18 problems faced by freelancers

1. Requirements and customer needs are constantly changing

Your customers - are very different people, and the requirements they are also different. What you are used to working with your past customers can be totally unacceptable to the client, with whom you are working now. And, most likely, these requirements will grow from order to order. This means that, as a freelancer, you can not stand still, you need to constantly evolve.

2. Different time zones

Freelancer can work with customers from all over the world. The main thing that you the customer understand each other and speak the same language. But this advantage is fraught with problems. After all, you have to take into account the difference in time zones. You have to somehow adjust to waking up at 3 am to talk with the client. Or even stay awake all night.

3. You are faced with bad customers

Freelancers, as opposed to an office employee, it is necessary to communicate with customers. And not all of these customers is a nice person. Some delayed payment, while others require a jeweler working for the penny prices. In addition, freelancers often have to take risks, because customers do not like to pay in advance.

4. Financial management

Working freelancer, you need to be sure that you will earn more than spend. Over time, the freelancer has to be a good Finance manager.

5. You need to keep a balance between work and life

When you're in control of your time, it becomes very difficult to give a sufficient amount of time and work, and personal life. On the one hand, your wife's birthday, and you need to devote to it all day. On the other hand, you lit the deadline.

6. You need to hunt for customers

The main task of a freelancer - is find a job. More specifically, customers. And despite the huge number of exchanges for freelancers, you may face fierce competition. Find your customers is not as easy as it seems.

7. You need to be a jack of all trades

If you We choose freelancing, Then you become the owner of your own business. This means that you need to manage your time, finances, marketing, and customer relationship management. You can become a successful freelancer, if only to cope with all these multiple tasks simultaneously.

8. You remain on deadlines

Many customers require to get the job done on time. And often the time to complete the task is very limited. And this is very annoying and unnerving. Especially when you need to complete several tasks in a short time.

9. Laziness and procrastination

Freelancers are constantly frustrating time. That's because they do not take into account the eighth paragraph of this article and believe that they have enough time to the task. So, it is possible to perform a little bit later. procrastination and laziness - the two most important enemy freelancer, and we need to actively deal with them.

10. Currency fluctuations

Currency, which is willing to pay the client lives, for example, in South Africa, is a little different from the Belarusian or Russian ruble or the hryvnia. And in today's world, when the exchange rate is constantly changing, your income may decrease rapidly. On the other hand, they can just as rapidly and rise.

11. time management

As we said above, freelancers very bad time estimate. They underestimate the amount of time needed to complete the task. You do not want to be that freelancer who always breaks the terms? Then you should learn manage your time.

12. payment methods

In addition to the exchange rate, a big headache freelancer are both methods of getting this same currency. Not always, "Yandex. Money "and PayPal can be your savior. customer payment method your work will not always be what you would like. You'll have to have a plurality of electronic wallets and various bank cards.

13. You need to be a great negotiator

Most often, customers feel when freelancer misjudge their services. And that could lead to the fact that you will pay less than it would cost. It is important to assess the market and be confident in presenting their services.

14. You need to learn to be flexible

Freelancing means customer satisfaction. Sometimes even the work that you feel fantastic, can not satisfy the customer. You have to adjust to the customers, otherwise your career does not work out.

15. taxes

We as citizens have to pay taxes. For the office worker solves the problem of the company accountant. But freelancers have to think about it yourself. It is necessary to understand all the tax jungle, choose how to be more profitable to pay taxes and they do not go to prison for concealment of income. Even if unintentional.

16. empty portfolio

When you are just starting their way freelancer, you are likely to have nothing to show to their customers. And you have to work initially for a penny or even completely free. All in order to fill their portfolio.

17. competition dumping

What you can do for $ 50, Chinese or Indian freelancer can do for $ 10. With this will have to be reconciled, and either work for nothing, either to improve their level. A true master of his craft does not need to look for a job. This work finds them.

18. Loneliness

When you work freelance, you had little contact with humans. You do not have a team, there is no leadership. All your communication - is communication with customers. It can seriously affect your perception of people and your behavior in large companies.

Good luck in building a freelance career.