![\"manage-freelance-projects-organized\"](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2017\/01\/manage-freelance-projects-organized.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow do I Know?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve been a freelancer since 2010, and I knew a ton of freelancers before that. So, you could say I know a few things about how freelancing works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I used to say that commitment was what it took to be able to get any freelance business off the ground, whether you spent the majority of your days working, parenting, or just trying to freelance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You know, grit. Determination. Dedication. Stick-to-it-ive-ness. Constant forward motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That stuff is critical, for sure, and you\u2019ll never get your freelance business off the ground without commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it recently occurred to me that the stick-with-it stuff isn\u2019t actually what you have to have. It\u2019s the (required) result, but it\u2019s not the starting place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the Key, and it Will Surprise You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s the key to running a freelance business while you still work full-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surprised?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So was I, when the thought first occurred to me. But stick with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s how respect plays out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you start a freelance business, you naturally have some sort of goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It might be fuzzy and poorly defined: \u201cmake money with web design,\u201d for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or it might be a rock-star SMART goal that\u2019s clear, measurable, and precise: \u201cnet an average of $2,000 through freelance web design per month this calendar year\u201d is a good hypothetical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paying for private school tuition. Traveling the world. Eradicating your debt. Buying a new car. Quitting your job and being your own boss. Or even just being able to make ends meet. These are all commonly cited reasons for going into freelancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever the reason, you\u2019ve got a goal for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you don\u2019t respect that goal\u2014if you don\u2019t take it seriously\u2014you\u2019ll never be able to run your new business well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respect for your goals leads you to make decisions that will support them.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n You won\u2019t rely on motivation, which won\u2019t get you anywhere, anyway. Instead, you\u2019ll operate with an internal awareness that what you\u2019re trying to do is something that matters, and that it matters more than whatever you would be doing otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t respect your goals, Netflix and Reddit will win every single time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it\u2019s something you enjoy but you want to be location-independent or it\u2019s draining the life out of every cell of your body, you need to respect your day job if your freelance job has any hope of survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like it or not, you\u2019ve made a commitment to be there, at that workplace, for the agreed-upon hours, to do the agreed-upon tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blowing off your job-job\u2014whether you\u2019re spending your work time doing freelance stuff or just completely checking out mentally because \u201cyou\u2019ll be out of here soon enough\u201d\u2014is exceptionally bad form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t be that person. It sets a bad precedent that will not serve you well in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s exciting to start picking up freelance work, especially in the beginning. You need to be extremely cautious not to over-promise anything, though. Know exactly how much time you have to give to client work each week, and don\u2019t take on anything that exceeds your limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (In that sense, you\u2019re respecting not only your clients but also yourself and your time.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respecting your clients means you set appropriate expectations from the outset. You eliminate nasty surprises for them. You establish and then honor schedules and deadlines. You communicate well. You own it when you mess up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can\u2019t do those things, you\u2019ll never get anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making money by freelancing is awesome. Suddenly you\u2019ve got this extra cash flow and a PayPal account that isn\u2019t sitting at zero dollars and zero cents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You must learn how to take care of this money, though, or you will create a lot of headaches for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respecting your money looks like setting aside a portion of what you earn to pay quarterly taxes\u2026and following through on making those payments. It\u2019s tracking every dollar you earn and every dollar you spend in your business. It\u2019s reinvesting some of your profits back into the business by getting training and assistance to make your life easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You must also show respect for your money by doing the things with your new income that you intended to do before you had it. You don\u2019t spend it on handbags or hardware\u2014you put it toward your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means you transfer it to the travel savings account, or you write the check to your student loan, or you send the next tuition payment a bit early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you aren\u2019t able to do those things, you\u2019re what many life coaches might call \u201cout of integrity.\u201d But you want integrity if you want a good business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So respect it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The side gig. Whether you just want some extra cash or you dream of building your own empire and becoming your own boss, managing freelance projects isn\u2019t always easy. There\u2019s a learning curve. There\u2019s the need to market yourself, which is a struggle for a lot of people. There\u2019s the need to deal with business…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":153484,"template":"","resource-topic":[],"resource-role":[],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-20900","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"manage-freelance-projects-respect\"](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2017\/01\/manage-freelance-projects-respect.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRespect your Goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"manage-freelance-projects-netflix\"](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2017\/01\/manage-freelance-projects-netflix.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRespect your Day Job<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Respect your New Clients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Respect your Money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"manage-freelance-projects-start\"](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2017\/01\/manage-freelance-projects-start.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYour Integrity is on the Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n