How not to get killed as a freelancer

A few things I learned while freelancing for 9 years. Also things that I'd do different today.

1. How not to get killed as a freelancer Or: A few things I learned while freelancing for 9 years
2. Hey, I am Fabian I started to work “in the web” in 1998. First as a back end & front end developer while expanding to concept, product, UX, startup and consulting stuff. I’ve been freelancing for 9 years, for a clients including adidas, etsy, McKinsey, readmill, Zeit Online In between I also did a, so called “Startup”. But that’s a different story. Currently as creative technologist at Bertelsmann.
3. 2004 - mid/2009 Writing customers addresses by hand on envelopes in a warehouse in Brooklyn Developing an order-management system instead Expanding that service to more clients
4. mid/2009 In 2008 & 2009 the classic music & movie distribution marked, crashed. Finally. So, my clients where gone I moved to Berlin meanwhile And I started to change my path
5. 2009 - 2013 Mainly working as front-end engineer, product manager and consultant For agencies and small companies in Berlin And for startups in Berlin as well as in New York A short stop at Readmill before joining an innovation lab at Bertelsmann
6. Freelancer Self-employed or
7. passive active or
8. Freelancer Jumping from gig to gig Waiting for jobs to come Working on them as they arrive Selling themselves as a person Are just a resource And most likely: Not (really) caring about what’s next
9. Self-employed Is pro-active Is seeking for opportunities Creates opportunities Keeps on learning Is selling themselves as a company, not as a person Follows a, rough, plan Cares about what’ll come next
10. Being your own boss isn't for everyone It's not right nor wrong. It is just one way of working.
11. Great things first
12. You decide what to work on when where and with whom
13. You define the meaning of your success or follow guidelines You can start and do something new whenever you want It’s easier to get up again when you fail
14. You don’t have to have rules or follow guidelines You can make your own ones
15. You don’t have to convince your boss No one else will take credits for your work
16. You can decline jobs that pay well even if they don’t feel right
17. BUT BUT
18. Why are you freelancing? And what are you selling?
19. Why?
20. What are you selling?
21. What is your service?
22. Websites? Logos? Walking dogs? Making ice cream cones? Consulting work? Paper planes?
23. >> Just because you’re good at something (assets) that you’re really passionate about (aspirations) doesn’t necessarily mean someone will pay you to do it (market realities). << Reid Hoffman, The start-up of you
24. >> Just because you’re good at something (assets) that you’re really passionate about (aspirations) doesn’t necessarily mean someone will pay you to do it (market realities). << Reid Hoffman, The start-up of you
25. Some simple learnings
26. There are also bills to pay and taxes and health insurance and vacations and that shiny new macbook and people that you hire
27. And you’re the one paying them
28. A few things about taxes:
29. Net income / month 3.000 Expenses - 1.500 = 1.500 Taxes -1.000 What’s left = 500 Savings 0
30. Save $$$ for taxes
31. Pay back This year’s taxes To live on, now
32. Health insurance
33. Say no To jobs that don’t help you get any further To scope changes that won’t affect your payment accordingly To things that you don’t want to do anymore
34. You do not sleep on your desk, why would you work in your bedroom?
35. Team up & Collaborate
36. Just by adding 1 more person to what you’re doing you can accomplish twice as much.
37. Learn how to improvise
38. Work with your client
39. Expectation Management
40. Find the things that feel right and that get you somewhere Dump the other ones
41. How to price your work? Charge as much as you can!
42. Don’t work for free. Except...
44. Never panic
45. Have more than one client
46. Have a goal but be flexible how to reach it
47. Work from large to small. Always.
48. Thanks! @fabianmu http://fabian.mu hello@fabian.mu