Freelance Goals

  1. Focus on knowledge gained
  2. Take on a manageable project
  3. Deliver the best experience for your client and you
  4. Profit

Pros

  • Freedom
  • Multiple Income Sources (e.g. design, blog, hosting conference, etc.)
  • Continue Education

Cons

  • Stability
  • Do all the work (i.e. business, design, networking, invoicing, etc.)
  • You support yourself entirely, no insurances.
  • Isolation. No idea-sharing or feedback from co-workers.

Before You Quit

The most difficult things is to discipline yourself to stick to a routine, and stay motivated. So before you start, you must understand your capabilities and your limits.

Self-assessment
  • Are you self-motivated? Self-motivated to learn new things, tackle new hard tasks, seek events to grow your network, etc.
  • Do you have good time-management skills?
  • Are you good at project management?
  • Are you a good communicator?
  • Do you embrace change? Financial changes, project type changes, etc.
Preparations
  1. Build up 3-month worth of savings for living expenses, emergencies and start up costs
  2. Line up clients
  3. Work on side projects

Work Sources

  1. Family, friends and personal contacts
    Set up simple contracts right from the start to avoid ruining your relationships in case of conflict.
  2. Organizations you’re involved in
  3. Social networks
  4. Personal projects
  5. Freelance job boards