Moving the client pipeline (and my entire house). Plus your first bite-sized social media tip!

Hey friends, freelancers in the making, and new subscribers.

Another week, another update from me, and this one comes with more big news (and a brand-spanking-new segment).

Client number TWO has officially signed on! Number three is set to go ahead in a few month’s time, and smaller, odd jobs are finding their way to me. That makes two big clients in less than a month of launching my freelance business. 

I won’t lie, it feels surreal. In fact, I forget to really appreciate these wins until I’m sitting here writing this newsletter. Yay me!

On the personal side—in true "life loves to keep you on your toes" fashion—I’m also moving house next week. Let me tell you, finding a rental as a self-employed person was... an experience. The scepticism from real estate agents and landlords shocked me, and straight away I noticed the difference between being an employee looking for a rental versus being self-employed.

With millions of self-employed folk across the country, it’s a bit surprising to see that there are people out there so hesitant to rent to us.

Anyway, one fortunate Saturday viewing was all it took to overcome that and BAM, I have a new home. Now queue the panic as I start packing, cleaning, paying all the bills associated, and maintaining my composure, all while keeping this freelance business churning.

We got this!

What’s this? A new segment?!

After thinking about what value I could offer, I realised I was missing one of my main areas of expertise from this newsletter (I’m a social media freelancer, for crying out loud!). So, moving forward, every week I’ll impart a small bit of social media knowledge to help you grow your brand online.

Have any social media questions? Leave a question in the comment section or respond to my email, and I’ll add an answer in the next newsletter.

Your first client will see the signs that they’re your first, so don’t try to hide it.

Even your best-laid plans can blow up in your face during implementation.

You may have made onboarding checklists, set up your project management software, and done all the things you possibly could to prepare. But, the fact is, not only are there always teething issues when working with anyone for the first time, but it’s the very first time you’re doing this on your own.

So, instead of trying to hide that fact, I personally think being transparent and bringing your client along for the journey is the best thing to do for everyone.

At the end of the day, good business owners hope to see other business owners and freelancers succeed (and if they don’t, we don’t want to be working with them!), so allow them to be part of your adventure. The working relationship is that of a partnership, it’s not hierarchal, which is honestly something I still need to remind myself of after more than a decade of being an employee.

To my fellow freelancers: send through your client onboarding tips if you have any!! I’m interested to see how others make it work.

That’s it for this week. Thank you so much for following along on this wild ride!

See you next Tuesday (which is the day before I pick up my new house keys so let’s see how frantic I’ll be).

Laura