There are very few people who are in a position where they can just quit their jobs and start freelancing from the bottom.
For most of us, it takes time to build up our skillsets, network with potential clients, and generally get our business to where it needs to be in order to earn a decent income.
Not to mention the fact that quitting your job to go freelance is hella daunting. Which means it’s always a good idea to start things off whilst you still have a stable, employed income.
If you remember, I’d been blogging and networking in the travel industry for two years before I went freelance so, even though I wasn’t doing any paid work, I had contacts and had built a name for myself.
That being said, you don’t have to wait two years at all. There’s no time like the present, right?! You can start freelancing today and begin building up your client load until you’re earning the same or more than you are in your full-time job.
Uh, sure… I hear you say. But listen up! If you’re serious about becoming a freelancer and are motivated to put your nose to the grindstone, then let’s get started, hey!
Grow Your Freelance Business in Just One Month
In fact, I’m in the process of creating an awesomely valuable e-course that’ll kickstart your freelance writing career in just one month! It’s packed full of tasks, worksheets, and lessons so you can get going straight away! Sign up below if you want first dibs on the course when it comes out (I promise it’s a good’un!).
Okay, back to the task in hand.
How to Grow Your Freelance Business With a Full-Time Job
Schedule Your Time (and Stick to it)
Time management is one of the hardest things to juggle when you’re working a full-time position and hustling hard on your freelance work.
Days seem to get shorter, amiright? There never seem to be enough hours, and all of a sudden it’s midnight and you’ve done absolutely diddly-squat (yeah, we’ve all been there!).
Scheduling your time is vital to ensure you get all your freelancing work done on time and with as little stress as possible.
Start by figuring out how many hours you have spare after deducting your employed hours and other tasks like housework, exercising, food shopping, and, you know, having a life.
For example, you might decide to commit 3 evenings a week to your freelance business, which gives you, let’s say, about 12 hours a week.
That’s no shoddy number.
In fact, that’s plenty of time to get things moving and get several clients on board.
When you’ve figured out how many hours you can or want to dedicate a week to grow your freelance business, it’s time to work out when to implement those hours.
This takes a little bit of trial and error at the beginning, but you’ll soon find a flow that works well for you. For example, you might choose to hop straight into freelance assignments right after you’ve finished work, or you might choose to rest for a couple of hours and get started a little bit later.
Different strokes for different folks, you see.
For me? I’d choose to get stuck in after work straight away, otherwise there’s a very real danger that I’d get sucked into the depths of Netflix never to be seen again.
Don’t Get Burnt Out
Juggling a full-time job whilst trying to grow your freelance business ain’t no easy task.
You might find your stress levels rising as you see your weeks fill up with endless work and no way out.
Do not let this happen.
Getting burnt out is no good for your freelance business or your day job – and it’s especially not good for your health!
When figuring out your schedule, make sure you leave plenty of time for chilling out with friends, doing things you like to do outside of work, and generally looking after yourself.
Sure, you might have 5 evenings a week when you’re not working, but do you really want to cram those with even more work?
You can always start small and build up if you want to, but don’t pressure yourself to get more done than you can manage. It will only lead to disaster and disappointment.
Bulk Tasks Together
I’m a big, big fan of bulking tasks together. In fact, I do this for blogging and my freelance work, because when I’m in the mindset to do something I can get it done quicker.
For example, I’ll bulk write blog posts, or I’ll bulk send out invoices, or I’ll bulk schedule tweets, or I’ll bulk send out pitches and proposals.
Instead of doing dribs and drabs here and there, it’s so much easier to group similar tasks together. So, you might decide to market yourself on a Monday, work on assignments on Tuesday, and answer emails and send out invoices on a Wednesday.
I find that when I’m doing little bits of tasks here and there that time seems to just disappear and I haven’t really got a lot done to show for it.
Since bulking tasks, I’ve found my workflow much more productive.
Be Realistic
It can be so easy to say yes to every opportunity that comes along when you’re growing your freelance business – because, well, anything is good right?
In some ways, yes. But it’s more important that you can do a good job on the projects you do have. Having a smaller client load and creating great quality work for them is so much more beneficial to your business than having more clients than you can handle and doing a haphazard job.
You want referrals, right?
And to get a good name for yourself in the industry, yes?
In which case you need to consider how many clients you have room for. Don’t be afraid to say “I’m fully booked right now but have slots available in 2 weeks”. In fact, this could boost your standing in your client’s eyes because you’re seen to be in demand – which can only be a good thing, right?!
Don’t Get Up Earlier
I’ve read so many blog posts that advise you to get up earlier and go to bed later if you want to grow your freelance business whilst still working a full-time job.
If there’s one piece of advice I’d give, it’d be to NOT do this. We need our sleep! It helps us function throughout the day, replenishes our inspiration, and reduces stress levels.
When we’re already feeling slightly manic about our workload, why would we even consider taking away one of the main things that makes us feel sane?!
Instead of waking up earlier, plan your time smarter. If you usually spend half an hour checking Facebook in the morning, nix this from your routine and replace it with sending emails or something equally as useful.
It’s amazing when you think about all the wasted hours in the day (I’m giving you death glares Netflix). Instead of depriving yourself of sleep, just use these dead times to your advantage.
Be Transparent With Your Boss
I couldn’t sign off this post without addressing the ethical issues of trying to grow your freelance business whilst working a full-time job.
It’s well worth checking your contract with your employer to see if there are any clauses stating you can’t work elsewhere and for other clients, especially if there’s a conflict of interest.
If there isn’t, it’s a good idea to let your boss know that you’re also taking on freelance work. In most cases, they’ll be supportive, but if not then focus on highlighting the benefits of freelancing – whether it’s learning new skills you can apply to your employed job or creating new contacts that would be beneficial to the company you work for.
As you can see, working a full-time job whilst trying to grow your freelance business isn’t a stroll in the park. In fact, it can be hugely stressful. But, if you manage your time well and stick to your schedule and goals, it can be really rewarding.
Particularly when you’re earning enough to quit your day job and work full-time on your freelancing business!
Your Turn!
Are you juggling a full-time job with trying to grow your freelance business? What tips and tricks could you offer others?
Loved this post. I couldn’t agree more about the use of the time you have. I’ve started tracking my time to see how I am spending it. It also forces me to spend the time wisely as I don’t want to put a Netflix binge or the like in my log.
Chris recently posted…Tax Forms A New Business Owner Needs To Know
Thanks Chris! Great idea to track your time – it’s something I really try to do so I can see what areas I can improve on and what tasks take up the most time for me. Ha, Netflix binges are definitely what takes up most of my time!
This is really valuable advice! I totally agree — it’s so important to schedule your time wisely when you’re freelancing and blogging on top of a full-time job. It’s really easy to get burnt out — trust me, I’ve been there. I’ve also found that it’s really important to choose clients wisely. This way, putting in the extra work throughout the week isn’t as daunting or stressful!
So true Olivia! Choosing the right clients is key to growing your business and not getting burnt out with vague requests and too much backwards and forwards-ing (and it’s much less daunting when you love your clients!).
I am guilty of taking myself to burn out; it’s so hard not to try and do everything, I really must tell myself that I am not superwoman and can’t do everything! Making time for friends and sleep is so important, but I really struggle with that work/life balance at the moment. But, like you say we need sleep, so I’d probably be more productive if I stuck to stricter times for work and times for bed!
I struggle with it too, Annie. Sometimes I feel incredibly guilty when I’m chilling out with friends or doing something non work related because, well, I could be doing work! We need to take a step back occasionally to see that taking a break is really important for our health, our businesses, and our sanity!
Great tips! I need to work on all of these myself, especially scheduling my time better. And I’m going to figure out a way to use this for my boys homework/sports/social life too. 🙂
Melissa recently posted…7 Food Allergy Safety Tips for the Holidays
Hope it’s useful for your Melissa! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
I love the tip about not waking up ealier – I HATE when people tell me that lol. I already stay awake until at least 2 am, and my body just will not shut down any earlier than that. So when people who know that about me suggest working on freelancing before work, I just give them a death glare.
Brittany Berger recently posted…3 Colorful 2016 Planners for Creatives
Urgh, me too! I’m good for nothing if I haven’t had enough sleep! Death glares are DEFINITELY necessary in this situation.
Great advice 🙂
Thanks Marvina!
I really love these tips, Lizzie! It’s sometimes so hard to take a break although I know it’s really important! And you’re right, we really need our sleep!
Sina @ Vegan Heaven recently posted…Millet Porridge with Cranberries and Quince Fruit
We totally do need our sleep Sina! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Waking up earlier is never the answer – you won’t get anything accomplished because you are SO tired! I need my sleep time…and since I get up for school every day at 7:30, I couldn’t pull myself out of bed any earlier than that lol
Samantha recently posted…Balmain x H&M: My “Pre-wear” Review
EXACTLY! I’m good for nothing if I haven’t had enough sleep!
Thanks for the inspirational post!!! I love your tips, and it definitely reinforces things that I agree with – like not giving up sleep!
Thank so much, I’m so pleased you liked it! Giving up sleep is a definite NO for me!
I would love to start freelancing and I currently have a full time job so this post is perfect for me.
xoxo, Jenny
Jenny recently posted…The Year Before the Wedding
Hope this helped you Jenny! Let me know if you have any questions about freelancing 🙂
You can’t change what you don’t measure, and you can’t tell if a program or strategy is working if you are not faithfully testing, measuring and tracking your results.
I like the tip about doing tasks in bulk. I’m just starting out and I find that I get lost often with other tasks and most times things don’t get completed like I had hoped. Will definitely try that. Thanks for the great post.
Yes, so true! I found my productivity levels increase A LOT since bulk tasking things. Let me know how it goes, Renee!
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