Being a freelancer can yield the ultimate highs and the ultimate lows. As a freelancer or small business owner you know exactly what I mean. Committing yourself full time to your passion can be an uphill battle but the rewards far outweigh the risks. It’s all about commitment. That being said – the more you produce and the better you hone your craft the more you should acknowledge your worth as a viable commodity for those who need your service.
That means you shouldn’t sell yourself short. Three years ago when I started my business after quitting my go-nowhere job I KNEW I had to make it work. I had no capital, was getting married, and had no clientele. Looking back on it now I’m amazed I’m here. It took equal parts stupidity, bravery, willpower, and goddamn guts. I couldn’t quit. In that first year I took any and all jobs and took any pay that came with. It didn’t matter if I was working a 6 hour shoot for $200 (My client was mixing cocktails for his family at 1pm on a Tuesday in a 6 million dollar home) or working a 4 hour party for $75 (The party was in a loft in Soho filled with pseudo celebs and hangers on) I knew I had to do the grunt work to better my portfolio, gain more experience, and ultimately charge more and get better clientele so I didn’t have to hear someone say “I’d make you a drink but I don’t want crooked pictures! ::Insert smarmy jerk laugh::” or dealing with flakey clients who no-showed or tried to chinse on an agreed upon price.
After a while of plugging away that stuff eventually falls by the wayside and through a sometimes trial by fire you start to learn quickly and know better about how to handle your business. The type of clientele you will start to get will also rise in quality. You just have to keep working at what you do, don’t sweat the competition, and offer your customers something excellent. Customer service is a huge part of this business and it will get you repeat customers time and time again. As time goes on you can raise your rates accordingly, which is great for your business but your work will come under more scrutiny from higher end clientele who want a more perfect package. That being said you need to quote rates that are firm across the board. It would be unfair for you to charge people differently unless you have those awesome legacy clients that deserve a discount here and there because they have been loyal to you.
One of the major things you need to keep in mind is to never give up and never lose hope in yourself or your work. It’s an uphill battle with many factors that may discourage you from continuing but if your passion is your work then the hard work will start paying off in spades and before you know it you’ll have established yourself. The work never stops but at some point you’ll be able to work smarter instead of harder. For example why take 5 jobs that have a payout of $200 per job when you can have two jobs that each pay $500 within a week? As your work gets better so do your rates.
A huge factor in maintaining your business and your lifestyle as a full time freelancer is your positivity. You need to remain calm and positive and keep your eye on whatever prize you have in front of you. It sounds cheesy but it works. Why do you think people are always talking about the power of positivity? Thanks for reading!
A Fierce Defender
Blogs / fitness / Going outside / Hardware / Inspiration / Landscapes / Photography Blogs / Photos / pinup / punk / tattoos / Tattos / Theory / Uncategorized / Videos / Writing / yoga / yoga photography
So, I love music. Further more; I love heavy metal music. I have been in NYC metal bands since I was 18 years old. Metal has always been a part of my life since I cranked up that first Black Sabbath album I got through those bogus Columbia House deals many moons ago. That being said; metal is an extremely positive genre of music and for me it’s the most rocking life affirming jammingest stuff you could listen to. People associate great things with music and I have a song for almost every memory or frame of mind. I love to rock, baby.
Every so often you run across a song that means more to you than the surface value of any written piece of music is supposed to mean. Sometimes music speaks to you in untold ways that really strike you to the core. I have recently felt like that about 3 Inches Of Blood’s song “Fierce Defender.” It’s not because I’m killing undead hordes or championing a battlefield with sword in tow. This song is the perfect allegory for a small business start up. You still with me? Good. Here are the lyrics and song and my breakdown as it relates to being a small business owner. If you could stick around to the end I’ll buy you a drink (Call me out on it. You will get a drink and a conversation!) Anyway, here we go:
The outbreak has begun
End of days are coming
Very few will survive this plague
Gather all supplies, keep your wits about you
A war is coming, prepare for the attackNo more running, here we make our stand
Against the odds we will fight
Be the champion, be the one
A fierce defender til its doneFortress walls, behind them to defend
From mindless creatures need for flesh
They are coming, they will not stop
Crash upon you like a tidal wave of doomNo more running, here we make our stand
Against the odds we will fight
Be the champion, be the one
A fierce defender til its doneHold the line, defend it to the end
Destroy the brain and they will fall
Show no mercy for they will give you none
Relentlessly they seek to kill
Don’t wait for outside help
Reinforcements will not come
On ourselves we must rely
Find the courage to last another day
So all of us will stay aliveOutlast the horde
Their ranks are shrinking
The instinct to live on our greatest strength
The will come when all the killing stops
Time to rebuild all that’s lostNo more running, here we make our stand
Against the odds we will fight
Be the champion, be the one
A fierce defender til its done
The outbreak has begun
End of days are coming
Very few will survive this plague
Gather all supplies, keep your wits about you
A war is coming, prepare for the attack
Meaning: You have recently started your small business and the pressure is very real. Statistically, there are only a small number of businesses that succeed. You have to use all of the tricks you have learned and carefully use your funds because you’re on your own now with no outside help. Keep your wits about you.
No more running, here we make our stand
Against the odds we will fight
Be the champion, be the one
A fierce defender til its done
Meaning: You’ve been thinking about this for a while. This is your chance to succeed and employ the tools you have amassed while preparing for your launch. The odds of success are against you but you have to believe in your self. You have to be your own champion because you know you can. Never slip in your own self confidence. Be that Fierce Defender!
Fortress walls, behind them to defend
From mindless creatures need for flesh
They are coming, they will not stop
Crash upon you like a tidal wave of doom
Meaning: Whatever you build there are people that want to tear it down. These are the haters. They could be family, friends, or business associates. They could try and tear you down and tell you that you are not good enough or special enough. It may hurt at first but you have to persevere and defend that wall.
No more running, here we make our stand
Against the odds we will fight
Be the champion, be the one
A fierce defender til its done
Hold the line, defend it to the end
Destroy the brain and they will fall
Show no mercy for they will give you none
Relentlessly they seek to kill
Don’t wait for outside help
Reinforcements will not come
On ourselves we must rely
Find the courage to last another day
So all of us will stay alive
Meaning: Small Business owners must face facts. There is no one to help with their journey. At the end of the day if you decide to do everything on your own then you must hold the fort and provide victory for your brand. Against all odds you will see the success of your small business and end up being the bigger fish in the pond. Small Business owners must be steadfast in their product and their belief in their product. No one will help you, no one will back you up, and you have to find the gumption to stand alone, say your piece, survive, and live to fight another day. As small businesses, we climb a treacherous hill with many obstacles and we should never give up. We must find the courage to last another day. We owe it to ourselves, our family, and other like minded individuals. We stay alive through the communal effort of other business owners that hold the line.
Outlast the horde
Their ranks are shrinking
The instinct to live on our greatest strength
The will come when all the killing stops
Time to rebuild all that’s lost
Meaning: The more you chip at it – the more you get out of it. The haters will fade and the detractors will think better. Why? Because you have pioneered and championed your brand through your own belief. The INSTINCT to live on IS our greatest strength. Small business owners know that they have a huge undertaking before them and that is to establish a reputable brand. When success comes then you can expand, take time off, and make up for lost time.
No more running, here we make our stand
Against the odds we will fight
Be the champion, be the one
A fierce defender til its done
Meaning: Get out there and do it. BE the successful person you know you can be. BE the business owner you have always wanted to be.
Whew, well I hope you all got through that in one piece!
The album this is from; “Here Waits Thy Doom.” is also one of the greatest driving albums ever.
I would love to hear what songs motivate you and have meaning for you.
As always, please support this site and blog with some items from Amazon!