Welcome to our new series of articles militantly titled Freelance Bootcamp! In this series we will take you through the entire process of becoming a full time freelancer. From finally ditching that 9 - 5 to getting down to the nitty gritty of income, personal productivity, and what to (really) expect out of all of this in the end. This is a start to finish process that is by no means sugar coated! If you’re really ready to become a serious freelancer then you’ve come to the right place! We hope this will give you a “cut the crap and get to the point” type of experience while covering all the important aspects of freelancing.
In this edition we ask the question “Are you really ready for full-time freelancing?.” If you’ve been day dreaming at your desk all day about joining the work-at-home generation while wondering what it would be like with that much freedom in your life then it’s time to get serious about it! No more wondering! We’re going to find out if you are really ready for full time freelancing…
Could I Really Become a Full Time Freelancer?
If you’re unsure about whether or not you could survive on doing freelancing alone then you need to ask yourself some hard questions:
Can I survive on my creativity?
When you work in a freelancing field you will most likely be also working in a creative field. Are you confident enough in your work that you will put your financial future on the line? Sounds pretty scary doesn’t it? Don’t worry! You don’t have to be the best web designer, graphic designer, writer, developer, or whatever! You just have to be good enough to land clients, and satisfy their needs (then comes the money part).
In reality there are many levels of skill within any line of work and freelancing is no different. You can land clients and make income if you’re just starting out within the field you’re interested in… but if you are not self-established enough then it is NOT the right time for you to go full time (yet)! You will need to build and establish your knowledge and skills within that field to the point where you get enough recognition to where you feel confident in yourself to take that full leap.
Like true love, you will just know when it comes.
Can I really handle working from home?
Sure, it sounds so easy, so void of stress. For many of us, this couldn’t be farther from the truth! When you work from home you are more prone to distraction. Your friends call you in the middle of the day (”you’re not busy are you?”), your significant other probably wont “get it” that when you are at home working, you’re working (”Can you go pick up the dry cleaning?”). These distractions can become a real nightmare if you don’t handle them correctly (more on that later…).
Another issue that arises is when you work where you live and live where you work, you never get away! It can be really hard to close up shop at the end of the day. In fact, for me personally, it’s impossible! It’s 12:00AM and you lie in your bed… trying to fall asleep… but you cant… you’re holding yourself back from walking right over to that computer and checking your e-mail. You then find yourself up until 4:00AM and your mind is still racing from work. Forget about having a normal sleep schedule. That will be thrown out the window the day you start your freelancing career! Of course this will balance out over time as you learn to adjust to this lifestyle (again, more on that later…).
Can you handle the commitment?
It’s true that once you become established and generally good at what you do then you will have quite a bit of freedom when it comes to the time of work spent each day. This is not so true when you’re first starting out! You will have a lot to do to get the ball rolling and it always takes constant maintenance. You will need to be able to build your own portfolio, handle clients, emails, distractions, keep up with the latest trends, and build your own online identity and presence… while handling your projects at the same time! You may be discouraged in the beginning as it might feel that you quit that 9 to 5 for a 14 hour work day! Don’t fret, with all sacrifices come great rewards.
Not Ready? Take Baby Steps
If you’re not ready to take the full leap just yet this does not mean that you shouldn’t start right this second! It’s quite the opposite actually… just to merely keep your day job while establishing your skills, knowledge, and presence.
If you still need to build up your confidence to become a full time freelancer then usually the right thing to do is to either:
A) Keep your full time day job and start freelancing on the side.
B) Find a part time job that satisfies the bills and use freelancing for the rest of your income.
The first is how I began and how many other freelancers began as well. The time it takes to become ready to quit your current job will vary. For me it was 3 months before I realized I could do this on my own. I have had bumps in the road of course but I stuck with it and now I dread the thought of going back to a “real job.”
How do you know you’re really ready? It’s just simple math (good, because I’m no good at math). When you consistently make more money in the time you’ve spent freelancing then the money you make at your other job then it’s probably time.
When I began making twice the money working half the time than at my other job I realized the more time I spend on freelancing the better and wealthier (I’m not rich!) I would become… and the better I become the more money I could potentially make. For me it was simple economics: the more I produce the more I make and the more I make (it seems) the better work I produce… why am I working for someone else for this lousy check?
When money from your (bi)weekly checks seams like chump change then it’s time to ditch that job and go full time! If you’re still have a need for a steady predictable income then it’s time to go out and find a part time job and devote more time to freelancing.
Where Do I Go From Here?
Ok so now your pumped up and ready to get your hands dirty… we’ll sorry to disappoint you but you will just have to wait until the next episode! Don’t worry, it’s right around the corner 
John D.
July 30th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Great article! Looking forward to the rest of the series!
Frederic
July 30th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
This kind of article is just what I was looking for! Especially the option to do “half time freelancing” can encourage many people to take the leap …
Can’t wait to read more!
Dan
July 31st, 2008 at 10:14 am
Great first article, I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
I would also ad that keeping the 9-5 job can also be useful for conferences and in house training resources that could help in the freelance work. Most companies pay for their employees to go to training courses or conferences which can come in handy since most of the prices run into the hundreds of dollars range as well as some in the thousands
Dennis
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Alex, found your site from Paul Boag’s site and think it’s a great idea. I’ve link to it from my own blog. As a new subscriber, looking forward to upcoming posts and information.
Keith
August 2nd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
This is an excellent idea for a website and I think a much needed one. This article is a very accurate account of a ‘working from home’ scenario - particularly the friends-phoning-assuming-that-you’re-not-busy - and the other-half suggesting that the washing be done and the garden mown etc! This is exactly what happens to me and although I feel justified in working all day and not doing these extra tasks… I stupidly feel guilty about it.