The internet is a wonderful tool to find out all kinds of information. Almost any topic imaginable can be looked up and researched.
But that doesn’t mean everything on the internet is true. There’s lots of bad advice out there. There’s bad information on topics from raising kids to home improvement and everything in between.
That being said, there’s also plenty of bad advice freelancers should avoid as well.
1. Contracts Aren’t Necessary
Anyone who says contracts aren’t necessary between a freelancer and a client is, quite simply, wrong. There are actually several reasons they need to have contracts in place.
One is to make sure they receive payment for the work that was done. Another is to protect both the freelancer and the client from misunderstandings.
Of course, there are many other reasons contracts are necessary as well. This is one piece of bad advice freelancers should avoid if they ever hear it.
2. Freelancers Make Tons of Money Right Away
This is a very common freelancing myth. Sure, some freelancers do start making lots of money right off the bat when they first get started. However, that is not absolutely true of every freelancer.
Sometimes it takes a while to build a client list. It also takes time to gain the trust of each client so that freelancers can get additional or repetitive work.
If another freelancer says they made 10K in their first month of freelancing, it’s possible they are fibbing.
3. Never Drop a Client
Obviously, freelancers don’t set out to drop clients. That being said, it is sometimes necessary. Therefore, one other nugget of bad advice they sometimes get is to never drop a client.
If clients don’t pay, refuse to sign contracts, or demand work not agreed on, it might need to be considered. There are ways to drop clients tactfully, though.
4. Don’t Admit Something Can’t Be Done
This is absolutely one of the worst pieces of advice freelancers should avoid. If they do not have the knowledge or skills to do the work a client wants, they need to say so.
Saying they can do certain work and then failing could be very harmful to the reputation of a freelancer. Even if a client is disappointed they will be thankful for the honesty and that their time wasn’t wasted.
5. Working from Home is the Perfect Life
As a freelancer, I can attest to the fact that it’s a life I love. If given a choice, I can’t say I would ever go back to working for someone else.
Still, not everyone feels this way. Others giving out free advice may say that working from home is a perfect life. I say that’s bad advice because freelancing isn’t the perfect life for everyone.
For one thing, since I am single, there’s a lot less social interaction with others. I often spend hours and even days at a time with just me, my cat, and my two dogs.
Yet there are other parts of freelancing to think about as well. There are no paid vacations, no sick days, no paid insurance, and no 401K plan. Any benefits that might be offered by outside employers are not available to freelancers.
These drawbacks are likely to deal breakers for some people. Consequently, they need to close their ears to this bad advice and think it over seriously before deciding to freelance.
It’s true that the internet isn’t the only source of information that could provide bad advice. Regardless, freelancers should thoroughly research and weigh all advice given to them rather than accepting it as true.
