How and When to Create a New Freelance Website

How and When to Create a New Freelance Website

If you don’t have a website yet, but you’ve already started your business and are working with clients, don’t fret—that’s usually how it goes. But once you’ve figured out your offering and elevator pitch, played around with pricing, and have an idea of the type of client you want to serve, it’s time to add “create freelance website” to your to-do list.

If you’re not sure where to start, I’m glad that you’re here. We’re here to help guide you along and give you all the advice you need to get your freelance website up and running.

A great freelance website makes you look professional and polished.

Hold up, why do I need a website?

Okay, okay—do you need to create a website? Of course not. It’s your business. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do! We at Harlow, however, believe a website can benefit your business in a number of ways:

  • Makes you look more professional and polished. Most of your potential clients will be doing a quick google or looking you up on social media to get more information. Having a presence makes you look like the real deal.
  • Helps your potential clients get to know you better. This establishes trust and also helps them understand what you do and why you’re so good at it.
  • Gives your potential clients an overview of your services so they can establish whether you’ll be a good fit for them. Let’s be honest, we all have a limited amount of time, so let those who are interested use your website to pre-qualify and avoid unnecessary discovery calls.
  • Provides space for you to share social proof and testimonials from previous projects and clients. A recommendation from a previous client can go a long way.
  • Is a platform where you can share thought leadership and your expertise through blog posts, videos, and case studies. You’re an expert at your craft, create a space where you can showcase that.

What Makes a Great Website?

Here’s the good news: a simple website, with a few key elements that show who you are, what you do, and what you have to offer, is all you need. (What a relief, right?!) Here’s a breakdown of the most important parts:

Stand-Out Value Prop

The header of your website is the perfect place to make a clear and concise statement about what you offer. This is likely the first thing visitors see and it can help you make an impact right away. Use your header to state what you uniquely do in a simple but powerful way.

For example, freelance writer Grace Clamann’s value proposition is loud and clear: “Write copy for your website that makes people go… Damn, that’s good!”

It’s light, it’s playful and it helps her stand out. You immediately get a sense of what she does and who she is.

Offer Overview

This is where you outline exactly what you provide for your clients. You can create a single page to include packages and a la carte offerings, or separate the various categories into separate pages. You get to decide how to best showcase your offer, the only important thing is that they’re easy to find and understand.

Contact Page

If a potential client wants to get in touch, make it easy by including a contact page with a simple form they can submit. You can also include your phone number, email address, and social profiles, but don’t forget the contact form. The goal is to create as little friction as possible between them and you.

About Me Section

Your “About me” section (write and own that bio!) achieves two key goals:

  • Creates an emotional connection. Potential clients may feel called to work with you because they connect with some element of your story.
  • Provides professional legitimacy. Certifications and relevant past experience show that you don’t just talk the talk, you walk the walk.

To make the most of this section or page, include:

  • A headshot. Make sure it’s a clear photo of only you. It shouldn’t be pixelated or too small, which makes it hard to see. Don’t have one? It’s easy to snap a solo shot using the camera on your phone and a timer. Or give a friend a call and have a photoshoot!
  • Your bio. This can be multiple paragraphs long, or brief, with just a few sentences. If you choose a longer bio, it may be wise to also include a shorter intro that outlines the highlights for potential clients who want to get to know you quickly. This isn’t a place to regurgitate your resume, but to tell a story about your experience and how it’s brought you here.
  • Any relevant certifications. Including this shows you take your work seriously and bring specialist expertise to the table. You did the work, now own it!

Social Proof

Use the words of past clients to show that you do great work and provide results. When a new client is considering your services, they’re likely wondering: “But can she really do what she says on her website?” Social proof answers that question.

The main types of social proof include testimonials (video or text), case studies, and reviews. All of these are valuable as your business grows.

The easiest way to start collecting testimonials is to ask at the end or during projects that are going well. You can even make this easier for your client—and less awkward for you—by creating a Google Form with just a few questions for clients to answer about their experience working with you. Pro tip: make sure you ask for permission to use their responses in your marketing materials.

Note that you don’t need to have an entire page dedicated to social proof. You can include them on your home page like freelance designer, Krisa Canvender, does.

Portfolio Page

This isn’t necessary for every freelancer. But for writers, designers, or any creative freelancer, we think it’s smart. This is where you showcase the work that you do. Paired with testimonials, you’re not just telling clients what you can do, you’re showing them—and that’s so much more powerful!

Blog

If you enjoy writing or want to build more thought leadership and credibility, a blog is worth considering. This is a chance to share your experience and unique point of view, which can help you stand out.

If you’re not sure where to start, here are three simple steps:

  • Dig through past projects and clients and create a list of problems you’ve helped solve. Make note of common questions asked or issues that came up.
  • Ask your clients what they were searching for when they found you.
  • See if there are trending topics and conversations happening on social media in your field.

The topics you find through this research are likely great topics for you to write about for your blog.

So, How Do I Actually Create It?

I’ll start with the good news: you don’t need to be a designer or developer to build a website. There are plenty of platforms out there that help you spin up a site quickly. Many of them were built to make web design easy and simple, which makes them perfect for freelancers like us.

Most of the platforms now offer drag-and-drop features and made-for-you templates. In other words, all you have to do is pick what you like, add your branding, and voila! Here are a few options that make it shockingly easy to build a site from scratch:

The key to finding the best platform for you is to know what you want in a website and what support you need in building it. Then you can compare your options.

What Does a Great Website Look Like?

It’s one thing to know what goes into a great freelance website, but if you’re like me, you need a visual to really understand how all the pieces fit together. Here are a few shining examples:

Mini Media Marketing

Freelance Marketing Consultant

I love Codi Johnson’s website for so many reasons! A few noteworthy mentions:

  • Easy to use and clean navigation right at the top of the website.
  • A blog that showcases her social media expertise
  • A “see my work” page, which is the portfolio that shows she can do what she outlines in her services.

Angela Garcia

Freelance Brand and Web Designer

Angela Garcia’s unique style stands out right away—and her website has all the key pieces! Here are some stand-out qualities:

  • Simple and clear value proposition right in the header.
  • A simple portfolio page that links to a deeper dive into each design/client.
  • An about page that speaks to the reader while sharing her unique expertise.

Kat Boogaard

Freelance Writer

You totally understand Kat’s vibe and brand right away when you land on her homepage, and that makes it stand out. She uses excellent storytelling to draw visitors in. Other honorable mentions:

  • Casual header and photo of herself that welcome you into her world.
  • A unique and on-brand form on her contact page.
  • An entire section dedicated to highlighting her newsletter, course and more!

Okay, What’s Next?

Once that website is up and running, it’s time to get it in front of people! Make sure you add it to your social media profiles, include it in your email signature, and put it on any print materials you might have!

Your website is your digital summary, so you want to make sure it can be found quickly and easily from any profile, platform, or touch-point where a client might find you.

Remember, you can start small and build as you grow. A clean and simple website that shares who you are, what you do, and how you’ve helped previous clients is a great place to start!

Freelance Interview Series – Juggling Work, Passions and Community with Kimber London

Freelance Interview Series – Juggling Work, Passions and Community with Kimber London

Kimber London is a freelance writer, model, and active member and supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. They wear many hats and inspire us to get involved in and make time for the activities that are dear to us – no matter how busy we are.

Despite their full schedule, Kimber manages to prioritize what’s most important to them. They shared their perspective on making time for hobbies and passions on top of a busy schedule, along with ways to get involved with and show support for LGBTQ+ communities.

Juggling Work, Passions and Community

1. You’ve been a freelancer, worked a 9-5, and modeled. Can you tell us a little bit about the pros and cons of each working style and which role you enjoy most?

When it comes to a career, I certainly have worked in many. I graduated on the Dean’s list at the University of Washington from their competitive Creative Writing program. At the time, I had just shaved my head and discovered that modeling was my passion, so I took on freelance writing clients to support my modeling. I paid to travel to photo shoots and runways all over the world and, today, I teach models what I learned along the way. I save my students a ton of time and money that’s for sure!

Modeling, like other industry arts, is a job that usually pays about 90 days out. So you may have made a decent day rate, but you’re not gonna see it for three months. You literally have to work another job to pay the bills. I remember days where I’d clock out of my bartending shift the night before shooting with Post Malone. My most recent gig pulled in over $20,000 and I’m so proud. It didn’t happen overnight and I’ll keep working at it always. I started off solo and at this point in my career I’m currently represented by a print agency, a commercial agency, a theatrical agent, AND a manager. So my advice to talent in the field is: get a team to represent you – but that applies to most things.

So I definitely lean towards a freelance lifestyle, just because being an entrepreneur has always been important to me. I want to be my own boss. I wanna have my own hours, however, I got into my apartment because of my steady 9-to-5 job. I have healthcare and other benefits. But it’s a trade-off… A trade-off of time, which is the most valuable asset in my opinion.

So, how do I justify it? Well, the times in my life when I’ve worked on a schedule, whether in food service or full-time or side gigs, it always had to be teaching me something. If I learned a new skill that I thought was important, it was worth the initial endeavor. Now, as you might imagine I’m not really one to keep a job for many many years because ultimately I do want to build my own dream. Not someone else’s. And that’s what you have to think about at the end of the day.

2. You started working remotely when the pandemic hit. Can you talk to us about that transition and any struggles you experienced?

During the nationwide pause, work in Los Angeles was on lockdown. In a city run by the entertainment industry, working actors, models, directors and crew were not considered essential. So, after two months in LA and not seeing things improve, I moved back to the Pacific Northwest, to Coeur D’Alene, ID, for a change of scenery. I had fallen for it while visiting and took advantage of the cost of living. Like I said, I’m still represented in Los Angeles so I can travel for work and get direct bookings as a result, meaning less auditions, more work.

But coming to Coeur d’Alene, ID did have its challenges. This town isn’t known for its gay friendly neighborhoods and programs. However, I was recently elected to the North Idaho Pride Alliance board and have enjoyed volunteering in a community that needs the support. Because I work remotely, it’s important for me to volunteer in the community, which is what I do with my LGBTQIA+ involvements.

3. You’re actively involved in your local community and LGBTQ+ organizations. How do you make time for passions and hobbies on top of your work?

I’ve always wanted to be asked this question. Because when someone asks you this question, it means that they see all the places that you stretch your schedule. Gary V inspires me daily and much like he does, I’ll look at my schedule to decide what’s truly important for the week and if it’s not crucial to my end goal, I open up my book for different plans. In other words, if it’s not a hell yes – it’s a hell no. I just happen to say hell yes to a lot of things like: learning valuable skills at my 9-5, writing freelance nights and weekends, drag show performances twice a month, PRIDE meetings twice a month, and time with friends on the boat or in the water.

4. How would you recommend other members of the LGBTQ+ community get involved and seek out their local organizations?

If you’re interested in local LGBTQ resources, the easiest thing to do is go online to lgbtcenters.org/LGBTCenters and you can search local community centers. You can always email NIPalliance@gmail.com and we can help you get the answers you’re looking for. Sometimes all it takes is a simple Google search for LGBTQ friendly businesses in your area. The best is word-of-mouth. If it’s a small town, it won’t be too hard to find.

5. What advice would you give to those who are striving to become better allies?

If you’re striving to become a better ally, we love you already! My friends who try with my pronouns and sometimes get it wrong, are working on it. That means so much to me. So it’s really all about growth. And understanding what being an ally means, that it’s someone we can depend on when people try to bully us. It’s parents who love their children no matter how they identify. It’s somebody who checks their bigoted friend’s behavior. It’s someone who will hold our hand, and shield us from the attacks of others who hate our very existence. So, give us a hug basically! Shit’s heavy out here. We can all use some help carrying the weight of what’s happening in this country right now. For women, for gays next, and segregation and on and on until we all say enough is enough. So being an ally is amazing and we need more of you!

 

Follow along with Kimber on Instagram to learn out more about them and stay in touch!

5 Simple Ways to Streamline Freelance Project Management

5 Simple Ways to Streamline Freelance Project Management

Freelance project management is often an afterthought, and if this hasn’t been an area of focus for you yet, that’s totally okay! In the first few months and years, all you’re focused on is getting clients and doing the work. As your roster of clients grows, it’s important that you start thinking about how to efficiently manage your clients and work.

When we say project management, we’re referring to the organization and management of your schedule, timelines, and resources. I know, I know, you don’t want one more thing to think about, but this is an important one!

If you’ve been feeling frantic or chaotic, this might be why. Without the right tools, processes, workflows, and time and communication boundaries, this feeling won’t go away.

The good news is, I’ve been there (oh, have I been there, check out mine and Samantha’s lessons learned), and I have a few tips to help you streamline your project management so you can run your business without your head spinning.

With the right systems and tools, you can run your business with ease.

Set Client Boundaries

Boundaries around time and communication are critical, both for your mental health and to streamline your freelance project management. If you set the precedent that you’re able to answer every message within minutes or are available for calls at any time, it can be hard to manage your schedule and get real work done—and if you’re not charging for that time, it adds up!

This issue can also affect your other client relationships and work, which doesn’t bode well for a long-lasting business. If you’re spending too much with one client, what happens to the others?

While there are many ways to set boundaries around time and communication, I have a few suggestions based on my own personal experience:

  • Document expectations around time and communication upfront. Specify when you’re available and how you prefer to communicate. Managing Slack pings all day long can be an exhausting and inefficient use of your time. Bonus: you can also reference this information later if there are questions or issues about your availability.
  • Choose one or two days a week for meetings. This totally changed the game for Samantha (my Harlow co-founder) and me. We scheduled all of our meetings on Tuesday so we could spend the rest of the week getting work done and focusing on our personal lives.
  • Stick to your boundaries. Bending once or twice for emergencies is fine, but letting it slide regularly means you’re back at square one. You’re telling the client that they can communicate when and how they prefer, which is not what you want.

Invest in the Right Software and Automate Where Possible

The right tools will make your life and business so much better—but notice how I said, the “right” tools. Having too many products onboard can be a distraction and add to that my-head-is-spinning feeling.

Once you have the right tools, consider how you can automate tasks. This speeds up your processes and keeps you on track, no matter how many clients you have. The idea is simple: less hands-on time equals more work getting done.

To streamline your freelance project management, consider all the ways you can use tools to automate your processes, including:

  • All-in-one management software: Harlow is obviously our go-to for managing everything from creating proposals and sending invoices to organizing tasks and tracking time in one easy-to-access place. We built Harlow to help you feel less stressed and more organized—a win-win! Bonus perk: you can schedule your invoices in advance so they get into your client’s inbox on the first of the month without having to remember to send them!
  • Meeting booking: Don’t play the back and forth game of When can you meet? Oh, that doesn’t work. What about this time? Okay, I can do that date but not that time. Those emails take precious minutes from your workday and you don’t always have minutes to give! Use a booking tool, like Calendly or YouCanBookMe, so all you have to do is send a link and let someone choose the time that works for them. So simple, yet so brilliant. And no, we don’t think this approach is impersonal, it’s efficient.
  • Client onboarding: Automate your client onboarding processes by creating templated checklists that you can use at the start of every engagement. For example, you may need to explain repeatable details like how you work, the tools you use, or the timeline you typically follow or get certain information from your client up-front. Document this all once so you can include it all in your proposal or send in a kick-off email at the start of every engagement.

Create a Clearly-Defined Scope of Work

This is one of the most important things I did when I was a freelancer. A clearly defined Scope of Work (SOW) sets everyone up for success because it outlines exactly what needs to be done and when.

The key to getting the most out of your SOW is the “clearly defined” part. A loose plan will make project management more difficult because the client doesn’t know what to expect and you don’t have deadlines. When this is defined, you can easily plan out the timeframe, assets needed, tools required, and more.

Here are some things that go into a well-defined SOW:

  • Clear project outline
  • Specific items/tasks/projects listed out
  • Timeframes and deadlines for each item listed
  • Specific details about communication and delivery of assets
  • Breakdown of pricing
  • Next steps to get started

If you want to build those long-term freelance relationships and keep your business humming, this can’t be overlooked.

Develop Standard Operating Procedures

An SOP is a checklist that you set once and then use again and again. In other words, it makes your life so much easier. For example, you can create a process for onboarding a new client, which might look like this:

  • Create and send the contract and proposal from Harlow
  • Create and send the first invoice from Harlow
  • Add tasks and project timelines to Harlow
  • Schedule kick-off call using Calendly

The key to making your SOP shine is including specifics. For example, reference the tool used for invoicing and link to your booking calendar for the kick-off meeting.

I know it seems simple, but as you grow, documenting these processes helps you get work done faster. And at some point, if your business is growing, you may need to bring on help, like a virtual assistant. Having this all documented and being able to simply hand over your checklist allows both of you to be more efficient and successful.

Ultimately, making a process repeatable is more efficient than making it up every time—and we’re all about efficiency here at Harlow!

Pro-tip: You can create these SOPs as task lists inside of Harlow so you can just clone them for each new client.

Collect Client feedback and Revisit Processes as You Grow

It’s great to get all of these pieces into place, but don’t pressure yourself into perfection. The processes you set up will be ever-evolving as you and your business grow and you figure out what works and doesn’t work for you.

Make the time regularly to reflect, so you can optimize as you go. Revisit your processes quarterly or every six months to make sure they’re still working for you.

And lastly, project management not only affects you, but your clients too. So it doesn’t hurt to check in with your clients as you’re reflecting. Are they having a good experience? Where do the processes you share with them need to be revised?

Alright, enough reading, it’s time to streamline your freelance project management.

We know you have a lot on your plate. It can feel daunting to start creating your processes, but a lack of organization can slow you down, make your head spin, and keep you from doing your best work. Use these freelance project management tips so you can do the work you love while thriving and growing your business.

5 Freelance Green Flags: What to Look for in a New Client

5 Freelance Green Flags: What to Look for in a New Client

To get the best clients, you have to know what you’re looking for. These signs that tell you a potential client will be a good one are what we like to call, green flags. While we at Harlow have a few green flags of our own after years of being freelancers (check out Green Flag #5), we wanted to know what our community looks for.

I asked on Twitter: what are some green flags that make you *excited* to work with a client? The responses were solid gold, with so many nuggets of wisdom for you to keep in mind as you try to identify those dream clients.

Without further ado, here are the green flags you want to look for on your next discovery call!

Knowing how to spot a great client helps you build a business you love.

Green Flag #1: Strong Communication From the Start

One of the most important aspects of a great working relationship is communication, not just on your end, but from the client as well. This helps you set up a strong foundation. The better they communicate at the start, the more you know, and the easier it is to make sure that you’re a great fit for one another.

 

@Emilyypenrod

 

@sorenable

 

 

How to identify this green flag: Put on your sleuthing hat and create a checklist for yourself. Use this to keep an eye out for the details you hope will be communicated. On your next discovery call, keep the checklist close by and make note of each item as you go. Some lines on your checklist might be:

  • Client shared processes
  • Client spoke about expected timelines
  • Client outlined current workflows
  • Client shared platforms I’m expected to use

Being clear about turnaround times or tools you need to learn sets you up for success and makes your life easier once the contract is signed.

Green Flag #2: Provides the Clarity and Resources You Need

When a client already has the resources you need to do the job, and can articulate the purpose of the project clearly, voila! Now you can avoid the guessing game and endless revision cycles that come with unclear expectations and a lack of guidelines. Fewer revision cycles and back and forth = happy freelancer.

 

@missRBit

 

@kaitarford

 

@tschill86

 

How to identify this green flag: If it’s relevant to your project, ask about documentation and project goals in your initial calls. Some specific assets to check on include:

  • Brand guidelines
    Project brief
    Messaging guide

If they have these resources, you can consider that a green flag!

Green Flag #3: Respect!

Respect must be mutual for a freelance relationship to work. If you work with a client who doesn’t respect you, you risk feeling frustrated and even resenting the work. This can lead to a bad ending that comes too soon. Don’t let this happen to you, and instead, look for this green flag on your initial calls.

@aditya14796

 

@nitascolor

 

How to identify this green flag: Respect looks and feels different for everyone, so be clear on what respect from a client means to you. For example, you may desire clients who respect your time and values as a freelancer.

Write your definition on a piece of paper if that helps and refer to it before calls. If needed, give yourself a little pep talk: a client who doesn’t respect me is not worth working with—protect your peace and happiness at all costs!

Green Flag #4: Understands Your Value (And is Willing to Pay What You’re Worth)

You are great at what you do, that’s why you’re a freelancer offering your services to clients! (Own it!) The question is, does your potential client see that as well? If you can feel that, it’s a major green flag. This will lead to a more fulfilling freelance relationship because you’re working with a team who knows and can articulate your worth. The real testament here, though, is that they’re willing to pay for that value.

@Ali_isSocial

 

@thepcstudio

 

@LeMarMcLean

 

How to identify this green flag: Take note of how potential clients talk about payment and fees. A major green flag is that they’re speaking openly with you about these details and aren’t looking for ways to pay you less. Asking questions is fine, but consistently requesting discounts or cutting back the scope of work is not a great way to start.

Green Flag #5: They’re Excited About the Project

We were so inspired by all the brilliant responses we got from our community that we wanted to share our number one green flag, which is: if a potential client is excited about the project, and even better, the impact you’ll have on their business. When you kick off with positive energy, you’ll feel like your time and expertise are valued from the get-go.

What to watch for: While in some cases it will be pretty obvious that they’re looking forward to working together, less “animated” clients may show this in different ways. They might not say the words “we’re SO excited,” but maybe they are very responsive to emails or introduce you positively to other members of the team.

Look For These Freelance Green Flags

Train yourself to look for these important and telling green flags. When present, you know there’s potential for a long, fulfilling, and successful freelancing relationship—#winning! If the client communicates well, openly discusses payments, provides clarity, and shows you respect– beautiful! That’s the start to a happy partnership.

Freelance Interview Series – Scheduling to Protect Your Mental Health with Melissa King

Freelance Interview Series – Scheduling to Protect Your Mental Health with Melissa King

Melissa King is a freelance content marketer and writer who contributes to some tech companies we know and love – CoSchedule, Zapier, and others! She’s spent the energy to understand and process the ways and times she does her best work and has leaned into that. We chatted about how she constructs her schedule to protect her mental health.

Scheduling to Protect Your Mental Health

1. Was flexibility and owning your schedule a big part of the reason you went into freelancing?

A lot of the reasons I went freelance tie back to that principle, yeah.

Before I became a freelance writer, I wrote website copy and blog posts for an agency. I had a very set schedule where I needed to write a certain amount of content every day. The agency gave room for sick and mental health days, but I wanted more space to organize my days and hours a little differently.

I have depression, anxiety, and focus problems, so some days I don’t have the mental energy to sit down and crank out content. Instead, I’m better off working on tasks that require less focus, such as outlining, researching, or grabbing screenshots. Now that I have more control over my schedule, I can save certain work for high brainpower days and other work for low brainpower days.

2. Do you have certain habits that you build into every day? Take us through a day in your life as a freelancer.

I run my days on two principles I know about myself: I can get about 5 to 6 hours of good work done in a day, and I work better in the afternoon and evening than I do in the morning.

So, I dedicate my mornings to chores, appointments, and other low-key tasks. Recently, I’ve been spicing them up a bit by getting back into sewing. I just let myself be a human.

Then, at about 2:00 in the afternoon, I get to work. Instead of using the “eating the frog” method that some folks enjoy, I go for what Brittany Berger calls the “first pancake” method. I get less intensive tasks out of the way, like emails, to get my mind “in the zone” and keep them off my mind when I need to work on projects. Then, I dig into the research, outlining, and/or writing I need to tackle that day.

I wrap up work at about 7:00 to 8:00 in the evening. (If you’re keeping track, that’s 5 to 6 hours!)

If I want to do something with other people in the evening, I might shift that schedule back an hour or two, but I follow a similar formula.

I suggest thinking about the hours you work best and seeing if you can orient your schedule around them.

3. How do you find the balance between hitting client deadlines and keeping your schedule flexible?

I give myself a healthy buffer for as many deadlines as possible so I can swap tasks around according to my focus and energy levels. For example, if I think I could wrap up a project in a week, I’ll give a deadline of two weeks so I can shift that project around if needed.

If you’re trying to get better at balancing flexibility with hitting deadlines, try adding more buffer time to the deadlines your clients let you provide. That way, you can work on those projects around projects with tighter deadlines.

I also recommend factoring potential clients’ deadline structures into your evaluations of them. Make sure they have reasonable expectations for your turnaround times and provide content briefs and other resources on time.

4. Do you use time blocking or any other time management methods to run your calendar?

I can’t do super rigid schedules because, as I’ve mentioned, my focus and energy levels are so variable. But, like anyone else, without any structure, I can’t keep track of things super well.

When managing my calendar, I prefer tools that let me make events quickly. With that kind of setup, I can make a bunch of tasks at a time and drag them around my calendar until they’re in spots that make sense. On days I need to reduce my capacity or add on tasks, I can swap tasks between days and adjust on the fly.

While I use my calendar to handle my day-to-day, I manage my monthly capacity using a spreadsheet. It includes a column for the number of days it’ll take to do each project I list. Another column then adds up the number of total days my scheduled projects take up. I shoot for a total that goes a day or two fewer than the actual total of workdays in the month to add wiggle room.

5. What advice would you give to new freelancers who entered into this career to improve their mental health and work-life balance?

Don’t let your drive to grow your business turn into self-flagellation. There are tons of inspiring people in this biz, and it can be easy to unfairly compare yourself to them.

This is something I’m still trying to teach myself, to be honest. It’s really exciting that we as freelancers always have room to grow. But, there’s a difference between pushing yourself forward and putting yourself down for working within your capacity.
Sometimes, you’re gonna have days where you don’t get everything on your to-do list done. You might have to push back a deadline.

Just remember that being kind to yourself is its own kind of success.

 

Follow along with Melissa on Twitter or check out her freelance website to find out more about how and who she works with.

Freelance Lessons Learned: The Co-Founders of Harlow Share All

Freelance Lessons Learned: The Co-Founders of Harlow Share All

As freelancers, we’re always learning. (Cue “the journey never ends…” quotes.) But in all seriousness, Andrea and Samantha know this first-hand having been on all sides of the freelance journey.

Not only have they been freelancers themselves, and are very familiar with riding that freelance roller coaster, but they’ve also hired freelancers while working in-house. Now they’ve taken all those lessons and turned them into Harlow, an all-in-one freelance tool designed to help freelancers streamline their business and alleviate stress.

Today they’re sharing all their biggest lessons. But, before we jump into the interview, here’s what you need to know about these two freelance queens.

Andrea Wildt has freelanced three different times in her career. She was an early Salesforce employee, the CMO at Campaign monitor, and is an expert in operations and demand gen.

Samantha Anderl was a first-time freelancer after leaving Campaign Monitor, where she was Head of Marketing. She spent four years freelancing before building Harlow with Andrea.

As you can tell, these ladies have a lot of experience to share, so let’s skip to the good part… (All our Instagram Reels junkies know this reference!)

We're always learning on this winding road we call freelancing.

1: What’s one important lesson you learned while trying to figure out who your ideal client was?

AW: Early on in my freelance career, I would take on almost any project that came my way. I know so many freelancers can probably resonate with this. My ideal client was one who had a job to be done and could pay me! The challenge with that approach, as easy as it was, is that I wasn’t necessarily applying my learnings from one client to the next since they were so different and every project was bespoke.

When Samantha and I founded Interimly, we found that by focusing on a specific type of client, we could deeply immerse ourselves in that stage of growth and bring more to the table for future clients. And this was SO much more fulfilling. While each project still had a very custom deliverable, we deeply understood the stage they were in and the unique challenges that they faced being an early-stage company with high growth targets.

Nailing down an Ideal Client Persona (ICP) like this, rather than just taking what hit our inbox, helped us to create some repeatable processes and frameworks that better served our clients—and us too. If you’re like us, you love processes and this was a big part of creating those juicy workflows.

SA: When Andrea and I first started Interimly, we knew the services we wanted to offer, but weren’t sure about the size of the company we wanted to work with. We had just come from a 200M company and knew we could help an organization of that size, but quickly realized something incredibly important: we didn’t actually want to.

Too many stakeholders made it difficult to get things done and we wanted to be nimble so we could have a greater impact for our clients. So then we went the other direction: working with brand new companies that didn’t have any marketing structure set up at all.

This brought its own set of problems (insert face palm emoji) because we didn’t always have a point of contact or a person on the team who understood the value of marketing or the resources to get things done. If you’ve been there before, you know this makes it very hard to do your best work.

Luckily, we found that our sweet spot was actually right in the middle: working with early-stage companies that had a marketing lead already. This gave us the right point of contact so we were able to have the impact we knew we could.

Overall, we had to learn from projects that weren’t as fulfilling to figure out what an ideal project and client looked like. #Alwayslearning, right?

2: What did you learn about communication in your years of freelancing?

AW: I learned early on that the best way to make a client happy is to do what you say you’re going to do. It sounds so simple, but not all freelancers (or employees, for that matter) do this. For me, this means being crystal clear in the statement of work about the parameters of the project. Putting everything on paper is key!

Actual deliverables and timelines, along with how and when you will meet with them, should be documented upfront and agreed upon before you start the project. This provides you with a very clear document that you can reference if things start to go sideways and get out of scope. It also acts as a handy reminder to keep you on track!

SA: One thing I had a difficult time with was figuring out the communication channels that worked best for me. With email, Slack, other chat tools, meetings—it can be so overwhelming managing it all! I made the mistake early on of always meeting my clients where they wanted to communicate.

That often meant being in my client’s Slack channel where the expectation was quick and immediate responses at any point during the day—which I was not here for. I had to remind myself that I was in control of my path, and could restructure how and where I communicated with clients based on what worked best for me.

So I shifted to outlining communication channels up-front and discussing expectations with clients so we were aligned out of the gate on where and how we would be communicating.

I also learned easy responses when communication was too frequent or difficult to manage. Phrases like, “Let me get back to you on this” or “This would be more productive to chat through in-person, here’s my availability” became staples.

3: Pricing is SO hard! What have you learned about pricing?

AW: The biggest learning for me here is that it’s okay if you’re “too expensive” for some clients. Even more importantly, it’s okay to not take every project. Honestly, as you progress in your freelance career, your expertise and value do become greater and that means not everyone is going to be able to afford to bring you on. That’s a good thing, it’s how you grow and scale your business!

I also want to remind you of another important lesson I had to learn: it’s okay to get pushback on pricing. If you don’t get push-back, that probably means you’re not charging enough. (If you’re struggling with this, check out our guide on how to figure out your pricing!)

SA: When we first started out, we charged hourly for our services and that was a nightmare. We had to keep track of our hours closely, and worse, do a lot of justifying around what we were spending our time on.

So we made a big decision in our first year of freelancing to switch over to project-based pricing. What a relief! This switch not only allowed us to sell our value early on—and not fight for our pay by the hour—but it also allowed us to charge more for the services we were offering. And to be honest, we got WAY less push-back!

It may be hard to shift to project-based pricing if you aren’t confident in the value you offer, or are worried about clients fighting it. We totally get that! But we really learned to trust our gut on this.

Remember that pricing is a journey. You may not get it right the first time, but you can always tweak as you go.

P.S. We also created a pricing guide to help you along the way!

4: How did you learn to own your schedule and manage your time (and boundaries!) as a freelancer?

AW: I’ll be the first to say, this is not my strong suit! I’m very much a people pleaser and have a tendency to agree to meetings even when they’re not convenient for me, just to make sure the client is happy. (And it’s exhausting!)

Having a child during the pandemic really forced me to create stronger boundaries since I couldn’t be available all the time. A great tool for creating these boundaries with clients upfront is the statement of work that I talked about earlier. Letting clients know when and how to communicate with you upfront really does reduce a lot of the issues with scheduling during the engagement.

SA: I went into freelancing because I wanted more flexibility and greater control of my schedule. Yet my schedule quickly got out of hand when I started freelancing. As I mentioned earlier, I was often letting clients dictate when and where we connected and that left my calendar scattered.

To fix this problem, we started scheduling all of our meetings on one day of the week. This sounds so simple (and it is), but scheduling all our calls on Tuesdays gave me the rest of my week to strategize and execute on client work. More importantly, it gave me space for self-care, and time with friends—more opportunities to truly fill my cup so I could be a better freelancer for my clients and myself.

The best part is that anyone can do this. Try scheduling all of your meetings on one or two days of the week and see how much more you can get done when you have uninterrupted work and free time.

5: Generating new business is so important. What have you learned about drumming up new clients?

AW: Our business, Interimly, was based largely on referrals and our network. Specializing in early-stage SaaS also allowed us to build relationships with some VC firms that would introduce us to their portfolio companies when they had needs we could solve.

I would also like to stress that a lot of our business came from referrals from other freelancers—the power of community is immeasurable as a freelancer! Creating a mutual referral relationship with your peers can be wildly beneficial.

SA: Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals! We always asked our clients at the end of projects to please recommend us to anyone they knew in their network looking for a similar project. We know this can be so hard to do—cue that squeamish, uncomfortable feeling of asking for something! Trust us on this: it’s worth it. Sometimes you have to remind people to refer you out, and at the end of a project, especially when it ends on a high note, is always the perfect time to do that!

So Many Lessons Learned—and Still Learning

Andrea and Samantha have learned so much during their freelance careers. As we all know, it’s an ever-evolving journey—and there are still plenty more lessons for them to learn along the way. If you want to accompany them as they navigate the ups and downs and turnarounds, follow along on Twitter, @meetharlow, @samanthaanderl, @thelittlestflea, on Instagram, @MeetHarlow and @samanthaanderl, or on LinkedIn, Harlow or Samantha’s profile.