SpyreStudios

Web Design and Development Magazine

  • Design
  • Resources
  • Showcase
  • Inspirational
  • Tutorials
  • CSS
  • Resources
  • Tools
  • UX
  • More
    • Mobile
    • Usability
    • HTML5
    • Business
    • Freebies
    • Giveaway
    • About SpyreStudios
    • Advertise On SpyreStudios
    • Get In Touch With Us

Common Challenges Freelance Designers Face – and How to Deal With Them

April 8, 2014 by Noemi

challenges freelance designers face

Becoming a freelancer has a LOT of perks, and many people with desk jobs regularly express envy about the freelancing lifestyle. What they may not know is that while there are a lot of great things about the life of freelance designers, there are also challenges that people who have 9 to 5 jobs may not have to worry about.

challenges freelance designers face

Image source

Whether you’re a starting freelance designer, or you’re still in the process of making the decision to take the leap, it is good to know about the common challenges freelance designers face. With knowledge comes power – the power to face those challenges and overcome them.

Here are some of the most common challenges freelance designers face, and how you can deal with them.

Finances

Uncertainty is perhaps the biggest challenge freelance designers have to deal with, especially when it comes to finances. While you have more control over your work hours, you do not have the stability of receiving a paycheck every month.

challenges freelance designers face

Image source

This also means the possibility – nay, probability – of having more difficulty in getting a loan or a credit card when the need arises. It is thus important that you know your credit rating inside out, and that you understand what contributes to your credit score. That way, you can go for services and products that will fit your standing without having to worry about damaging your credit rating. One thing you can do to ensure this is to use tools such as credit comparison expert Totally Money’s free tool, which will help you understand your credit score.

Another thing you will need to learn as a freelance designer is to create a budget and stick to it. Also, build up a savings account so that when lean months come – and they will, trust me – you will have something to dip into.

Competition

Going freelance has become more and more popular in recent years, and you are certainly going to face competition. A lot of it – and from all over the world, too.

How do you deal with this? Maintain your edge. Continue learning and honing your skills. Always know what the trends are, and if you need further training, invest in that.

You’ll also need to monitor the going rates so that you can charge what is optimal both for you and the client.

Rejection

challenges freelance designers face

Image source

One thing about freelancing is that you need to develop a thick hide. Rejection will always come at some point, and you need to realize that more often than not, it is not personal. Many factors will come into play, and sometimes, you just might not be what a client is looking for.

More so, you know how some clients can be difficult, and no matter how awesome your work is, they might have a different idea. So yeah, don’t take things personally all the time, and when you are faced with rejection, take it on the chin and move on. There will always be another project, another client.

Dry spells

All creatives are prone to dry spells. They surely come as the sun rises every day. When you do encounter a dry spell, do not despair. There are many ways to deal with blocks, just as writers and other creatives do.

Do something else. Read your favorite design websites. Take a walk. Play a game.

Then hunker down and squeeze those juices out of your creative brain.

Discipline

Last, but definitely not the least, is discipline – or the lack thereof. Anyone can have the desire to become a freelance designer, but not everyone has the discipline to stick to a work schedule that will produce timely results.

There is something to be said about working from home or wherever you feel comfortable, that it ramps up your productivity. However, the hard truth is that it is also difficult to focus on tasks with all the potential distractions around you – the TV, the inviting sofa, the PS3, and the list goes on and on.

What you have to realize is that being a freelance designer does not mean you don’t need a working schedule. It may not be as rigid as having a desk job, but in order to get things done and keep money coming in, you do need to find that rhythm which will keep you productive but not overworked. Consider what you do as a business, and you’ll find more incentive to enforce self-discipline.

These challenges may seem daunting taken all together, but in fact, every freelancer faces them, and guess what? Many have succeeded, and so can you!

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business tips

Recent Posts

  • 31 Fresh Design Elements for Spring and Easter
  • 10 Templates for Music Concert Flyers
  • How to Build a Web Scraper Using Node.js
  • Best PHP Books, Courses and Tutorials in 2022
  • How to Get Your First Web Design Client

Archives

  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008

Categories

  • Accessibility
  • Android
  • Apps
  • Art
  • Article
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • Bootstrap
  • Business
  • CSS
  • Design
  • Development
  • Ecommerce
  • Fireworks
  • Flash
  • Freebies
  • Freelance
  • General
  • Giveaway
  • Graphic Design
  • HTML5
  • Icons
  • Illustrator
  • InDesign
  • Infographics
  • Inspirational
  • Interview
  • Jobs
  • jQuery
  • Learning
  • Logos
  • Matrix
  • Minimalism
  • Mobile
  • Motion Graphics
  • Music
  • News
  • Photoshop
  • PHP
  • Promoted
  • Rails
  • Resources
  • Showcase
  • Tools
  • Tutorial
  • Twitter
  • Typography
  • Uncategorized
  • Usability
  • UX
  • Wallpapers
  • Wireframing
  • WordPress
  • Work

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

SpyreStudios © 2022