7 Freelancing Habits You Should Stop Doing

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Are you working tirelessly but you can't land recurring projects? Do you get average reviews even though you think you did your best? If you answer yes to both questions, it's time you analyze what your lapses are.

You could do things that are not helping your work. They could be things you've done repetitively that they already became habits. Bad habits.

Take a look at the list below and find out how these habits can affect your freelancing and how you can break them.

bad freelancing habits to stop doing

Taking on more projects you can handle

This is a common mistake many freelancers do. Don't commit to several projects without analyzing if you have enough time to complete all of them with the quality your employer deserves. Before even bidding on a new project, figure out how much time and resources it will take and how accepting it will impact your current projects.

Not giving regular updates

Communication is key in any relationship, personal or professional. To avoid having issues with your employers, you should keep an open communication with them. By sending them reports on the project, they will not only receive status updates but you will also show how professional you are. Doing this lets the two of you be on the same page all the time.

Using rude expressions

Even if you have a comfortable working relationship with your employer, you should always respect the boundary that separates the two of you. Avoid rude expressions whenever you talk to employers. Be polite and professional.

Not knowing your employers well enough

Do you keep track of every single project you have worked on and the employers you've collaborated with? Make it a point to get to know your employers as they could bridge you to more opportunities. You can use them as a reference, or maybe offer a partnership when your freelance business grows bigger.

Sending uncustomized proposals

Employers don't like receiving copied-pasted proposals. Write a customized bid proposal if you don't want to upset employers or get eliminated right away from the bid list. Uncustomized proposals make you look like you're not that interested in the project. Show your determination to win it!

Constantly pushing deadlines

Just like you need to analyze a project before bidding, you should assess how much it will really take before committing to a deadline. If you win the project and you're not able to estimate the timeline correctly, pushing deadlines, later on, will cause bad reviews and negative feedback from your employer.

Changing the quote once the project after the award

Imagine this: You are in a store and you found this amazing product with a discounted price tag. After contemplating, you've decided it's a great buy, so you wanted to purchase it. But when it's time to pay for the item, it's back to its original price. You got your hopes up, right?

Well, that could be the same thing that happens to employers when you change your bid price after the award. Tip: Projects sometimes turn out to be more complex than you thought, which is why you should discuss the projects thoroughly before accepting the award.

If you want to improve your portfolio and grow your freelance business, leave these old habits behind and start landing more and better projects today!

Now find new projects to bid on and remember the tips you’ve got from this post.

 

Posted 24 March, 2017

antoniabensusan

Marketing and Communications Staff

Anything tech and marketing related amazes me, and the urge to learn more about it becomes my new obsession! I am an extremely curious person, and there is nothing more fun than a good challenge! I love using the internet to learn new things, and share my knowledge with others!

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