How to choose a freelance niche if you know how to do a lot of things
When you have too many choices of what you can do, you lack focus — and this is one of the key conditions for success.
Even a manager who seems to be responsible for everything at once, in fact, focuses on one task — management. He doesn't do everything by hand but delegates and builds processes. If he did everything by himself, it would fall apart.
It's the same in freelancing. It's great if you can make a website for yourself (and if I can for myself, you can for your customers!), and edit a video, and write a post, and set up hosting, and run ads, and if necessary, quickly master Adobe Illustrator…
And it all looks cool: You are a human orchestra that can monetize literally any skill.
But let's look at the downside of this diversity:
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You're burning out: I know from my experience that this juggling of everything at once sometimes literally makes my head spin.
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You're procrastinating: I can do anything, right? What should I do first? And what is more profitable to sell? There are too many questions, and now the abundance of choice is becoming a barrier, not an advantage.
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You're cutting prices: I'm not really good at anything, how can I charge a lot of money for this?
Even if you take on a large, complex project alone, its cost does not pay off the effort invested. You do too much with your hands, you take on too much responsibility.
And if these skills are also incompatible, that is, they cannot be combined into one service, because they come from different fields and/or for different purposes, then the dispersion and burnout are even stronger. It's like you're running from one corner of the field to the other, either kicking the ball with your foot or throwing it into the basket with your hand.
What to do with the dispersion of tasks and skills
Focus:
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Write down everything you know how to do, what you did, what you were paid for.
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Choose what you like and what you don't like.
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Permanently remove services from the "dislike" category, even if they are more on the "what I was paid for" list — they waste your time and energy.
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Choose the most profitable ones from the rest: they are more in demand (vacancies are more common), they pay more for them, and they take less time.
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Of these— there are those in which you feel most confident, in which you have had the best results, OR those that ignite and inspire you the most.
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As a result, there should be 1-2 services (possibly complex ones) that you will be most actively selling.
It turns out that out of 10-15 skills that you sell a little bit at a time, you will either sell five skills to one client at once for a large check (which means you can delegate part of it), or one, but strong and expensive. And let the small routine remain for beginners. The same principle applies to managing your finances—rather than juggling spreadsheets and manual calculations, you can automate the process with Norman, an accounting autopilot for freelancers.
Key career tips for young professionals
Don't go with the flow, build your life with your own hands. And here are 7 tips that will help you in this.
1) Don't work for people who don't respect you
Most of us have experienced such an event at least once in our lives. You spend a lot of time and effort on bosses who don't respect you and end up just throwing away a few years of your life. Work is your time, your ideas, and your nerves spent on it. Your work is the value that you bring to the company. If the boss forgot about it, remind him. If that doesn't help, pack your bags and quit. No one should work in a place where subordinates are treated like servants.
2) Defend your interests
If your boss, colleagues, or clients treat you unfairly or simply disrespectfully, don't ignore it. Defend your rights and interests, and do not tolerate such an attitude: neither to yourself nor to your colleagues. If you see that someone is being insulted, deceived, or forced to break the law, make it public. If it is “not customary to knock” at your job or you know that you will be punished for defending your rights, quit: such a job is not worth risking your health and nerves.
3) A career is a marathon, not a sprint race
We can change up to 10 jobs in our lifetime, and each one will have its requirements, tasks, and goals. Develop, learn new things, and give your best, but remember that you don't need to exhaust yourself at your current job just for fear of losing it. Don't be afraid to take a vacation, forget about working on weekends, or not understand or know something - you'll still have time to catch up, learn, and become more professional. Work at the pace at which you are most productive. The world has more than one work, and you will find another.
4) Do not work for a company that focuses on bureaucratic red tape
Any company's focus should be on the product, the production process, or the people. If a company prioritizes bureaucracy, all other factors become secondary. There is no future for such a company, so run away from it as fast as possible. If you own such a company yourself, change course – only you can change that.
5) People are your best assets
Your colleagues, employers, and partners are what really matter in business. They are the ones who produce the product, write the code, promote the business, and make the company's existence possible. Focus on your relationship with them, and together you can move mountains. Properly built relationships within the team increase motivation and work efficiency, help you enjoy your work, and therefore help you perform your tasks faster and better.
6) Don't encourage lying
Not from employees, not from superiors, not from anyone. If you see that a subordinate is lying to you, he should leave. Lying can cost you a lot of money and reputation, so don't let it grow inside the company.
7) Don't be afraid to try new things
It doesn't matter which rung of the career ladder you're on, everyone needs it. Don't be afraid to implement and apply innovative ideas, projects, and products. If one of your colleagues or subordinates suggests trying out a service that improves the effectiveness of your advertising campaign or development process, listen to them and try it! And don't forget to encourage your subordinates and colleagues to come up with new ideas – this will significantly help the business.
