Some designers make a great career out of freelancing, some struggle to ever pay the bills solely from freelancing income.
If you are already a successful freelancer, you will probably see that you are not guilty of most of the points made below. If you are hoping to be a full-time freelancer, or are currently finding it difficult to get your freelancing going, some points below may help you figure out why!
To explain this post a little better, my personal opinion on when a freelancer knows they have "made it", is when you own your own house, own your own car, and can comfortably pay 100% of your bills from your freelancing income. Some of you may disagree with that description of "making it", but that is how I personally measure it. I encourage you to add your thoughts in the comments at the end, thanks!
And so, the 50 reasons why you will not make it as a freelancer:
- The thought of working a 16 - 19 hour day makes you feel violently ill
- You sleep in past 12pm most mornings
- You don’t know what the word "typography " means
- You hear the word "Hex " and you think someone is talking about dinosaurs
- When meeting clients, you wear jeans and a t-shirt
- Your hair is a mess, all the time
- Your phone manner is terrible (you answer with "hello", and nothing else)
- You don’t understand what a "bleed " is
- Your business card is a home-made Microsoft Publisher job
- You have never started conversation with a stranger
- You are not confident
- You are not likeable
- You do not manage your personal finances well
- Your mum doesn’t even like your design work
- You want to be successful, but your drive is completely lacking
- You are not self-motivated
- You don’t have a desire to be the most successful person you know
- You don’t have a website
- Explaining the difference between 300 dpi and 72 dpi is like speaking a foreign language to you
- You think white space is wasted space
- The bevel function in Photoshop doesn’t work anymore because you have worn it out so badly
- You struggle to actually complete a project
- You have to give your clients money back because you over promised on your ability
- You have 0 business skills and have no idea how to develop them
- You really dislike sales and feeling like a sales person
- You don’t make your clients sign contracts
- You think it’s cool to be flaky and disorganized because that is what "us creative types are like"
- You think you are right, and the client is wrong
- You think that your prices need to be lower than anyone around so that you can get the business
- Your people skills are terrible
- You don’t have a plan for your freelancing career, you are just floating along
- You don’t really understand what marketing is
- You haven’t developed a brand for your freelancing career
- You are unable to save money
- You don’t have a desire to continue learning all the time
- You have never worked more than 40 hours a week in your life
- You have never worked for a design company
- Seeing a logo you designed on a billboard or on tv doesn’t give you a rush
- You design things that look good but don’t match the brief whatsoever
- You spend most of your time working on entries for silly online design contests
- You let clients name their price
- You’re not a risk taker
- You do not manage your time whatsoever
- You are not disciplined in a daily routine
- You don’t study your competition
- You don’t even know who your competition is
- The word "crop " makes you think of the farm
- You suck at Photoshop
- You are guilty of over 20 of the points above
- You are angry at me after reading this
Do you have any to add? How many of the 50 are you guilty of?
Related links and helpful articles about freelancing
How To Fail Miserably as a Freelancer
How To Fail at Freelancing in 5 Easy Steps
Why Failure as a Freelancer can be a Good Thing
The 7 Deadly Sins of Freelancing
10 Tips for Getting More Personal Interaction as a Freelancer
Well, I said ‘yes’ to more than ten of those. Based on your theories here I guess I’m not a freelancer.
I’m not saying anything about NOT being regarded as a freelancer. I am discussing whether or not you have “made it” as a freelancer..noted at the beginning of the post where I explain my personal opinion on I measuring whether or not someone has “made it” in their profession.
Also, point number 49 jokes that if “You are guilty of over 20 of the points above”, you may not make it as a freelancer. Not 10 like you have noted as being my theory from your comment.
Someone could be guilty of all 50 and somehow still be a freelancer!
51. You dont use twitter.
52. You are not on facebook.
Hey, I see my header in one of your graphics. How cool
I stumbled and delicious tagged the post for you. Nice list. I think I answered yes to 10-15 of them. Sleep, hair, ect.
Mike Smith’s last blog post..40 Must Have Grunge Fonts From DaFont.com
Nice addition! I am not on Facebook. That is one mark for me
Thanks for your comment
Ah, ok, my apologies. Let me dial down the gloom meter a bit (lol). Also, you left one off the list…You don’t have ANY clients.
Hi Brian,
I’m a little on the fence with #42, “You are not a risk taker.”
If you have a sound business plan, and conduct your research prior to jumping in, it’s possible to ‘make it’ without taking risks. Plenty of successful business people will take risks, but many will also consider their moves a safe bet, sure to increase profits.
What do you think?
David Airey’s last blog post..Logo design process for Komplett Fitness
53. You can’t stand the idea of “dumping” a client who sucks all your time away for little monetary return.
Randa Clay’s last blog post..Just Do It
Hmmm,
Wonder if I am really a graphic artist or not.
Here is my scenario. I have been a production artist for a prepress house for over 11 years. I basically work in InDesign (previously quark) at work.
I really don’t do any coding or web design. I work at home mostly in InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. So hex is kinda a dinosaur to me.
I have a blog and I have a portfolio on graphics.com and jamuse. Does that count as a web page?
I really do dislike sales and suck at selling myself.
Working for a prepress house and doing page makeup, developing templates and master graphics. Does that count as working for a design firm. No, I have never worked for a “design firm?”
Photoshop is my weakest asset. Though I am learning more daily.
I would say that I am guilty of about 5-10 of these.
Its a good article and makes you think.
What I want to know is how everyone seems to do everything they do? I work 10 to 12 hours a day, often 6 days a week. I come home search the design blogs, tweet etc, try to do some of my own work and learn. I don’t get how people have time to get any work done with all there is to do on here.
Tough (but true) post bryan!
Well… nope, I haven’t made it as a freelancer.
Marcos’s last blog post..Gran Concierto de NIN
“#43 You do not manage your time whatsoever”
I see this one being one of the most important. It’s a challenge I faced while I freelanced. I actually wrote an article about time management recently.
http://www.8164.org/stones-and-pebbles/
Even though I got better at it over the years, but I still have much room to improve.
Fun list brian.
Jin’s last blog post..Findings 10.10.08
Thanks for the help! Some of the ones like “Your hair is a mess” etc, are usually ok if you do not target a local market where you live. Obviously, it doesn’t matter what your personal appearance is if you just work with clients online or over the phone.
Doug,
No clients, very true!
David,
I like your question. I think there is always some risk involved in being a freelancer. The biggest one being that you have no guarantee that you will not receive another pay check. I started working for myself after a lot of research and calculation, and while I feel like I did take a risk when I left the full time job, it was a really easy one after seeing the hours working versus the income.
I would personally view your site as a risk that you took. You spent a lot of time to develop it in the early years, and you have now grown it into being your number source for acquiring new clients (is that correct?). You risked your own time to develop the site and you are now receiving the rewards of that risk. Do you not view that as a risk or do you look back and think that you had everything calculated and planned so well that you knew it couldn’t fail?!
Randa,
Very true. This is huge for freelancers in my opinion, as well as business owners. It is something that some don’t ever learn or figure out. You simply need to drop clients that are unprofitable. There is no reason to keep them around, and they prevent you from growing your business further.
Pete,
Thank you for your interesting comment. I would say you do work for a design related firm currently, so you have that one. That point simply means you probably should have worked in house at some sort of design firm to learn the life lessons of the industry. Unless, you get a great degree and learn the business aspect of it all yourself, then you might be able to skip this.
So, are you saying that you are finding it hard to figure out how to become a full time freelancer? Your question on “how does everyone find the time” to work on all of the points made above and also get actual design work completed is a good one! For me personally, it meant working in the full time job for 8 hours a day, and then working at home for about 8 hours each evening on average. Eventually, you take the jump and remove the full time job from the equation when you are making a lot more money working from home.
Of the freelancers I network with, it is evident that they all work extremely long days, and usually quite a bit on the weekends. So, it is extremely difficult to do all of the things needed to be a successful freelancer, but it is possible.
Marcos,
No worries, I haven’t either! I have yet to own a house. I am a little afraid to invest right now as the entire world seems to be going broke!
Jin,
Thanks for your comment. Yeah, time management is huge for me also. Thanks for the link, I am going to read that later today when I get back on the computer.
lovely post, i am not a freelancer, just a wannabe, but based on the nu-linked Ugly URL’s in your post footer, you could use my coding skills
ciao
blog on
schizo’s last blog post..Could Should Am Will (Hint: Its a rant)
I really enjoyed your list. It reminded me of more than a few people I know who are bored with their careers and want to jump into design without any experience.
Brian,
I liked the post. Whew, I just finished my website so I can take that off the list, but I have never worked for a design firm. Eh, can’t win ‘em all.
By the way, not sure how I stumbled upon your blog, but I enjoy the posts. Keep up the good work, bro.
Greg
This list is great! Along with bevel over use, you are guilty of dropshadow overuse, using Comic Sans, and still think animated gifs are cool.
Char’s last blog post..Keeping Up With the Masses - Corporate Social Media Use
Thank for the visit. I actually didn’t make those links originally because I already had a quite a large number of external links on this page…but I guess it is more user friendly to link them, so I have.
Brad,
Thanks for your comment. I have a friend that “thinks” he is a full time freelancer, and so looking at him, I had a lot of material for this list!
Greg,
I think it is extremely helpful to have worked at a design company before you attempt to become a full time freelancer. For me personally, it wasn’t necessarily because I learned how to run a design firm from working in a previous job, but I actually learned how NOT to run a design firm. And so far, those lessons learned have helped me a great deal!
Char,
I agree, drop shadowing everything, comic sans and animated gifs are pretty 1997! Have you ever read Jacob Cass’ post “15 signs you’re a bad graphic designer”? http://justcreativedesign.com/2007/12/06/bad-graphic-design/
Brian’s last blog post..50 Reasons Why You Will Not Make It As A Freelancer
[...] list may help you realize why your freelancing design career isn’t exactly going as plannedread more | digg [...]
No guarantee that you’ll not receive another pay cheque. Yes, this is true, but what guarantees do you have in today’s employment situation? That’s also worth a thought.
Looking back, I think a fair compromise of my start would be a calculated risk. I’d saved enough money to allow for a period of growth, helping to weather slow periods.
You’re right when saying my online presence is my number one avenue for acquiring new clients, although a fair chunk is gained from word of mouth, which is also fantastic.
David Airey’s last blog post..Logo of the month #10
I’ve got to admit that I am guilty of a few, LOL, especially #13. I would rather be guilty of all of them, however, than have #21 on my conscience, the bevel effect in photoshop is the number one giveaway that someone doesn’t know what they’re doing.
Wonderful post!
George - LogoDesign.org’s last blog post..“Where have I seen your logo design work before?”
Also you can add:
51.- If you think that a mockup it’s a moka cappuccino
Ronaldo’s last blog post..Reducing Man Boobs
I’m not a freelancer nor a wannabe one as I’m into too many types of web projects but your list did give me a good laugh. I have to admit that I am also guilty of some of the assertions but did not make it to the 20 required for failure (or did I get this one wrong?). How about this entry also: your portfolio sucks…
Oh, oh! (Hmmm, rapidly reconsidering position!)
I’m in the lucky position of teaching design one week on, one week off so I’m very pleased to have that regular income while the rest comes from the rollercoaster that is freelancing.
Good list with some scary truths wrapped up with humour.
Jennifer’s last blog post..Design a Pepsi can
That’s a great list and funny! Loving “Your mum doesn’t even like your design work”
#54: you don’t have the right hardware
#55: you don’t have the right software
#56: you don’t have a good internet connection
#57: you take critic personal
…
milo’s last blog post..Orange
It looks like some of my favorite parts of freelancing (messy hair, jeans, eccentricity) are my biggest faults.
#58 You let freelance blog lists get you down about your freelancing career!
West Joslyn’s last blog post..Beginning as a Graphic Designer
Not a bad article. Makes you think.
@milo: “#56: you don’t have a good internet connection”
I have dial-up because it is the only thing I can get where I am located. That doesn’t have any relationship with being a bad web designer.
“#28. You think you are right, and the client is wrong.”
I disagree with this because if the client is right and you are wrong, what’s the point of them hiring you. They are paying you for your expertise in design and the processes behind it and if they are basically using you as someone with Photoshop skills to create what they can’t then they are looking for the wrong thing.
Obviously there are compromises you can make but blindly doing what your client desires is not what a designer does.
J.T. Shaver’s last blog post..Welcome to the Graphic Design Portfolio of Shaver Design
What about #58…your kids keep jumping on you, your wife won’t stop nagging you and your dog wants walk after walk…or is this just me
Andrew Kelsall’s last blog post..Logo Designs and Marketing for G.E.D.T
First article I read here and it made my laugh! It’s the truth dough!
Nice post
#51 You still EI and afraid to download firefox=)
You had me at numbers 1 and 2, Brian. Not because I was groaning but because I was cheering, “YES! DAMMIT! YOU TELL ‘EM!”
Hehehe
James Chartrand - Men with Pens’s last blog post..We’ll Be Back on January 5, 2009
“The bevel function in Photoshop doesn’t work anymore because you have worn it out so badly”
…made me laugh out loud - so true!
Great post - guess I am probably guilty of #6!
I have to disagree with 37 - You have never worked for a design company - Both my partner and I have never worked for a ‘design company’ but have spent many years employed as ‘designers’ for non design companies.
Steve - Eightyone Design’s last blog post..vwcampervanblog.com featured in Web Designer Magazine
Maybe your post should be “50 Reasons why You are Unemployed”! I’m not freelance, I’m the graphic design department for a small publishing house, but the same rules apply. Except the work hours - I usually only put in 40-50. The extra time alone is enough to keep me out of freelance.
Brian Yerkes’s last blog post..Why CrowdSpring Owners Should Be Ashamed of Their Business
I am only guilty of 2 of them, I don’t manage my time and I only say “Hello” when I pick up the phone.
Although I do occasionally wake up past 12PM but hey I’m 14.
Hayes Potter’s last blog post..10 Breadcrumb Inspirations
Whew… Barely made the cutoff at 19!
Hey,
Really a nice article.. but my hard luck, m not a freelancer.. i’m guilty of more than 10 points, but i have a sold reason for this.. I am a 16 yr old freelancer so cant work in any design firm acc to Indian law and as i also have to go to school so not able to manage the time because of some misc.. assignments of school..
Anyways thanks a lot for this as i will really try to follow these points in my further life..
Excellent list and yes and I do suck at Photoshop.
Eric T’s last blog post..Twitter Product Review
Cool post there.. very well written, and I loved the last two points, ahah great !
Enk.’s last blog post..How to Change Wordpress Password through PhpMyAdmin
I thought most of the points were tongue in cheek jokes and a lot are a bit too absolute.
I see clients in jeans and a t-shirt and they tell me they’re relieved to have someone who ‘gets them’ and isn’t some corporate design fogey. Then I see a different client wearing my Sunday best and they’re glad I’m not another ‘art house freak’ like the last guy they tried to use. So it all varies doesn’t it.
Further to that - I hate feeling like a sales person and I absolutely hate sales… …but I’ll charm the panties of any client if I absolutely have to because that’s part of the job. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
A more serious list with detail explanations would probably be a lot more helpful… …would someone who has never heard of photoshop or bleeds really contemplating a career as a freelance designer?