Freelance success

Many career coaches make their living as freelancers, so I was intrigued to read the findings of this study which explores the factors that make a freelancer successful.

Self-employment is, for many, a desirable career choice. It can provide autonomy and flexibility, and the financial rewards can be great. But we know that many small business fold within their first year, and many freelance careers fail to take off. Born and Witteloostujin (2013) examined the careers of a large number of freelancers and identified three factors which consistently seem to be linked to those who make a success of their freelance careers.

The first is networking. This is perhaps no surprise. We know anecdotally that work for freelancers often if not usually comes through word of mouth, so the ability to network is bound to have an impact. The paper suggests though that it's not just about numbers. What is crucial is how strategic an individual is in their networking - it's about targeting those you connect with and raising your profile with the right people in the right way.

The second key factor is establishing a niche. It seems to be easier to make a success of your business or freelance career if it's highly specialised. This is one that I didn't expect, but on reflection, it makes sense to me, and fits with many stories of successful freelance careers. My initial thoughts were that if your practice is generic, then you are more likely to appeal to a wider range of clients, and therefore will get more business. But I think the key is that from a client perspective, there is something very attractive about engaging the services of a real expert. Specialising in a specific arena both gives you the opportunity to become an expert, and gives a clear message to clients that you are one.

These two factors are useful ones for career coaches, and could lead to useful conversations that could provide clients with a valuable competitive edge.

The third factor is interesting too. The researchers found that individuals whose work life balance mattered to them were less likely to make a success of a freelance career. This does make sense, doesn't it? It is hard to get established in a new field, and presumably, you're more likely to get repeat business if you can say yes to any offers that come your way, and the more hours you can spend preparing, the better the quality of your work.

This factor I think could be particularly valuable for discussions with clients who are motivated by the flexibility that a freelance career can bring. As a freelancer, you can certainly take a month off work every winter to learn to scuba dive in Brazil, and you are free to arrange your time to make sure you're there to drop the kids at school every day. But I wonder at what cost to your professional success?



Born, A., & Witteloostuijn, A. (2013). Drivers of freelance career success. Journal Of Organizational Behavior, 34(1), 24-46