7 Mistakes Freelancers Make When Starting Out
Lincoln de Assis
7 Mistakes Freelancers Make When They’re Just Starting Out
3 min read
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2 hours ago
photo by sarah b on Unsplash
The world of freelance is scarce and daunting at first.
Lots of Freelancers get lost and don’t know what they should do, what they shouldn’t do, where to go, where not to go — especially if they don’t have any experience or a degree.
But this list should make it easier for you.
Mistake #1: Going to Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr.
Upwork and Fiverr are passive platforms.
Which means the client tell you their problems and how much they are willing to pay you to solve it for them, this puts the pricing power solely at the client’s hands, leaving you to decide between being underpaid or not having a job.
Cold-pitching clients directly is a much more effective way of doing it.
Mistake #2: Only Starting When Everything’s “Perfect.”
The best time to start something was a year ago, the second best time is today.
How do you define that everything’s “perfect” for you to start doing it? “I won’t start because I don’t have the best equipment or don’t feel like I’m skillful enough”— just start it, you can make it perfect later.
The only reason why you’re reading this text today is because I didn’t wait for it to be perfect.
Mistake #3: Paying for a Lot of Courses.
The internet is a vast source of information.
Especially nowadays with the rise of social media and YouTube, the thing you want to learn is probably already being thought in a small YouTube channel somewhere, you just have to make an effort to search.
Who knows, maybe you’ll learn a new skill without having to pay a single cent?
Mistake #4: Charging per Hour Instead of per Project.
At first, you may think charging per hour is the best outcome.
The longer you take to deliver the project, the more you earn — but the truth is, you really want to charge per project because doing that there’s no surprises down the line, and you can even receive it beforehand.
Charging per project is a win-win situation for you and the client.
Mistake #5: Not Knowing Your Niche.
Lots of people try a bunch of stuff at first.
Thinking the more they do, the more they earn, but that isn’t always the case. Having a set niche, anchors your price, and tells your audience you are an expert in that field.
Knowing your niche is the most optimal way of making money.
Mistake #6: Treating It like a Hobby Instead of a Business.
A hobby is something you do for fun. A business is something you do for money.
When starting out, you may think “this is just a hobby,” or “this is just a side hustle” but that makes your brain automatically not take it seriously. Treating it like a business is the most sure way to actually make it.
A change of mentality will do wonders for you in the long run.
Mistake #7: Giving up on the First No.
In a lifetime of freelance you’ll receive a lot of nos.
But that is only if you don’t give up on the first one, I know it’s hard but that builds up confidence and in a year you’ll actually be thankful you didn’t give up.
Not giving up on the first no is hard, but even harder is living a life you don’t want because you were too afraid to live the one you wanted to.
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Posted Sep 22, 2025
Article on common mistakes freelancers make when starting out.
