12 months ago I was made redundant.

Decided to go freelance.

Since then I:
Earned over twice as much (3x this month)
Worked 20% fewer hours (more time for fun & family)
Feel so much happier and less stressed

Here’s what I’ve learned & what’s worked for me

Get paid in advance + set up automatic payments

Most clients I’ve worked with have been happy to do this.

I used to use Paypal to collect monthly fees (no chasing invoices) but now use @ConvertKit Commerce.

It also means clients can pay with a card so can earn points.

Niche down as much as you can.

I specialise in ecommerce SEO, and often even more specifically SEO-led content for DTC brands.

Becoming known for a specific niche will help attract clients as you’ll stand out more.

Invest in your equipment.

Your office should have everything you need to perform to the best of your abilities.

So get yourself a fast laptop, decent monitor, keyboard, mouse etc.

Stay on top of your business’s finances.

Get a quality accountant (they’ll save you more than they cost).

Create a separate bank account for all of your income.

Pay yourself a salary from that account - helps manage your cashflow.

Keep saving.

Kill all distractions during work time.

Give yourself every chance of being efficient.

Working fast = more $$$

Use website blocker apps, put your phone in a different room, use headphones to zone in.

Enjoy the benefits of working from home

It’s good to take breaks.

Use them to do your chores so you get more time when you finish work to do things you enjoy.

If you’re having an off day, finish early.

If hugely productive, crack on and get more done.

Keep promoting yourself.

I lived with the worry about losing clients when I started.

But if you keep promoting yourself across different channels, you’ll eventually drive more organic leads.

Just because you’re busy now, does not mean you will be next year.

Never stop learning.

Don’t get too comfortable. Most industries change all the time (especially SEO)

Set aside some time each week to keep up to date and learn new things.

My fav course this year was @growandconvert’s content course by @benjihyam & @deveshkhanal

Let your network know you’re available for hire

Most of my early clients came from a private group from a course I took over 5 years ago.

I shared a lot in the group over the years, answered a lot of questions and have since been featured in the course itself.

I shared I was going freelance in the group and received over 10 leads within 24 hours.

It’s been an exhausting year for so many reasons. I feel so lucky about how things have gone so far.

Freelancing gets easier the longer you do it for.

Way too many people give up too early.

Keep going