Should you ditch the title “freelancer”?
I’ll happily call myself a freelancer when introducing myself, but I recently discovered that a lot of other creatives are hesitant to do so. In this blog, I’ll unpack what a freelancer is (spoiler alert…you probably are one) and help you determine if the word “freelancer“ could be holding you back.
What is a freelancer?
A “freelancer” is someone who is self-employed and hired to work for different companies on particular assignments. So whether you call yourself a consultant, VA, copywriter, designer, creative entrepreneur, solopreneur or even a small business owner, you probably fall under the umbrella of freelancing. What unites us, is that we’ve made the decision to be our own boss, and pursue a career without committing to one employer.
What types of freelancers are there?
I see three main types of freelancers, the side-hustler, the experiential freelancer and the freelance business owner. The lines between each can be blurred between each. These freelancer types reflect the stage you’re at, the aspirations you have, and the kind of lifestyle you lead.
#1 The Emerging Freelancer (aka The Side-Hustler)
You have a full-time or part-time job, but you’re taking on projects outside of that role under your own ABN. Maybe you want extra cash, extra stimulation or simply want to pursue a passion outside of your day job.
Side-hustling is a common way to start your creative freelancing career. Many graphic designers, copywriters and social media marketers start side-hustling to test if it’s viable before making the leap into full-time freelancing.
There is no major financial risk yet since you’re still on someone else’s payroll, but it doesn’t mean you’re any less committed. This type of freelancer is also called a moonlighter, part-time freelancer or independent contractor.
#2 The Experiential Freelancer
You’re freelancing full-time or part-time by choice. You enjoy the diversity in your work and you’re learning through doing. You’re still figuring out what you do best and deliver well. You are likely in your first 0-2 years of freelancing, but I also know that so many freelancers happily evolve and succeed as an experiential freelancer for their whole career.
You face classic freelancing challenges like not getting enough clients and accepting projects that don’t light you up. On the flip side, you may have too many clients, scrambling behind the scenes, and working long hours to get everything done. Either way, you can feel a little frazzled.
The style of work freelancers prefers can vary. Some prefer to work remotely on projects (maybe even live the laptop lifestyle), others are happy to ‘plugin’ to an existing marketing team or agency and offer their skills in-house. Either way, you’re discovering your boundaries, refining your processes and defining your niche. This type of freelancer is also called an independent contractor, consultant, specialist or full-time freelancer.
#3 The Established Freelancer
You’ve been freelancing for a while now and have a desire to take your business up a notch. You view yourself as a small business owner - even if you‘re still a company of one - and have a clear vision on where you want to go next.
You sell your services as neat packages, quote as you go, or sell ongoing client retainers (if not yet, this is the dream). You’ve probably considered creating digital products or courses to diversify your income and relieve pressure from your limited time. You’re still a little uncertain on where you want to niche and what you want to be known for, but you’re getting there.
You may already outsource work to other freelancers like yourself, or have professionals around you to help manage the business (e.g. accountants, virtual assistants). You feel excited, but a little overwhelmed about growing the business. This type of freelancer is also called a freelance business owner, small business owner, creative entrepreneur, solopreneur, specialist, consultant, agency or studio.
Is calling yourself a freelancer holding you back?
The word freelancer attracts a wide variety of opinions, some of them not so rosy. So how important is your title to the success of your freelance career?
Anyone can call themselves a freelancer. A uni grad with no prior work experience and a seasoned art director can both be freelancers. This means the results clients get can vary a lot.
The rise of online platforms like Fivver and Upwork can drive down prices and perceived value. Also less experienced freelancers are willing to offer lower prices. These factors mean freelancers can be perceived as “cheap”.
Traditional organisations think of freelancers as “unprofessional” who work from their pyjamas in bed. It’s a shame because there are so many incredible freelancers out there taking their work seriously. As freelancers, we often care deeply about the work we deliver because our own name and reputation is attached.
So what should you call yourself?
Start by imagining your ideal day. Seriously, close your eyes and imagine. What kind of clients do you work with? What projects are you working on? How many hours are you working? Where are you working from? Who is around you?
If you see yourself growing a team and tackling big client projects, perhaps using a brand name, agency, or studio name will suit you in the long run. Likewise, if your clients are in traditional industries, they may feel more comfortable working with an “agency” or “studio” (even if it’s just you and a contractor every now and again).
If you image growing your own personal brand and being known for your skills (think of big names like Marie Forleo, Jenna Kutcher or Amy Porterfield), perhaps using your own name with a proud ‘freelance photographer’ or ‘freelance graphic designer’ would suit you well. Many people also love knowing who they are doing business with.
Some considerations:
If you want to charge top dollar and you’ve got the proven experience behind you, ‘consultant’ or ‘specialist’ might suit you best. If you’re new to the game, don’t try these on yet. The bigger the title, the bigger the expectation on results, so make sure you have a few successful projects under your belt first.
And for good measure, avoid getting too cute with names like ‘marketing maverick’ or ‘website ninja’. People aren’t searching for these term on Google or LinkedIn, so unless it is something your target audience will understand and it strongly aligns to your brand personality, just don’t.
In conclusion, we are freelancers but…
Let’s agree that if you are self-employed and get paid by different clients for your services, you ARE a freelancer. However, this doesn’t mean you need to plaster all over your website or business card.
While I’d love to see more people standing up as proud and professional freelancers, there is still some negative stigma to shake off. So you will have to decide what’s right for your situation.
As a freelancing community, we share unique challenges and experiences that not every business owner faces. So while in public we might use another title, behind the scenes let’s support each other as one big ol’ freelancing family.
Over to you!
What do you call yourself? Has calling yourself a freelancer ever held you back? Share your thoughts.