Here a short list of some of the reocurring pitfalls that I have noticed during my 5 years of freelancing (a number of which I have fallen for at some point or another).
Taking the 1st job offer that comes along: ok, so you've just finished you're last job, or it's your last week, and there along comes a new job offer. Great! Grab it immediately and you're set for the next weeks/months. No financial worries, no need to network and do any sales. Great for business right? Wrong! If anything, if you find yourself always taking the 1st job that comes along then you're either not selective enough, not asking enough money, and/or have no long term strategy that you want to achieve. Besides, if you're like me, chances are one of the reasons you wanted to be a freelancer is to have more free time to do "stuff". If you're jumping from one job to the next without a break, you might as well get a full time job.
Trainings are a waste of time: Trainings are expensive! Not only do they cost money, they are also time you can't bill to a customer. That hurts twice as much (sort of like holidays). So, it's quite easy to skip doing any training and coast along on what you learn during paid jobs. If you find work then obviously there's no need for training, right? Wrong! Again, this is short term thinking. The most important asset in your company is you. If you don't invest in yourself then you are devaluating. Training broadens your scope, gives you new energy, and opens up new options. Would you work for a company that gave you no training. I don't think so. So don't let that company be you! If you realize it's been five years since you last took a training, then you're long overdue.
Fishing around for the perfect full time job: I used to have my c.v. on job boards while I was freelancing, just in case the "perfect" full time job came along. I mean, what could it hurt right? Wrong! This is an insidious one and it took me a while to realize it. It signifies you're not fully committed to freelancing and as a result, you will not achieve your maximum potential. The c.v. is a sort of safety net, if things go wrong I can always go back to a nice safe job. It's a placebo for freelance fear but a distracting one. What happens if a reasonable job comes along? It may not be perfecct but maybe you're inbetween work, or unhappy with your current customer, or... whatever. The job may suddenly seem tempting, and you go the interview, and you negotiate the price, and... then you realize you don't want give up freelancing and the freedom and the money, and.. then you start doubting, and etc... Basically, the c.v. is a distraction and a waste of time. It causes you to lose focus and will hamper your chance of success. Better to choose for freelancing and go for it 100%. That is the only way to make it work.
I want to build my own company: So there you are, a reasonably successfull freelancer for a number of years, with a couple of customers who like to use your services from time to time. But still, somethings missing. Wouldn't it be nice to have your own company, with employees working for you, so that you can grow, and get more clients, and take on bigger jobs. A company that you could sell when you get old to have a nice retirement pension. Great idea right? Wrong! Chances are that if you're a successfull freelancer, and you like it, then you're probably somebody who likes freedom and independence. This is the opposite of what a company brings you. Somebody who starts a company generally has a different personality profile than somebody who is successfull at freelancing. The urge for a company comes from financial fear for the future. What you really want is alot of money on the bank for your old age, not the hassle of having to run your own company.
Sticking around at a client: So you have a good working relationship with a customer and you've come back a number of times for jobs already but , the jobs are really not all that exciting. In fact, they're downright boring, you're not learning anything anymore, you're not really adding that much value to the customer, but you stick it out cause they pay well (and by the hour). Part of the job right? Wrong! You're the boss of your company. You determine what is part of the job. If you find that the desk chair is shaping itself to your contours and you've settled into a nice, cozy, safe routine, then it's probably time to move on. Otherwise, you're just a full time employee, only slightly better paid. Remember, a large part of your value as freelancer is being available!
Networking is scary: I'm a techy, geek, developer type and nothing scares me more than stepping into a room full of business suits and trying to mingle. I generally end up lost in some corner trying to look busy and/or interesting. Both of which I fail at miserably. Or at least, that's generally the mental image I have, and this is a big fat hurdle I have to overcome every time I go to anything remotely networkish. Stands to reason then that I find plenty of excuses not do to any networking. But you have too. And when you do, it always turns out ok. Maybe not brilliant but I find I always end up speaking to a number of interesting people, learning some new ideas, and gaining some energy. It may all not really help my business directly, but I always feel good afterwards. Sort of like fitness, which I never feel like doing, but I never regret afterwards.
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