7 Must-Have Freelancer Skills

Freelancers make up about 36% of the American workforce. They contributed about $1.2 trillion to the economy in 2020, a 20% increase over 2019.

The pandemic fueled the boom in freelancing. People realized that working for someone else wasn’t for them. They also see greater opportunities as a freelancer.

What many don’t realize is that freelancing is tough if you don’t have the right freelancer skills. Some say that they have skills in their area of expertise.

Those skills aren’t enough when it comes to running your own freelancing business. Keep reading to discover what skills you have to have to be a successful freelancer.

1. Self-Starter

You don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder to hold you accountable. You also don’t have a boss to tell you what to work on each day.

You get to decide those things. Sure, you can stay in bed until noon. Freelancing also gives you the freedom to cut out early and hit happy hour at 3 pm.

Being a freelancer comes with a lot of responsibility, too. You’re ultimately responsible for every aspect of running a business.

You have to do the work to get clients and serve them well. If you don’t have the discipline to do those things, freelancing might not be for you.

2. Stress Management

Freelance work is full of stress. It takes a lot to manage a business and personal responsibilities.

One of the best ways to combat stress is to prioritize self-care. Make sure you meditate and exercise to help you combat the negative effects of stress.

3. Financial Management

One of the biggest challenges for new freelancers is figuring out taxes. That’s because you have to pay self-employment taxes. You don’t have an employer to withhold your taxes from your paycheck, either.

One common mistake that freelancers make is that they don’t account for taxes. They don’t realize that they have to pay estimated taxes each quarter.

They spend money when it comes in and are shocked to see a big tax bill.

A couple of things you should do is create a separate business bank account. That helps you track your business expenses.

You should also keep a separate account for taxes. Put a percentage of each payment into that account specifically for taxes.

Work with a CPA with experience working with freelancers to help you take advantage of the tax deductions you’re entitled to.

4. Comfortable With Uncertainty

Freelancing has its ups and downs. There are some periods where you have clients banging down your door to work with you.

There are other times where you don’t know how you’ll make rent that month.

Working for someone else gives you a steady paycheck. You know when you’ll get paid and how much. That kind of security is a luxury for freelancers.

Successful freelancers understand the ups and downs. They make a financial plan to deal with the slow times. They also work harder during those times to get clients.

One of the most essential freelancer skills to have is being comfortable with uncertainty.

5. Time Management

Freelancers get pulled in a million different directions a day. Marketing, client work, networking, and administrative work require your time and attention.

Time management, planning, and organizational skills are necessary to keep you from stressing out. Freelancers utilize technology to help them manage the business side of things.

According to this article from the Hectic app, it helps to prioritize tasks. Start off with the top three things that you need to do that day.

Once you complete them, you can move on to lower-priority items.

6. Sales and Marketing

Clients aren’t going to show up and say they want to work with you every day. You have to get out there and earn the right to work with them.

You need to learn how to sell and market yourself. It’s not arrogant to tell people what you do and that you’re good at it.

That’s good marketing.

You also have to know how to close clients when they’re interested in your services. Think of the most common objections and how you can overcome them.

Be ready to stand firm on your pricing. Many people see freelancers as a cheap alternative to employees. Remember that you bring expertise and value to your clients. They should want to pay for that.

7. Strong Boundaries

The most important relationships you have are with your clients. You need to value those relationships above all else.

You’ll get interviewed by potential clients for a variety of different jobs. Some of them will be a good fit, and others won’t.

Clients will expect you to go above and beyond to serve them. Some might expect you to be up at all hours of the night to service their accounts.

They might expect you to respond immediately to emails. They have high expectations as to when they should see results for their investment.

It’s your job to set client expectations at the very beginning of the relationship. You also have set strong boundaries with clients.

Be willing to say no to clients that aren’t a good fit. Tell clients when you’ll be available.

It’s critical for your mental health because you could burn yourself out trying to please clients. You could end up taking on work that isn’t a good fit for you.

The Essential Freelancer Skills to Have

Freelancing seems like a dream job. You get to choose your clients and when you work. You can create a lifestyle around your work, rather than the other way around.

In order to achieve the dream of freelancing, you have to have the essential freelancer skills. These skills are in addition to the skills in your area of expertise, whether you’re a marketing expert or delivery driver.

Master these work-related skills, and you’ll enjoy your work and your life. For more business and lifestyle tips, head over to the home page of this site!