Technically, I’ve been working freelance since 2004 right after I resigned from MTV. However, that kind of freelance work wasn’t that daunting since I got signed up with GMA as a Regular Talent for one year. That means that regardless of the output, I was going to receive a regular monthly talent fee for the whole duration of the contract. So the good news was I had a secure salary yet I was also free to take in other gigs, and even worked on some freelance projects with MTV. The following year, after leaving GMA, I went to Being a Freelancer is not a very popular mode of income earning here in the
Going Freelance is indeed a LEAP OF FAITH. I know a lot of people who drag themselves to work everyday. They complain about their jobs but whenever I dare them to quit and seek their calling, they always say that they cannot live with the risk of not earning regularly. That’s a practical reason. Nobody really wants to go hungry. With prices going up and glaring on our various domestic responsibilities, it’s no wonder why most people would rather get stuck on a desk.
But to those who are tinkering with the idea of going freelance, let me assure you first that it’s one of the most fulfilling decisions I have ever made in my life. As with everything else, it has its Pain and Pleasure. The pain of course is unstable income. The pleasure is increased income. So basically there’s a median point to it. Like with everything else, success can be achieved with strategy. I’m not a big expert on this but BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE let me share to you the Top 10 things I have learned:
HOW TO KEEP FLOATING ALIVE ON A FREELANCE LIFE!
- Don’t Burn Bridges!
If your boss doesn’t say “Don’t be a stranger!” after he gives you your exit interview then freelancing might be a little challenging. Even if you hated your boss, it would be BETTER to be at least “showbiz-friendly” to him/her. In my case, when I resigned from MTV, it was a good thing that I was still friends with “most” of the key people there who eventually gave me freelance projects. You will find out sooner or later that it’s a small world after all. You will still need these people to give you jobs, and their recommendations can also land you some. It’s all about NETWORKING. Be ma-chika because the sad truth is more than half of the time, you may not get projects based on your talents but rather on the basis of a peer recommendation. It’s not WHAT you know but it’s WHO you know!
- Last Impressions Last
That’s not a typo. I meant to write “last” instead of “first”. It only means that in the freelance world, you’re only as good as your last project. This is so true especially when you’re working with a client for the first time. I had the misfortune of experiencing this during my first foray into hard-core freelancing. I’ve had excellent work prior to accepting this certain project but of course they can only believe what they see. So regardless of my extensive work portfolio, this first-time client could not look pass the mediocre script I presented. That explains why I haven’t received a call from them ever since. Tsk tsk…
- Stick to a Strict Schedule EVEN IF YOU’RE JUST HOME!
Being on a pajama payroll (my term for working from home) should not give you any license to be a slacker. Working from home may have reduced the tensions of an office but it can increase distractions… In my case it’s the Internet (blogging, surfing, Diner Dash games hehe)… Cable TV… cooking, cleaning, washing the dishes, folding the laundry… attending to Kean (tutoring him, and most of the time just wrangling with him to keep him behaved)… errands (groceries, bill payments, etc)… or if you’re single, the bed!
So even if you are not in an office cubicle anymore, working from home should still entail some form of ORDER. Contrary to popular belief, working from home requires a more scheduled clockwork lifestyle because aside from work, each day will surely be dotted with domestic demands.
- Weekend Hiatus
Still on the issue of schedules, I really suggest that as much as you should keep a working week calendar, freelancers should still keep weekends as weekends. That’s one major pet peeve I have about clients. Just because they know that you’re a freelancer, you are immediately perceived as a beggar. It’s true that we are grateful to receive gigs from them but freelance professionals are no different from regular employees. I still go to Church every Sunday and I would like to keep it that way, thank you very much. But of course, freelancers can’t just bellow at their clients and say “Don’t bother calling or texting me on weekends, I’m not available.” Unless, the project deadline or the event really lands on a weekend, I highly suggest keeping your weekends sacred by not replying to any text message or e-mail. This will send the message that you are currently engaged. If they do call, don’t pick up right away. If it’s really urgent, they will text. I always base my decision to reply on the magnitude of the emergency. If they don’t send an SMS, then I get a hint that it’s not an SOS.
- Manage your Money
I guess this applies to everyone who’s earning, but more so for freelancers like me. Since the biggest con in freelancing is the unstable income, you should be able to have good stewardship of your finances to reduce the probability of a hand-to-mouth existence. In my sphere of freelance writing, I concentrate on 3 areas: Events, Television and Marketing Support. The Events industry would be the highest paying of all and this is where I really get the thickest slice of the butter. The going rates for scripts range from 8k-25k per event, depending on the scale of the event. So this is where the pleasure of freelancing comes in. Imagine, what one person can normally earn in a month can be earned TAX FREE on one night.
Another good thing about writing for events, especially the corporate ones, is that they’re fairly easy to do; your creativity is NOT that challenged but gets STIRRED anyway; and most of all, they require the least time of client correspondence. There are only 3 major phases in this line of work. A) The Initial Project Meeting/Brainstorming… B) The Writing/Editing Session (which you do at home and editing by client is done via e-mail) and C) The Event Day, where the writer’s main task is to just make sure the script continuity is observed and assist the host with any additional info or any on-the-spot changes. 99% of the time, you can get your check (talent fee) immediately right after the event. Just make sure the field accountant is within sight.
Check delays rarely happen in on-ground event projects but this is a common nightmare in Television. Ugh. Another con in television writing is the excruciatingly low talent fee. Creatively, it’s the best place to be but if you’d rather be monetarily successful, then it’s not enough to write for only one show on TV, especially when you’re writing for a major network.
- Warm Up to Cold Calls
Just a little less than a month ago, I was faced with 3 prospective TV projects but now I’m getting the sense that they may turn out be mere cold calls. As a freelancer, cold calls are frequent especially when you’re looking at TV gigs. That’s because putting together a TV show is a more tedious and LONGER process than a corporate event. Sometimes, the usual problem is the budget issue. Many times before I have fallen prey into putting in some writing and brainstorming work for a TV show in development, only to find out later that the project is going to be shelved.
In the events industry, especially the corporate accounts, project shelving rarely happens. They do once in a while but more often than not if a producer calls me for a corporate event writing gig, it’s already all systems go.
- If the Price is Right then the Shoe Fits!
This is the trickiest thing I have ever encountered in my freelance career – quoting my talent fee! Basically, it is really beneficial to know your worth. Setting a standard rate allows the producer some space for negotiation. As a freelancer, I only agree to pay cuts depending on the scale of the event, financial reputation of the client, or if it’s a favor being done for a friend. Once in a while, I do pro-bono work for the events of PAWS (Philippine Animal Welfare Society) not only because one of its program directors is my suki events producer but also because it’s one of the causes that I believe in. Doing goodwill will definitely do a freelancer good. Even if they’re done for free, you can still add them to your work portfolio plus don’t underestimate the power of networking. These events open up to more prospective clients in many ways.
- Say No As Often You Say Yes!
I learned this the hard way. I had the most number of projects during the same period of my wedding preparations! Suicide, right? Indeed. Sitting on the laurels of being On Demand can easily turn into Greed! At that time, I thought I was doing myself a favor. By taking in as much projects as I can then I can add more moolah to my wedding budget. God proved me wrong. Some of my projects suffered because I had too much on my plate. I was already spreading myself too thinly. Of course, as freelancers, we are always faced with the uncertainty of income that’s why sometimes we can fall desperately into these traps of over-booking ourselves. I know some people who can handle it very well but to those mere mortals like me, I suggest to take note of the waves in the events industry. The really lean months are usually after Summer. Yes, I’m currently experiencing some work drought in the middle of storm season. Then they only start to pick up in October to December, then January-February might have some dip but it can immediately pick up in March all the way to May.
In connection with Tip # 7, I advise that you only take a pay cut on the first project (if the pay cut was due to budget constraints). If the 2nd project with the same events producer involves a bigger project for a financially fit company then it’s just fair to gracefully set a higher talent fee. But then again, that all really depends on your discernment. If you’re strapped for cash then I think scraps will do. Ouch!
- Be Good on Paper!
Since income is unstable, one of the flipsides of freelancing is independent management of paperwork. As regular employees, we get to enjoy health care, some insurance and we have the company’s finance department filing our taxes and SSS contributions for us. As a freelancer, you are solely on your own. It was such a hassle filing my ITR early this year. It pays though to have an accountant friend who can teach you the “tricks” to check and balance your returns. It’s so easy to be irresponsible about acquiring these benefits especially if you’re single because there’s a false notion that you still don’t need it. But believe me it pays to be good on paper, especially when you’re applying for things like credit cards or loans.
- Get Insurance from Heaven
You know what, among all of the tips that I have shared to you, there’s no other strategy or survival tool that I can really attest to be 100% effective than PRAYER! The best way to keep floating alive on a freelance life is to hold on to your Faith. Amen!
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” – PHILIPPIANS 4:19
1 comment:
Freelancing can be pretty lucrative, too! It can also be more work actually. But hey, no pain, no gain =D
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