Posted on November 7, 2008 - by josephnilo

How to Not to Lose Yourself in a Steady Gig

Most of us rely on steady jobs to help us make it financially as freelancers. Whether your steady client is a “bread and butter” client, or is a bit more watered down in pay, these gigs can be valuable to tide you over between larger projects.

But there are downsides to working for clients on a regular basis. Especially if you want the diversity of freelancing but somehow find yourself “stuck” in a job that financially supports your freedom to freelance but doesn’t give you the time to explore projects and promote yourself. Read on to learn how to combat these trials.

[From How to Not to Lose Yourself in a Steady Gig - FreelanceSwitch - The Freelance Blog]

I loved this article over at FreelanceSwitch. Very timely for me right now. I'd add a couple of other "downsides" of having all your eggs in one basket.

Un-diversified

The most obvious problem with putting all your energy into one big client is that if something happens to that client's company or the job you're doing for them, you're out of luck. This is an important reality in the current economy.

Portfolio

An unexpected problem I've run into as a creative professional is that my portfolio over the past year contains mostly my one big client. It's almost worth it to get out there and get some other smaller gigs (even pro bono) just to have your portfolio reflect a larger body of work.

Getting Soft

My last 9-5 job had me editing corporate video for a large, diverse group of clients. This kept me on my toes, always learning, always pushing myself professionally. Now that I'm working mostly on one client, my "chops" in different industries and styles of editing are getting a little rusty.

Fear of Being Too Busy

Now, I can't complain about having a regular bread-and-butter client. Sometimes I don't get out there and market myself because it's outside of my comfort zone. And I like my current workload. When I get the random thought in my head that "I don't want/need any more business", I should give myself a quick reality check. What a silly thing to think! Strive for success, and if it lands in your lap, deal with it. It would be a nice problem to have.

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