow and use this time to relax and rejuvenate. 

When work comes in, and business takes off again, you may not have the opportunity to take that special vacation you’ve been promising yourself, the sailing trip around Santorini, walking the Camino de Santiago, or just a long city break to a destination you’ve always wanted to visit.

Likewise, is there a physical activity you enjoy? You don’t have to use this downtime to pound the streets running marathons or go full tilt at the gym – but a healthy dose of exercise may be the tonic you need.

A change of scenery, a well-deserved break, and mood-boosting exercise can do you a world of good, so when the slow period ends, you’ll be super motivated with fresh ideas and raring to go!

1. You’re not networking enough

No person is an island, and even if you’re a freelancer working remotely, you still need to build a network, form business relationships and reach out to others.

Networking allows you to develop business relationships and friendships that can be helpful in many ways. Not least financially!

Your network isn’t just a bunch of people from whom you can ask favors from time to time and bounce ideas off but also a valuable pool of professionals from whom you can seek guidance. By networking, you can also build authority so you become the go-to person in your field – a safe pair of hands that your network can refer colleagues to for your services.

Networking, when done well, is very much a two-way street. It requires your input, too.

If you aren’t networking or forming and nurturing relationships within your network, you are potentially leaving money on the table. That’s not just from unexpected opportunities that may arise but also from you proactively reaching out to your network and asking them if they know of anyone who would benefit from your assistance.

A simple email or follow-up to a key player in your network can go a long way, but like anything, to be successful, you need to be consistent and continue to nurture the relationships you build. 

This means you actively support your network where possible, too.

Networking (or lack of it), on the face of it, might not seem like a money mistake, but there’s a reason why they say your network is your net worth!

2. You’re not planning ahead

Not properly planning ahead can manifest itself in a number of ways, from not planning for potential dry periods (i.e. not marketing yourself adequately when you have work in and then getting caught up in the freelancer feast or famine cycle) to not planning ahead for events that are inevitable or regular such as tax and accounting obligations, to basic cash flow forecasting (know when cash is coming in/know when bills are due and money going out).

The good news is that a simple schedule can eradicate many of these problems. Having a routine schedule and sticking to it will also increase your productivity. There are plenty of online tools to help you with scheduling and planning; the key is to keep track of what you need to do (and when) and take action, i.e. don’t put things off or procrastinate.

There are other things besides planning you can do to make your freelance business run more efficiently, including automating time-consuming business processes. For example, when it comes to invoicing regular clients who need to be billed on a fixed schedule, you can take advantage of Invoice Ninja’s recurring invoice and auto-billing feature.

Auto-billing is a feature that enables the payments system to capture your client’s credit card details and store them for billing at a future date. This means future invoices can be issued automatically.

Invoice Ninja also has a time tracking extension for Google Chrome so you can log and manage all your tasks. You can also organize and plan your client work with Invoice Ninja’s visual project management tool. Find out more in our short video here.

Try Invoice Ninja for free here.

3. You’re comparing yourself to others

They say that comparison is the thief of joy, but when it comes to freelancing, it’s also the thief of your time and peace of mind. It’s easy to look at other freelancers’ progress and compare it to your own, especially when it comes to the rates they may charge. 

You could start thinking you need to increase your rates or, in some circumstances, decrease them to be more competitive.

However, the reality is that most freelancer’s rates differ for a wide range of reasons. They may offer different deliverables or add-on services, have varying levels of experience and expertise, position themselves differently, and target a specific client or target market, and that’s before we get into different locations and overheads particular to them. 

No one freelancer is exactly the same.

Your price, among other factors, should reflect your experience, the quality of the product/service, and your positioning in the market. It should also cover your overheads before you can generate a profit.

Trying to keep up with others is a drain on your time, money and resources. Sure, review your rates, but do what works for you and benefits your clients.

4. You’re not attracting the right clients

A lot of money issues by default are due to not attracting the right clients for you.

Take time to ensure your ideal client avatar you identified at the start of your freelancer journey is still the right fit. It may have changed considerably since you first started out.

It could be that your marketing materials and online presence are attracting clients that are no longer the right fit, or your website needs a tweak so it’s clear on your rates, even if it’s an approximate range that your prices start from. Read more about displaying your prices on your website here.

Also, don’t get stuck charging the same rate as you did when you began your freelance journey. You want to be paid what you’re worth, and bear in mind that lower rates can sometimes attract lower-quality clients.

Regularly reviewing your rates (upward) is the path to good positioning and prosperity.

The key is to avoid getting into a freelance rut, staying stuck charging the same rates you’ve always been charging, not learning new skills, or developing in line with the times and client needs.

Freelance success is routed in getting the foundations right, adding value to client projects and regularly updating and reviewing your skills (and rates where applicable).

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Hopefully, you’ve found these tips helpful. If you know of anyone else who would benefit, please share. Thank you! 

Being great at your craft alone isn’t typically enough to run a freelance business and thrive. You also need certain core business skills.

Here are 5 core business skills to enhance and refine to make your freelance career a success.

1. Negotiation Skills

Being able to negotiate successfully with clients will mean you don’t have to settle for work offers that aren’t suitable for you; this isn’t just about money issues but also terms and conditions that might not sit well with you (or need some tweaking), such as timescales, resources and deliverables.

Negotiating isn’t a one-way street but a conversation that can lead to wins for both parties involved, so communicating your needs properly will set you up for success. 

Poor negotiation skills may lead you to take on work that doesn’t pay enough, that you don’t enjoy, or just don’t have time to do in the allotted timescale. Good negotiation skills aren’t just for client conversations either but can lead to you getting better deals on other things, such as the tools you use for your business or rent you pay for business premises.

Remember: This is your business, and you absolutely can run it on your terms.

2. Client Communication Skills

How you communicate with clients as a freelancer is crucial to your success. Dealing with clients is a key aspect of freelancing and one that can cause issues if not managed well from the outset. 

Having solid business processes in place, such as a smooth client onboarding process, can help mitigate many potential misunderstandings, and being clear upfront as to what a client can expect working with you can manage expectations on both sides. 

These points will typically be detailed in your client documentation, such as your initial proposal, right through to your written agreement, which will, of course, also include your freelancer payment terms and conditions.

Clear and effective communication will help ensure there are no ‘surprises’ down the line.

3. Time Management Skills

When you are running your own business, you are responsible for making things happen, and that includes showing up, being punctual, getting things done and meeting deadlines.

While you might outsource specific tasks, you are still ultimately responsible for ensuring your business runs like clockwork and stuff gets done, especially when it comes to tasks of a regulatory nature, such as paying the correct taxes or getting accounts filed on time. 

Good time management also impacts on your productivity. Planning ahead and reviewing processes to see what can be done more efficiently is all part of this. That’s why it makes sense to automate any repetitive routine processes that need to be done but devour up your precious time, such as invoicing. 

You can read more about the benefits of automation for small businesses at our post here.

4. Sales & Marketing Skills

If you don’t market yourself properly, how will potential clients find you? Whether you use content marketing, SEO, social media, cold calling, email marketing or a combination of inbound and outbound strategies, you have to put yourself out there and be confident in your communications.

And it’s not just how you communicate (via what medium, your brand voice and style) but what you communicate. For example, how you position yourself in the market, who your ideal client is and the marketing message you put across to target your ideal clients.

Likewise, honing your sales and discovery call skills will help you better identify clients who are the right fit, boost your confidence and help provide clarity to your potential clients regarding what you do, the value you provide and the transformation you offer. 

5. Money Management Skills

You don’t need to be a financial whizz kid to run a successful freelance business, but you do need to know the basics and understand the principles of how a positive cash flow is essential to keep you afloat. 

Knowing what’s coming into your business, what’s due out, the related expenses and what and how to charge are all vital for you to prosper. Hiring an accountant can help with a lot of the more top-level money management issues, but to help maintain a positive cash flow, one essential thing you can do is to ensure your invoices get paid on time. 

Invoicing software such as Invoice Ninja can automate this process so it is streamlined, and what’s more, if you integrate with one of our payment gateways, your clients can pay you fast.

Payment gateways enable you to accept credit cards and other electronic payments online directly from invoices you email to your clients. This means clients can pay you in just one click, and they don’t even need to leave the Invoice Ninja client-side portal. Seamless, quick and convenient!

Invoice Ninja integrates with many high-quality payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal & Venmo, Go Cardless, Checkout, Square, Apple Pay, and many more. You can even get paid in Bitcoin. View all the payment gateways we integrate with here.

Try Invoice Ninja out for free here.

Create a compelling headline

With a case study, you are telling the story of your client’s transformation, so, just like a traditional story, it will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. But first, you have to get people invested in the case study; why should they read it? You can do this by using a compelling headline that answers the question, ‘What’s in it for them?’. In other words, your headline should make your reader want to read the rest. 

For example, instead of heading the case study Case Study for Client X, you could use the result, How Client X Went From Zero Leads to Six Figures in X Months, so it is results-driven, or, if it’s a good one, you could even use a short quote from the client as the headline.

Following the headline, the case study can include the name of the client, any team members involved, and the goals of the project.

The case study is more of a collaboration between you and your client than a solo achievement, so the more you can get your client involved in the case study, the better.

Paint the picture

Your intro starts with what your client’s life was like before they hired you and what problem they were trying to solve. Here is where you really dig into their pain points. Include their own quotes if you have them. You can also include any relevant stats and figures here, too.

Paint the picture of the vision the client was after, why they came to you and how they found out about your services. What were they expecting to resolve as a result of hiring you?

Also, what had Client X tried before, and what was the outcome? By laying down the foundations of the client transformation story, you are also talking to the reader so they can envision themselves in the story.

Whatever their specific problem is, you want them to recognize themselves in the customer journey, so they are nodding their head and thinking, “Yup, that’s the exact same issue I’m dealing with” or something similar.

Highlight your processes and ways of working

The next part of the story is how you identified and solved your client’s problems; this is a great way to showcase what it’s like working with you, your unique approach and processes, and how you solved the issues better than anyone else.

Also, include if there was any deadline you needed to adhere to, how you dealt with any potential roadblocks, any eureka moments, how you communicated with your client, and how you ensured everything went smoothly. 

In short, you are showing off your working methods, highlighting what a joy it is to work with you and how you are the safe pair of hands your next potential client is looking to hire.

Show results and client transformation

Part three of the story is where you relay the positive, quantitative results you achieved and the client transformation.

Again, it’s good to include any relevant stats and figures here, i.e., time and money saved or increased sales. You might also include a quote from the client.

It would be helpful to list the key takeaways here, too; this could be in the form of a bulleted list—an ‘at a glance’ that readers can easily skim over.

You can also have a Call To Action (CTA) here where you direct the reader to what they need to do next if they want to hire you/get a quote, etc.

Have a client-friendly format

To make the case study as reader-friendly as possible, break up the text with subheadings and images where applicable so it is easy to digest. You can also use sound bites from the text in the layout/design (which you can then use as memes/posts for social media).

If you are creative, this is an excellent time to show off your creative flair with an appealing template that includes your logo and brand colors. Even if you’re not a professional graphic designer, you can think of ways to deliver the message in a format that suits your ideal client.

The format doesn’t have to be written either; you could create a video case study. However, the video case study should still follow the story format, compelling headline, and transformation story.

You can also create case studies showing different aspects of your work. For example, one could highlight a specific product, and another could be an add-on service. Or highlight different elements, such as turnaround times or a particular methodology you applied.

Case studies show the value of your work to potential clients and can be included in your proposals or even when asked for a sample of your work. They can be made into blog posts or even used as lead magnets as part of your email marketing strategy.

The key is to make your case studies as compelling, relevant (cut out any fluff) and appealing as possible.

And, of course,  once you’ve got yourself a great case study and are using it to win your ideal clients, you’ll want to have some equally good software to streamline your invoicing and make it easy for clients to pay you.

Invoice Ninja is a leading free invoicing software for small business invoices, fast online payments, expense tracking, and billable tasks. It also includes attractive, professional invoice template designs you can customize with your logo and brand colors.

It’s perfect for freelancers and small businesses.

Try it for free here.