Been a busy few weeks. I guess that my time since xmas has demonstrated the downsides to working as a freelancer.
It’s not a case of business being quiet. I’m pleased to say that clients appear to have a steady stream of work that requires my input. January (and August for that matter) tend to be slow for the contract workers. But increasingly many companies hit the ground running following the xmas season (in much the same way that downing tools in mid December is no longer the norm; work deadlines appear to extend right up until the final day before the festive break).
No, it’s more a case of a completely fragile and workflow. Clients seem to be changing their wishes in an ever changing work environment. One day they have the budget to proceed with the project, and the next day my services won’t be required…..just yet in any case. I don’t attached any great blame to the client. Is just the lie of the land. It just adds to my considerable grey matter that they final confirm the go-ahead when your diary for the immediate future is suddenly full. It’s more than a simple juggling act. You need to be mindful of client loyalties and breaking a degree of trust and confidence.
An old boss said one of my downsides was the failure to bluff your way through life. He has a point. Committing myself totally to a project with one client is feasibly an almost impossible task when you have made a similar commitment to another clients. One of my favourite (and annoying??) mantras to the designers I worked with at Gungho Design, is that there is ‘Always a Plan B’. When you are working as part of an extended team, this was not an unrealistic expectation. But when you’re a one-man band, Plan B can leave town without any hope of returning.
I do tend to just hold my hands up and be honest with the client who is unable to secure my full time help. Offers to help part-time or to strongly recommend another creative who would do just as good a job as me is far from ideal (if my intentions are genuine). Prudent companies build up a strong rota of freelances which they can call upon at a moments notice. But it’s not easy for them. They have their favourites naturally and rarely do you find two freelances with the same skill set and experience, who work in the same manner.
An added complication for myself is that I need to continue the steep learning curve of learning of the world of web development. All web developers, no matter how experienced, need to keep up with such a fast moving, fluid tech world. But it’s especially some task for someone like myself who needs to master so much. I used to moan (as many will testify) about the mammoouth task of keeping everyone happy at Gungho Design – my boss, designers, account managers, sales people, suppliers, and most importantly, clients. But now, I’m increasingly preoccupied in keeping myself happy in ensuring I retain my clients trust.