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From finding clients to emergency funds, seasoned freelancers share their hard-won wisdom on making the leap into self-employment.
January is just around the corner, and it’s traditionally a month for fresh starts. So you may well be thinking right now of taking the leap into freelancing: chasing the dream of flexibility, creative freedom, and being your own boss.
But if you’ve ever spoken to a freelancer, you’ll also know it isn’t all sunshine and laptops in trendy coffee shops. It takes grit, planning, and a solid strategy to succeed.
To give you some pointers, we’ve gathered insights from seasoned freelancers across the creative industry to help you navigate this significant career transition. Their candid advice reveals both the challenges and rewards of the freelance journey, offering practical steps for those ready to take the plunge in 2025.
We share their best tips below, and you can read the full discussion on LinkedIn, Threads:
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1. Build Your Financial Foundation
It doesn’t matter how fun the freelance lifestyle is; you also have to eat and pay rent. And so, before making the leap, it couldn’t be more important to plan for your future finances.
Designer Brett Lair emphasises the importance of security: “Build an emergency fund that can cover about six months of your expenses during any slow periods. You’ll sleep better at night as a result.”
However, having a fallback fund is only one part of it. To anyone used to the regularity and automatic tax reductions of a salary, financial planning came to be a huge learning curve. As branding designer Sophie O’Connor notes: “The one thing I wish I’d known when I started was how to plan and budget better, and how to use a spreadsheet properly.” For this reason, UX designer Ben Brignell‘s top advice is: “Get a good accountant from day one.”
Here’s an extra pro tip for UK-based creatives: If you’re new to Self Assessment, be aware of a ‘payment on account’ on your first tax bill. This is an advance payment for next year’s tax—and it can be a nasty surprise for new sole traders. To learn more, Coconut has an excellent guide.
2. Price Your Work Strategically
It’s one of the biggest questions new freelancers ask: how much should I charge? There’s no universal rule here: it’s more a case of feeling your way through, based on researching the market, trying things out, and seeing what sticks. As creative consultant Jasmine Designs advises: “Know your numbers. And avoid pricing too low to get your first clients; that will only make it harder to grow and raise those rates.”
Sophie tells a similar story. “My biggest mistakes have been undercharging and undervaluing my work when I didn’t have the confidence to charge more,” she explains. “I’ve learnt that if clients don’t want to pay or work within a budget, they aren’t the right clients. Don’t be afraid to say no.”
More generally, she says: “Avoid working on an hourly or daily rate with clients, unless it’s with an agency. I find project fees are better, so always remember to factor in those added extras like fonts and expenses.”
3. Schedule time to generate leads
Of course, there’s no value in setting rates if you can’t get work in the first place. “Most clients usually come from word of mouth,” says Sophie, “but you do have to be proactive and not expect things to just fall into your lap. Don’t be afraid to promote yourself and be seen on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads. It can be time-consuming, but it’s worth it.”
“Word of mouth is good,” adds Ben Brignall. “But it can easily become a crutch, and it’s not sustainable when the market is bad. Spend time each week generating leads and contacts and getting new clients.”
Unsure about how to find clients? Then maybe you need to look inside yourself. “Before looking for clients, I took the time to decide exactly who I wanted to be and what made me different,” recalls Richard Pay, creative director and owner of MOKSi Creative. “That makes the first conversations with clients so much more fruitful.
“When it came to finding clients, it has been about tapping into the people I know and the people they know,” he added. “Push that further by putting out the kind of content that will attract the clients you want, and that will want you back; all of my ‘stranger’ clients have come through LinkedIn. And remember, it’s not just about the work, it’s about you!”
Aldo Scott offers advice along similar lines. “Share your work. Promote yourself. Constantly. Nothing else matters unless you do this. People need to know you exist and that you’re available.”
Design leader James Adame adds: “Polish your wares, update your website and language, specialise and focus. Social media is your friend and lifeblood; learn to do it well.”
4. Build Your Support Network
Sick of being surrounded by people at the office and on the commute? Craving the quiet, alone time that freelancing can offer? We’ve all been there, but most freelancers find that the grass is not always greener. In practice, freelancing can be unexpectedly isolating.
“I massively underestimated how isolating it would be and thought I needed to work through everything on my own,” Richard recalls. “But that was a quick ticket to burnout. So I’d advise new freelancers to get good support around you. You need to get trusted people in your day-to-day to celebrate with, vent with, and hold you accountable. Once you’ve got them in place, you’ve got your own cheerleaders spurring you on.”
Motion designer Fee Sheal agrees: “Find some fellow freelance friends you can bounce ideas off, ask questions of, and generally use as a sounding board,” she advises. “As much as the freedom of not having a boss is great, you can sometimes miss the camaraderie of having colleagues you see and speak to every day. I’d be lost without my li’l freelance chums!”
“It’s the biggest cliche in the big box of cliches,” adds freelance art director Adam Richardson. “But your network really is your net worth. Don’t be shy. Tap them up!”
5. Embrace the Ups and Downs
Another thing that can be quite jarring about the realities of freelance life is that work tends to come along like buses: nothing at all for a while, then a ton all at once. As graphic designer Yas B says: “There will be quiet moments. Embrace them. As scary as that may feel, those don’t define you as a creative or lessen your worth, just because you’re not booked up 24/7, 365 days a year.”
And that’s not just the case for new freelancers but freelancers in general. “This year was particularly quiet for many freelancers,” says illustrator and motion designer Alice Roseberry-Haynes. “I’ve just wrapped up a two-month stint of no work, which was really tough. Learning not to panic when things are quiet and embracing those times can be a game changer.”
How can you keep your mental health in check during downtime? “Routine, exercise, eating healthy and time away from looking for work,” she suggests. “This sounds so simple, but looking after your physical body does wonders for your mental health. And it’s more important than ever to make this a priority when things get tough.”
6. Establish Clear Boundaries
When you work for a studio, you have a certain amount of protection, both from the company’s own policies and the employment laws they have to follow. When you’re a freelancer, most of that protection disappears, and if people sense weakness, you’re ripe for exploitation, which can take many forms. For example, a client may overload you with demands beyond your initial agreement. In extreme cases, you might end up not getting paid at all.
For this reason, event and corporate video freelancerJack Graham emphasises the importance of contracts: “Use them!” he stresses. “Especially with clients you don’t know or haven’t worked with. It’ll save you a ton of headaches and, eventually, a lot of money. You never think someone will stiff you on an invoice until they do.”
You need to set clear boundaries in other areas, too. Polina Karbanova, owner of Good Fabric warns: “Limit communications during weekends, evenings, lunchtimes and other ‘me time’… otherwise you’ll end up working 24 hours a day!”
7. Be a nice person
Thankfully, one of the best things about freelancing is that it’s one area of life where being nice will help you prosper. “Of course, it’s important to do good work,” says Fee Sheal. “But clients will only come back time and time again if they enjoy working with you. So be a nice human.”
Graphic designer Gary Bovill adds: “Have a personality, not an ego. You’re going to have to meet, integrate, and work with new people regularly. So being open, approachable, positive, respectful and confident will help you fit into teams quicker.”
Conclusion
Follow the above advice, work hard, and you can’t go far wrong as a freelancer. That said, there are no guarantees, and few freelancers find it a totally easy life. As strategist and creative practitioner Ksenya Samarskaya puts it: “There’ll be higher highs, and lower lows. So have something super steady and stable in your life to balance it out, which can be as simple as a ritual or routine.”
Whether you’re planning to take the plunge in January or later in 2025, remember that every established freelancer started exactly where you are now. So take time to build your foundation, seek support when needed, and approach your new venture with both confidence and careful planning. As Richard Pay notes: “It won’t be smooth all of the time, but there are so many benefits of betting on yourself.”
