Working ON Freelancing…Not IN It
As of today, I have 612 books on business and entrepreneurship in my home. The most impactful of them for me, by far, has been The E-Myth by Michael Gerber.
In fact, Gerber’s book had such a profound influence on my understanding of small business that I have now given-away and re-purchased the book over a dozen times. The entrepreneurs I have given it to have all returned to tell me it was life-changing for them as well.
Core to the E-Myth’s message is this: Business owners are often so busy working in their business that they take no time to work on their business. In other words, we often become so focused on the act of creating our product or service that we do not step-back and develop the business itself.
I would propose that this is one of the greatest challenges a freelancer must overcome as well.
If you truly want to grow your freelancing business, you must be intentional about taking regular time away from the creative act of producing your product (whether that be content, design work, etc.) and shift instead to the creative act of growing your freelancing (developing new referral relationships, implementing new systems or software to streamline your freelancing work, outsourcing to other freelancers as appropriate, and finding ways to gain repeat business from past clients).
You may be saying to yourself, “But I don’t have time for all of that… I have stuff to create for clients! My day is already full.”
But what you’re missing is that over time, without consciously working on your freelancing business, your pipeline will suffer and projects will dwindle.
Do the work, yes, but also intentionally work on how to get more work and streamline how that work gets done.
It’s also important to keep in-mind that in addition to working on your freelancing business, you should also be working on yourself.
The greatest barrier a freelancer faces in growing their business is not capital, or the right platform, or whatever other external factor you can think of… it is yourself!
Your mindset, self-confidence, and ability to think creatively will determine your success in freelancing more than anything else.
Whether you are just starting-out in freelancing or you are trying to grow your freelancing work, success comes with the realization that the greatest constraint on your freelancing is YOU.
Make personal development a priority and you will see your freelancing soar to new heights.
Remember, the next time you find yourself working all day at writing, designing, or otherwise creating a project for a client… take a moment to STOP.
Step away for a few minutes.
Zoom-out to the 30,000 ft view.
Then ask yourself, “How can I work on my freelancing business and develop myself today?”
If you do that, you will create new opportunity for your work to reach more clients, your income to grow, and maybe even become a better, happier freelancer along the way.
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About the Author: Ryan Lilly is a speaker and author on personal development and entrepreneurship. He is the author of three books including, “Ecosystem Hacking: How to Help Entrepreneurs and Grow Your Local Economy” (Available on Amazon). Ryan has worked with over 1,500 entrepreneurs in 3 U.S. states over the last 11 years. He has spoken at TEDx and other similar events, recordings of which are available on YouTube. Ryan lives with his wife and daughter in Ocala, FL. More at www.RyanLilly.com
