On becoming your own boss

By Chandra Mophethe

When you become a freelancer, you essentially become your own boss. You can set your own times and measure success by your own standards. Here’s what I wish I knew before starting out.

Work smarter, not harder

Good time management is important. Remember time is money in the world of freelancing. Any opportunity to improve efficiency and increase productivity is a must. Keep a diary or digital calendar that you update regularly to stay on top of your projects. Try and optimise your repetitive tasks by automating them (e.g. using a scheduling tool for social media or having a PDF document with your rates available to send to new clients).

It’s okay to say “No”

Be selective with the projects you take on. There will be a time when you will have many offers coming your way and you will want to say yes to everything – don’t! It is important to take on work you know you’ll be able to complete to the best of your ability. Word of mouth is your best form of advertising, so make sure you don’t overcommit only to underdeliver.

Find time to unplug

Working online has made it easier to continue working well past normal hours, making you more susceptible to burn out. During your work hours, make sure to schedule short breaks. For example, take 10-minute breaks from your computer every hour to stretch. On weekends, take longer breaks that detach you from all things digital – go for walks, take up a creative hobby like painting or cooking, or try something you’ve never tried before! Your work life doesn’t have to eclipse your personal life.

Upskill & stay up to date

There are many online educational platforms that offer courses where you can learn a variety of new skills from digital marketing to bookkeeping. Although many of these platforms are paid, there are free platforms as well. Even Youtube is often a great platform to start learning. Learning how to code is essential for surviving in the digital world of work. You don’t have to become a software engineer or data analyst, but it will give you a head start to have a better understanding of it.

In addition to upskilling, make sure you are clued into the latest trends in your industry. Subscribe to bi-annual and annual reports about the industry you work in and attend events hosted by industry leaders. Subscribe to newsletters and live podcasts – guests often share the same (or more!) invaluable information as they would at a paid event.

Transition with a plan

If you are currently working or studying full time and are looking to transition to being a full-time freelancer, I recommend testing the waters with one or two side hustles to make sure they will be financially viable and scalable in the future. Draw up a budget of your monthly expenses and ensure that your hourly rate will be enough to live off as well as allow enough to put aside for rainy days and downtime.