How to get off the client hamster wheel and start loving your biz again

I speak to so many freelancers about their dreams of ditching clients and creating more space for creativity and the things they love. As a freelancer, client work is how we make our money, but when it takes up every moment of our day, life starts to look a little mundane. We feel uninspired and exhausted very quickly. Late nights and constant client demands are draining. I totally get it because I’ve been there too. Here are a few ways to get off the client hamster wheel and start loving your biz again.

1. Get comfortable saying no

   The power of no is a game-changer for any busy freelancer. We are often caught in this loop of serving others, that we forget to serve ourselves first. Remember when you are saying yes to something, you are saying no to something else (which might be your family time, fitness time, free time), and nothing in your business works if you are burnt out.

   Learn to say no gracefully. You are the only one responsible for setting and reinforcing client boundaries. You have to remind your clients what’s included and what our service levels are. If the work isn’t your fave thing to do, refer them to someone else. If you want to do the work but your calendar is packed, let them know a possible start date. It’s not your job to squeeze things and the cost of your wellbeing. Discover 3 boundaries you should be setting with your clients here.

2. Raise your rates

   Having a stacked calendar can be a sign that you’re undercharging, that’s why clients are loading you up because they’re getting a sweet sweet deal. Raising your rates will automatically weed out a few low-value clients and you’ll gain more space and time in your day. Fewer clients mean more focus and you’ll feel a whole lot better knowing you are being paid well for your time and skills. Learn how to gracefully raise your freelance rates here.

3. Rethink your systems & automate

   Another reason your calendar is chocka and your days bleed into nights could be because you may not be working in an optimal way. Ask yourself, what can you automate? Are you blocking out time in your calendar to work on your biz, not just on client work? Are you spending way too long writing proposals? Try to identify the things that are taking up precious time that could be improved and dedicate time to fixing them. One tool a lot of freelancers love for managing client proposals, invoicing and payments is Dubsado. Check out Dubsado here and use the code ‘coolwow’ to give it a go. For $25 a month you could free up hours of time (which I know is worth way more than that)!

4. Outsource

   If you are earning decent money think about outsourcing. A lot of freelancers I know hire a virtual assistant as one of their first hires to help offload some of the client admin. Or maybe bookkeeping is bringing you down. To decide what to outsource, write a list of all of the things you do on repeat that you don’t really need to. If they can be taught to someone else, hand them over! It might feel very uncomfortable initially but you can do it! I love this suggestion from one of our Virtual Coworking Club conversations “Write your shit list - all the stuff you’d like to take off your plate or clients you’d like to ditch. It’s so freeing to just let. it. go.” YES to this!

5. Find your focus

   Be honest how much time to do you really have available for client work? Are you fully focused when you work, or are you distracted by the inbox or Instagram? Do you stick to your most important tasks, or do you go straight for easy or simple tasks? Do you block time for yourself to work on your business and honour that time? When you choose to do a task, remove distractions and stay focused on that task until it’s done. This could be the difference between late nights at the desk or curled up with a good book. It’s time to get real and think about what OUR ideal day looks like. And then once we find that elusive flow, happiness will follow. Learn more about flow state and how to get into it here.

6. Shift your perspective

   So much change starts with mindset. When you find yourself stuck on the hamster wheel ask yourself; Can I change my thoughts? Can I change my perspective? Can I change my behaviour? Sometimes we just need to tell ourselves it’s ok to say no to clients, it’s ok to earn slightly less money, it’s ok to take a nap in the middle of the day. What stories can you let go of to create your dream day?

I know that many of us worked in traditional corporate jobs and hard work and productivity was valued above all else, it’s a hard story to shake. But you can create the structures and days you love with a bit of discipline, practice and commitment.

Over to you?

What has helped you find more balance in your biz? Drop us a DM on Instagram @coolwowcollective.