Reduced financial compensation, neglecting your portfolio, burnout, or missing contracts. These are just a few of the unfortunate decisions that new freelancers tend to make. At TITANS, we will explain what you should watch out for when working with clients.
Although every beginning freelancer has a different story, many of them think alike and make similar mistakes. For example, they often quit their jobs before they manage to sign a few contracts with clients.
At TITANS, we want your independent career to have as smooth start as possible, so we’ve compiled a list of the most common mistakes that newcomers to the industry tend to regret over time. We believe that after reading this article, you will successfully avoid them, and nothing will spoil your joy of newly acquired autonomy.
Freedom: one of the biggest advantages of freelancing, which can easily turn into the riskiest trap. Without a work structure, newcomers can fall into procrastination or burnout. Since punctuality is important to clients, don’t take on new projects when you’re swamped with work, ask the other party for a different delivery date, and always set earlier deadlines for yourself. If it’s a long-term project that will take you a lot of time, break it down into shorter sections. Tools such as Notion, Trello, ClickUp, Toggl, or Clockify can also help, as can creating a daily routine with fixed working hours. Effective time management boosts productivity and helps you maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Although very low-paying jobs can be a quick fix if you are in financial distress, they have a strong impact on your work ethic and potentially your career. They do not help your portfolio in any way, nor do they improve your skills. For this reason, they are simply not worth it. It takes patience and persistent hard work to build your reputation and get better-paid projects, but in the meantime, don’t settle for less than a decent rate.
Your portfolio is your freelance resume, and without it, acquiring clients is much more difficult, so it should be professional, well-designed, and relevant to your specialization. With a little creativity, anyone can showcase their professional experience—whether it’s a mobile app you designed on iTunes, your reputation on GitHub, a case study you wrote about a project, or a screenshot of a successful program with blurred details. It is also a good idea to present your portfolio on LinkedIn, where it often tips the scales when selecting candidates for projects.
Before you decide to apply for a project, think about whether it is an opportunity you can proudly include in your portfolio. Also, read what other freelancers say about the client and how they respond to their reviews. You would be surprised how many clients disappear in the middle of a project or find excuses to avoid payment.
According to a report by the Independent Economy Council, up to 74% of freelancers do not receive payment for their services on time. More than half of them said they had worked with a client who did not pay them at all. However, IT talents who are outsourced by companies through TITANS send their invoices to us, a third party, so there is no way that a client will not pay them for a project or delay payment.
Many freelancers try to please every client, so they work late hours, take on additional tasks, and offer endless revisions. However, this is a direct path to burnout, reduced quality of work, and loss of respect from clients. Another problem arises when freelancers set their hourly rate based solely on results and forget to factor in potential additional costs, such as extra meetings, feedback cycles, and last-minute changes.
To avoid this, use time tracking tools to visualise how much time you spend on unproductive tasks, such as excessive communication. Also, set clear conditions in advance regarding communication, revisions, and extra hours. Learn to politely but firmly turn down clients—not every project is right for you, and saying no at the right time saves time for both parties. The key to long-term success is your time, health, and professionalism, and boundaries protect all of that.
New freelancers tend to undervalue themselves. However, this type of career involves many costs that take up a lot of time and are often not taken into account. If you want to maintain a similar or better standard of living, you will have to charge much more than your employed friends. Besides, keep in mind that they have extra hidden costs. It is therefore advisable to double the effective hourly rate you have been earning so far.
Another reason to do so is that clients may doubt your quality due to low prices, and excessive prices without experience will discourage them. Therefore, find out the average rate in your area, start with a fair, competitive price, and gradually increase it as your portfolio grows. Take into account the value of your education, expertise, skills, years of experience, results to date, and what clients will gain by working with you.
We don’t recommend sleeping with your phone, but it’s worth checking it regularly. Unfortunately, poor communication can severely impact client relationships and lead to misunderstandings, delays, and missed opportunities. Even if you can’t solve the problem immediately, let the client know that you are aware of it and will get back to them soon. Through clear and consistent communication, you build trust and reliability.
We at TITANS have the same attitude, which has contributed to the satisfaction of more than 700 clients. Our account managers, who are responsible for you, ensure that the terms and conditions are met and that any changes to the contractual terms are properly communicated. If you don’t like the project, you can leave it within the contractually agreed notice period. If you urgently need to leave earlier, or if unexpected problems arise that prevent you from continuing with the project or starting it on the agreed date, we will communicate the situation to the client and propose a solution that will satisfy both parties.
Before you start working for a client, it is important to make sure that you are on the same page to avoid misunderstandings. A solid freelance IT contract protects both parties and should include important points such as the project timeline and deliverables, scope of work, delivery date, payment terms, and intellectual property. Also include penalties or measures to be taken by the other party in case of non-fulfilment of obligations. Always read the contract carefully and seek legal advice if necessary.
Although it may seem reasonable to offer many services, it often has the opposite effect. Clients are looking for specialists, not generalists. Without specialisation, your portfolio will appear fragmented, and clients will not be able to easily identify your expertise. Therefore, we recommend that you choose a clearly defined specialisation that matches your skills and interests. This will help you attract better clients and more lucrative projects.
External IT freelancers who have joined TITANS are guaranteed to be able to choose from a range of projects, regardless of whether they are involved in programming, testing, or design. If they excel in older technologies, they will find clients who are building multi-year complex solutions based on stable technology.
An integral part of freelancing is seeking new clients. Your own IT freelance website, an interesting personal brand, relevant social media, cold outreach, and networking at technology events or meetings can all help. You can also share your ideas through a public blog, video, podcast, or case studies. It’s also worth signing up for online platforms dedicated to the developer community, collaborating with other freelancers, and learning from them. If you already have some clients, try asking them for feedback after completing projects and for permission to publish it on your website. Alternatively, you can ask them to mention you on social media.
It is impossible to predict how long you will have to be patient, but you can expect it to take anywhere from about a week to five months. However, IT freelancers who have registered with the TITANS database have had vastly different experiences. They regularly receive tips from us on projects from the domestic and foreign markets, from which they can choose according to their own preferences. If the order for their services from the current client is not extended, we can look for a new one for them before the end of the project.
The freelancing industry is evolving rapidly, particularly due to AI and automation, which are changing work processes. Therefore, spend time each week learning new tools or technologies. Professional publications, online communities of IT freelancers, conferences, and professional newsletters such as Keeping Up with TITANS can help you with this. Identify areas where you can improve and look for relevant learning opportunities, such as training programmes, certifications, and online courses. It is also a good idea to regularly ask clients for feedback.
Beginning freelancers often underestimate the time needed to properly complete their tax returns, so it is very important to keep track of income, expenses, invoices, and orders from the very beginning. Many also find budget and financial planning challenging. The key is to set competitive prices and create a realistic budget that takes into account your variable income, expenses, and tax obligations. At the same time, it is never too late to improve your financial knowledge through available resources or seek professional advice.
However, there is no need to worry about accounting. If you are not familiar with the subject, TITANS will connect you with reliable accounting firms that will take care of all the necessary formalities for you.
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