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If you’re building a freelance business right now, I hope these practices help speed up the learning curve process and eliminate some freelance mistakes I made.

Read the full list of the 10 best things I did for my freelance career to sustain a freelance writing business since 2006:

I tracked my time.

It wasn’t because I billed hourly, but because I needed to know the truth about what freelance projects were actually costing me. Turns out, the “easy” client wasn’t so easy once I added up the revision rounds and check-in emails. Data doesn’t lie, even when you’d rather not look. (Or, it can tell you that a client project that “felt” particularly challenging resulted in a high hourly freelance rate—like $600/hour freelance rate.)

Start there. Even one week of honest time tracking will tell you something you didn’t know about your business.

I created something of my own.

Writing for other people’s platforms built credibility and clips. But building something that was mine — a personal brand — was different. I started my freelance writing tips newsletter in 2017, created online freelance courses and digital products based on what I learned, and committed to showing up consistently on LinkedIn to grow an audience that helped me get more client work. Helping people feel like they knew me, my writing, and the work I did strengthened my personal brand in ways that client work alone never could.

Choose one area to “show up in” this quarter that can help potential clients feel like they know you.

I asked for referrals.

I reached out to previous clients, editor friends, and freelance contacts to ask if they knew anyone who could use my services. Here’s why it matters: people assume your client roster is full, especially if they see you posting on social media about what you’re working on. They had no idea I needed more business unless I said something. Most people were genuinely glad to keep me in mind; they just needed to know I was open to it.

Don’t wait for referrals to find you. Ask for referrals for your freelance business.

I told clients when I added new skills and services.

I didn’t assume they knew I’d added thought leadership ghostwriting or newsletter copywriting to my services. I made sure they knew, directly, when I checked in about upcoming projects that I added new freelance skills. Existing clients already trusted me. Giving them a reason to hire me for something else was one of the easiest ways I grew my income without finding a single new client.

Remember, this also shows clients you’re upskilling and enhancing your business.

I got comfortable letting people know when I needed work.

This one took a few years to learn. There can be a weird shame spiral around saying, “I have availability right now,” like something is wrong if you have availability. It wasn’t. It’s just business. Tell clients, freelance friends, current clients, and your audiences on social media that you have availability. The freelancers who stay booked let their favorites know when there’s an opening in their schedule. Try this with five emails this week.

I kept a positive outlook.

SEO shifts all the time. (Do we need to hear “SEO is dead” one more time?) Algorithm updates across search and social can incinerate budgets. Magazines are folding every month. Layoff headlines can make me feel sad and nervous. I lived through all of it  and I still maintain the belief that there’s freelance work out there for writers willing to get creative about finding it. The market changed. It didn’t disappear. The creatives and business owners who survive through the hard seasons pull their britches up and kept going.

What I’m reading: Main Street Millionaire by Codie Sanchez (nonfiction), Not Part of the Plan by Lucy Score (romance)

What I’m reading online: How Being a former gossip reporter made me a better writer (LitHub) and Serotonin’s role in mental health is more complicated than we thought (I enjoy staying on top of mental health topics for clients.)

What I published on LinkedIn: The Sleep Numbers That Can Improve Your Sleep Routine

What I published on Inc.com: The $136 Billion Sleep Industry is Shifting: Here are trends to watch for

// This Costco Perk Can Pay for Your Membership in Less Than 3 Months

What I’m watching: Nashville on Netflix and WandaVision on Disney

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Here’s a roundup of creative, full-time, part-time, freelance, remote, and hybrid jobs in the editorial, copywriting, content writing, and creative fields. Good luck.

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