I’ve been working as a freelancer for about five years, and during this time I have had the great fortune of being able to help several colleagues to take the plunge into self-employment, and to share the many advantages of this way of working with companies and entrepreneurs alike.
Time and again, when I talk to people who are into freelancing, I’m faced with the same doubts and fears that many times stop them from taking the leap, the same doubts and fears I had when I first started. Luckily, when we’re committed and have the proper tools we soon realize that most of these fears are sometimes unfounded.
Today at Workana we tasked ourselves with putting together a list of some of the most common concerns that arise at the prospect of independent work, and how we can overcome them to evolve into a work paradigm that is much more functional, versatile and advantageous for everyone.
This way, you can overcome all those fears. Here we offer you ten foolproof key points so that your entry into the world of freelancing – be it as a freelancer or as a client – be free of any unexpected scares.
The 5 most frequent fears of freelancers (and how to get over them)
Fear #1: Projects that don’t go anywhere
You may have heard many times that freelancers run all the time into this grim scenario: they start working on “ghost” projects, that at first seem very promising, but then they get stuck, either by running out of fuel halfway or simply because the client didn’t take them seriously enough to end the job on a good note.
The problem is that in the meantime, someone has already invested a lot of time and energy into these projects. Very frustrating, right? However, having some freelance projects that aren’t feasible doesn’t mean that this happens all the time or that it’s impossible to find and identify many opportunities that will come through.
The true cause of this unfounded fear isn’t that the freelance work is, on its own, less safe, but that the channels through which the agreements are not always the most formal. Fortunately, there are digital platforms focus precisely on protecting you and your work.
Did you know that in Workana customers open about a thousand projects per day? In a single place, you can find a huge range of possibilities for you to select the ones that interest you the most and best suit your professional profile, and best of all is that all you have to invest is the time it takes to send a super proposal.
If the project doesn’t come to be or you aren’t selected, nothing happens! There are many more options, and if the client chooses you, you can be assured that your work is safely supported thanks to our warranty payment system.
Fear #2: That you don’t get paid (or it takes years)
And speaking of payments, another common terror that haunts both professionals who want to start working independently and experienced freelancers is precisely the subject of money. How do we ensure that we get paid on time and as agreed? How can we protect ourselves in case the client decides to simply “vanish” once we send them the final project file?
This isn’t an irrational fear. Unfortunately, it’s something that happens frequently in the world of freelancing, and this is because many of the deals are made only based on the word and goodwill of everyone involved, with no contracts or clauses requiring both parties to comply with the agreement. Working like this isn’t smart because you face several risks, such as having to spend a lot of time and peace of mind running after payments or even don’t get what you deserve.
If you want to work and sleep with peace of mind, your best bet is a system of escrow or payment guarantee like Workana’s. It’s really simple: the client must deposit the amount agreed for the job before you start to work on the project, and once you turn in your work the funds are released to your account. Like this, everyone involved is protected.
Fear #3: That they ask you tons of changes at the last minute
Last-minute changes are the bane of existence of all professionals and freelancers engaged in any field related to creative work, such as design, writing, marketing, and others. And it’s one thing to have to make some modifications or improvements that are in accordance with the briefing, and another one quite different the client intending you to offer, for the same price, something completely distinct (and often complex) from what was asked for first.
How do you prevent this? Very simple, make use of a platform that endorses all agreements made on it, such as Workana, and be very specific on your proposal regarding what is the final product you’re going to deliver and what changes or modifications are within the scope of the project, and what is not. If you work like this and some disagreement arises, you have both the evidence and mediation of our experts on your side.
Fear #4: Work uncertainty
Just as freelance work has many advantages, it’s also true that it generally lacks some of the classic benefits of working for a company. The two most scary ones to “give up” are the fixed salary at the end of every month and benefits such as social security.
It’s perfectly normal to be scared of giving up the security of a paycheck, but also consider that the freelance lifestyle allows you to greatly expand your horizons and substantially increase the income you can get for your work. Regarding the social benefits, the reality is that, any way you look at it, it’s always something you pay out of your own pocket (at least in part) even if you’re working for a company with the only difference that it’s under the deductions, which is something we don’t pay much attention to.
If you are careful in doing things right, getting a strong customer base and always give your best in every project, we assure you that your income, although variable, will be enough to keep you comfortable and allow you to choose from the many choices of private insurances available.
Fear #5: The difficult clients
Oh, those typical clients that aren’t comfortable with anything and insist on seeing the freelancers face to face! Although they are less than a few, if any, don’t let them scare or discourage you, as there are very effective ways to avoid them and – if push comes to shove – deal with them without losing your patience and style.
When you work through the Workana platform, you protect yourself in case something goes very wrong with your client, because it’s not all about the guaranteed payment. If the other party commits any infraction or violation of the agreement or starts to get very imposing and nasty, you can always turn to us to support you based on evidence. Also, our grading system allows you to review the experience of other freelancers with a prospect client in particular, and how many stars they have overall.
The 5 most common fears of clients when beginning working with freelancers
Fear #1: Hiring a freelancer that doesn’t have the skills they claim to have
The Imaginary (and not so imaginary) horrors of the freelance lifestyle don’t attack only the freelancers; they also haunt companies and entrepreneurs who want to start transitioning to a more flexible work model and who face doubts and concerns that often prevent them of relying 100% on freelancing talent.
One of these fears is the scenario of ending up hiring a professional who doesn’t really have all the skills needed for the project. How can you check the whole experience the freelancer claims to have? There are several ways to do this, first, ask for their portfolio of work on previous projects that have successfully been completed. However, here there’s still the difficulty of verifying if it really is their work, and the task of finding references and recommendations can be very time-consuming.
Workana’s clients have a great advantage in this regard: they can see the ratings and reviews that other customers have given the freelancers on the platform, and ensure that they’re paying for quality work and hiring a partner with an excellent reputation.
Fear #2: That the freelancer doesn’t commit to the project
There’s an urban myth that freelancers aren’t really involved with the projects and often don’t deliver on time, or don’t care so much quality, simply because customers “come and go”. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, not only have many major companies have begun working with freelancers as they are more than satisfied with the work provided by these professionals. Besides, at Workana you can be sure your partner will deliver the project on time and according to your briefing because the payment funds are not deposited into their account until the moment you fully accept all the deliverables.
What’s to fear, then?
Fear #3: That there aren’t enough professionals to choose from
Usually, when a company or an entrepreneur starts creating their first projects with freelancers, they’re very specific things and often quite specialized. Then there’s the notion that you need to hire a consultant or perhaps use a specialized office because it’ll be difficult to find a freelancer with all these skills.
In fact, the reality is that those who work independently usually develop more general and versatile skills in their field than workers who are limited to forever doing the same things over and over again for the same company.
It’s highly likely that you’ll find everything you need from the more than two and a half million registered freelancers at Workana, don’t you think?
Fear #4: Not knowing how to choose the best freelancer
And speaking of having plenty to choose from, sometimes this can also become confusing and tiring. You can rest assured that your project will immediately begin receiving proposals from freelancers, but how to find the best among so much talent and so many good proposals?
Well, besides our simple grading system, which allows grasping the stars and ranking of any freelancer with just a glance, you can count with the help of our experts to help you select the professional that will better match your project.
Fear #5: That the freelancer doesn’t deliver properly
Finally, clients who are considering starting work with freelancers usually feel that, in these kinds of projects, it’s more widespread that delivery is delayed beyond the deadline set. Because of this, they often choose to seek a fixed employee, with all the extra costs involved. Or even assigned to the freelancer side projects that aren’t of much relevance to the growth of the company.
At Workana you can make sure you are hiring a committed partner that never falls short. Our Top freelancers are there for when you need a delay-proof ally in a major project, which has already proven time and time again with their work that they’re a safe bet.
Don’t be afraid to start working with or as a freelancer yourself! At Workana, we’re here to help you so that every step of the way is the easiest and safest for you. Overcomes those fears and create/make an offer on your first project still today.
