If you want to rock the socks off self-employment you need to play to your strengths and ignore your weaknesses – right? Wrong. Here are 6 reasons why knowing your strengths AND your weaknesses plays a big part in freelance success.

1) Know what makes you special

In business speak, this is known as your USP – your unique selling point. It’s the thing that makes you stand out from the crowd, and the reason clients will choose to work with you over your competitors.

• Perhaps you offer a unique or unusual service.
• Maybe your strength is an ability to work quickly and efficiently.
• Perhaps working alone means you can provide a tailored, personal service to your clients.
• Or perhaps you’re highly experienced in a particular niche or market.

When you’ve identified your USP, reframe it from your clients’ perspective.

What pains do you solve for them? What benefit will they get from working with you? Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to shout it from the rooftops!

2) Play to your strengths

What qualities and strengths do you bring to the table?

Perhaps you’re great at listening to your clients’ needs and coming up with creative solutions to their problems? Or perhaps organisation is your superpower, and you’re great at managing projects, timetables and budgets?

If you find it hard to recognise your positive traits, ask a trusted friend – or, if you’re feeling brave – ask clients why they’d recommend you (the answer may not be what you expect!).

Knowing your strengths – and what they mean to your clients – can help you recognise the clients and projects that are a good fit for you (and the ones to avoid!).

3) Reframe your weaknesses

When I wrote Survival Skills for Freelancers I asked the self-employed community for the one quality they thought was vital to become a successful freelancer. Two answers that came up again and again were patience and thick skin.

I have neither. And that’s okay. Because being aware of the qualities you lack can work in your favour.

Most weaknesses can be reframed as strengths. For example, impatient people are driven. They get stuff done. And my sensitivity makes me a great listener – an essential skill for freelancers.

Would life be easier without weaknesses? Sure, but they haven’t held me back – and they shouldn’t hold you back either.

4) Know your personality

Are you naturally outgoing and extroverted, or more of the shy and retiring type?

Being aware of your personality type enables you to develop working patterns that suit you.

If you’re an extrovert, like me, you may benefit from building time into your day to chat to friends or colleagues online.

Sharing ideas, advice and laughter with others gives extroverts the energy – and the productivity boost – to smash through an afternoon of deadlines with ease.

Introverts, on the other hand, may need quiet time to recharge after a morning of online meetings or networking. For them, being around other people can be draining. Spending the afternoon focused on productive output can be a great way to achieve this.

5) Know your market

Before you spend time and energy on marketing your business, make sure you understand what your audience needs.

A little research into your target market – and some time spent asking the right people the right questions – can give you a valuable insight into the challenges that potential clients face.

Put yourself in their shoes:

• What are they struggling with?
• What pains can you solve for them?
• How can you make their life easier?
• Where are the gaps you need to fill?

Use this inside information to market your services.

6) Offer solutions

Essential purchases aside, people don’t make buying decisions based on facts and logic – they buy based on emotion.

Instead of focusing on practicalities such as your level of experience and qualifications, try answering your client’s primary question: “What’s in it for me?”.

How will working with you make them feel?

• Will it bring a sense of order and control?
• Will it provide peace of mind, knowing an important project is in safe hands?
• Will it help them meet their deadlines, and make them look good to their boss?

Build this into your sales pitch.

As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.

As a freelancer, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in your own company! The better you know yourself, the better positioned you are to work on your weaknesses and play to your strengths.

Get comfortable with who you are and you’re on track to freelance success.

Enjoyed this post? You’ll love Survival Skills for Freelancers. Twenty years of real-life freelance experience plus advice from 120 freelancers for just £11.95.

My live interview with ProCopywriters – the professional association for copywriters in the UK – focused on the wellbeing aspects of freelance life…

…the ups and downs, the importance of boundaries and balance, the need for community and the importance of asking for help. All topics covered in my guide to freelance life, Survival Skills for Freelancers.

Ready? Let’s go.

Q Welcome to #ProCopyChat, Sarah! Tell us a bit about yourself.

A Hello! I’ve been a freelance marketing copywriter for 20+ years.

I love freelance life, but it took me the best part of 15 years to get good at the business end of it – and I made a lot of mistakes along the way.

I’ve written a book for freelancers – Survival Skills for Freelancers – to share my experience and help freelancers get more enjoyment from self-employment.

Q Sounds great! Can you tell us a bit more about the book for freelancers, and how it came about?

A Sure! Most of us decide to go freelance because we have a skill we want to share. In most cases, we’re utterly unprepared for how relentless the business end of freelance life can be – let alone the challenges freelancing can present to our mental health.

The book is designed to help freelancers become more successful by working smarter, not harder – and to learn from the things I’ve done that worked, as well as the things that didn’t.

It’s a combination of real-life, heart-on-your-sleeve anecdotes and tried and tested advice – all backed up by research, resources and quotes from 120 freelancers.

And now there’s a brand new 2025 edition.

Q How and why did you become a freelancer?

A I was working as an editor and account manager for a magazine publisher in Clifton, Bristol when I became pregnant.

I knew I didn’t want to go back to full-time work, and liked the idea that I could fit freelance work around family life. My employer promised to provide work to keep me going, so it seemed like a good decision.

I worked on my brand and sent out cold enquiries while I was on maternity leave, then worked three days a week while my daughter was at nursery.

My business grew as my family grew. And here I am – now with grown-up kids – still loving freelance life.

Q What do you believe are the most important qualities to make it as a freelancer?

A I don’t think you have to be a particular type of person to make a successful freelancer. There are always exceptions. But there are traits that help and others that hinder.

Skills and talent alone aren’t enough to guarantee success.

It helps if you’re determined, motivated, organised, ambitious, disciplined, confident, outgoing, flexible, reliable, personable, patient, thick-skinned… it’s a pretty long list!

Q What would you say to anyone reading that list who knows they don’t have all those qualities?

A Don’t worry too much. No one will tick off every quality on the list.

If you don’t have any of them, you might struggle more than most – but I’m neither patient nor thick-skinned and I haven’t let that hold me back!

Q Isolation is a real challenge for many freelancers. How do you recommend we deal with it?

A It absolutely is. So many of the freelancers I talk to loved the idea of working from home but found themselves completely unprepared for the loneliness! It’s easy to feel like no one understands what you’re going through – but they do!

Connection is vital when you’re freelance, and there are three fundamental ways to find it:

• online communities (like this one, or the many Facebook groups that exist for freelancers)
• networking groups and events
• coworking spaces and coffee shop working

The great thing about the online community is that it spills out into real life with events and conferences.

It’s possible to make great real-life friendships with people who are in the same boat as you.

People who really get it.

Q How have you dealt with the unpredictability of freelance life over the years?

A You never really get used to the peaks and troughs of freelancing.

Quiet spells are pretty rare for me now, but I still keep a list of projects I want to work on, blogs I want to write and books I want to read, in case work drops off.

Having too much work can be just as problematic as not having enough, though.

Either you work yourself into the ground, boundaries go out the window and your mental health suffers as a result, or you can do what I do – have an arrangement with a small team of trusted freelancers who you can pass work on to when you need to.

You’re solving the problem for your client and helping another freelancer into the bargain.

Q There’s a lot of talk about imposter syndrome. Do you suffer from it, and how do you deal with it?

A Yes, absolutely – even now.

Self-doubt can hold you back if you let it, so don’t let the fear of failure get in your way. Celebrate your wins – even the little things – so you can see how far you’ve come. And don’t compare yourself to others!

It’s easy to put things off if you keep striving for perfection but there’ll never be a right time and you’ll never be completely prepared. Just do the best that you can do.

Sometimes good enough really is good enough.

Q You have a chapter in your book about avoiding burnout. Can you share a few tips here?

A Freelancer burnout is something I feel very strongly about and I go into a fair bit of detail about it in the book.

In a nutshell, it’s about setting boundaries, asking for help, learning to say no, and taking simple steps to look after yourself.

It takes time to learn what works for you, but most people need fresh air, exercise, a balanced diet and decent quality sleep as a minimum.

It sounds obvious, but if you’re not feeling your best you can’t do your best work.

Above all, it’s important to know that it’s okay not to be okay.

You’re not alone, you’re not the only one who feels this way, and you are perfectly normal. Respect your boundaries, prioritise your own wellbeing, and keep talking!

Q Where can we get hold of your book for freelancers? 

A The 2025 edition of Survival Skills for Freelancers – which busts the eight myths of freelance life – is available on Amazon worldwide in paperback and Kindle. The original 2020 edition is still available on Audible.

My much-loved book, Survival Skills for Freelancers, started life as a blog on LinkedIn. That blog is below: still as relevant today as it was back then. Which of these do you relate to?

In the 20 years since I set up my business, I’ve learnt a thing or two about how to make it as a successful freelancer.

It’s about time I shared some of my secrets to help you rock the socks off freelance life.

Success. Funny word.

Highly subjective.

Success to me means I’m financially secure. I have the time and money to do the things I want to do.

Being a single parent for 12 years has made financial independence even more important to me – but success isn’t just about the money.

I can pick and choose who I work with. I can make life easier for people who are in the same position I was in way back when.

Most of all, success to me means I get to do a job I love – day in, day out.

It’s bloody great. And not a day goes by that I don’t remind myself how lucky I am.

A word of warning…

All this stuff. It’s easy for me to say – I get that.

It takes time to build a reputation for being great at what you do – and the recommendations that back that up.

If you’re just starting out, having someone tell you you should choose who you work with, charge what you’re worth and invest in your business… it might seem unrealistic. Hell, it might even piss you off.

But if even a bit of my advice helps to make your freelance life – or even your day – a little better, I’ll be happy.

So let’s crack on and dispel some of the myths about solo working.

1) “I like my own company. I don’t need anyone else.”

I say you’re wrong.

Being a sole trader doesn’t mean going it alone.

I’m pretty extrovert. Based on what I’ve learned from the copywriting conferences I’ve been to over the years, that’s unusual. But that’s not the point.

However independent, self-contained and introverted you are, everyone – even you – needs to know they’re not alone.

Freelance life can be damn hard.

And lonely.

And isolating.

And it’s even harder if you’ve no one who understands just how damn hard (and lonely and isolating) it is.

But it doesn’t have to be like that.

Common ground is a great starting point for lasting friendship and support – and it’s out there. You just need to know where to look.

Whether you join a networking group or professional body, find a thriving coworking space, mix it up by attending various different events or simply go all-out on social media, finding your people – your tribe – is a great way of feeling less alone in your freelance life.

I’ve made great real-life friends from people I originally met on Twitter and Instagram.

For example, there’s an active #copywritersunite community on Twitter that spills out into real-life socials and conferences, where we all get to meet in person.

To quote Amy Boylan after this year’s ProCopywriters conference: “You all take the lonely out of working alone for me, and it’s genuine because it works fab in person too.”

I couldn’t have put it better myself.

2) “I have to do it all: sales, marketing, admin, accounts, IT…”

Err… no.

Trying to do everything yourself is the fast train to burnout.

To become successful doing the thing you love, you need to surround yourself with good people.

Hire an accountant to file your tax returns and handle your VAT. Find a virtual assistant to do those annoying admin tasks you hate. Use an IT support company who’ll be on hand every time your computer begs you to throw it out the window.

You’ll save SO much time, headspace and frustration.

Straight up? It took me 15 years to get to the point where I was willing to pay other people to do the jobs A) I loathe and B) I suck at. I’d spend longer procrastinating about doing my tax return than it’d take my accountant to do a year’s worth of accounts. It’s a no brainer.

Here’s a simple equation:

as much time as possible doing the things that make you money

+

as little time as possible doing the things that don’t

=

freelance success 

It’s a game-changer. Don’t take as long as I did to see this.

3) “I’ve got an eight-year-old laptop – that’s good enough, right?”

It really isn’t.

To become successful in business, you need to invest in technology.

If you’re a professional photographer, I trust you aren’t snapping away on an iPhone 6 (no offence to iPhone 6 owners).

If you’re a graphic designer, you probably don’t make do with a copy of QuarkXPress on a vintage Apple Mac.

You need up-to-date, reliable software and hardware to do your job properly.

If you’re using an ancient version of Microsoft Word that crashes every five minutes, or a printer that jams so often you’re tempted to chuck it through the nearest window, you can’t do your best work.

And if you’re not doing your best work, you’re not providing your clients with a professional service.

Fact.

Keeping your technology up-to-date can give you the edge over your competitors.

Failing to invest can mean getting left behind.

4) “They want me to do the work, they just don’t have the budget right now.”

Listen up: this is a big one.

We all know who I’m talking about. Those tricksy so-and-sos who promise you exposure in exchange for services.

They’re going to be big. Huge, in fact. Working for them will be SO good for your career! They just can’t afford your prices right now…

Seriously, step away from the tight-arsed client. You’ll end up cursing the day you met them.

They’ll micromanage every last detail. They’ll chase you endlessly (despite the fact you’ve never missed a deadline). And they’ll never be satisfied.

I don’t know why the clients who question costs end up being the biggest headache – they just do.

Charge a fair price that reflects your skills and experience and have the confidence to stick to it.

(Do your research if you’re not sure what to charge. Most industries publish rate surveys to give you a benchmark.)

Just remember – freelance ain’t free.

5) “I’ve been doing this job for 20 years now. I know everything there is to know about marketing/dentistry/accounts.”

Hell NO!

The minute you stop being curious about the world you work in – the second you nod your head with satisfaction and think “I’ve got this. Now I can relax” – will be the moment in which you fail.

Never, ever stop learning.

Invest in yourself and your business by attending conferences and events, and squeeze the living daylights out of them.

Take notes, type them up so they sink in, read and reread them.

Speaking of reading…

Read voraciously. Read about your trade, about business, about psychology. Anything that feeds your imagination, inspires you, and helps you to be a better freelancer – and a better person.

(If you’re not into reading, join Audible or Blinkist, subscribe to podcasts, or watch TED Talks or industry experts on YouTube. Whatever it takes to keep expanding your mind.)

6) “Everyone’s an expert. I don’t know why I bother!”

“Why should I pay for a copywriter? I got a B in my English GCSE.”

If you’re a freelance copywriter, you’ll recognise this attitude.

Because everyone’s a writer – right?

I decided some years ago that I didn’t want to work with anyone who doesn’t already appreciate the value of professional copywriting.

I’m not interested in trying to convince anyone that they need me. I don’t have the patience. And there are enough business owners and marketing managers out there who DO get it.

It doesn’t matter what business you’re in – this applies whether you’re a photographer, graphic designer, accountant, decorator…

Good people are crying out for what you do.

So, unless you want to spend your days convincing potential clients of all the reasons their lives would be easier if only they’d step away from Microsoft Word/Adobe Photoshop/the Dulux trade emulsion* and let a professional take over, don’t waste time on the ambivalent.

*delete as applicable

7) “Something just doesn’t feel right… perhaps I’m being oversensitive.”

Success in business is all about finding the clients (and colleagues, and suppliers) who are a good fit.

These people make your working life SO much better.

You look forward to their calls, leave meetings feeling energised, and you’re excited about the prospect of working with them.

Conversely, you know on some subconscious level when someone isn’t the right fit for you.

It starts with a hunch.

Perhaps their business goals are out of sync with your values. Maybe their attitude doesn’t sit well with you. Or perhaps you just don’t feel comfortable with what they’re asking you to do.

Your heart sinks momentarily when their name pops up on your phone, and you end the call with a sense that something isn’t quite right.

If you had to articulate what you feel, you probably couldn’t. But there’s usually a good reason it exists.

The trick is to get really good at listening to the niggling feeling you can’t define.

Tune in to your instinct, and don’t be afraid to say no. 

Pro tip: find another professional to partner with so you can pass their details on should you need to. You’re turning down the work, but presenting the client with a solution, not a problem.

8) “I owe HOW much in tax?! But I’ve spent it all!”

I grew up in a family where money was tight. Like, really tight.

My mum gave up her job when she met my dad (don’t get me started – it was a different era). My dad lost his job when the US took over the airbase where he worked and was unemployed for so long that my parents ended up becoming collectable toy dealers – but that’s a whole other story.

The good thing about being raised in an environment where every penny counts is that you make damn sure you have enough to get by.

Sure, I can spend when I need to (I love to travel, and I’m always first in line for the latest iPhone) but I’m a saver at heart.

Always have been. Always will be.

I got my first part-time job (behind the record bar in Woolworths) when I was studying my A Levels, and from my very first paycheque I saved 25% of everything I earned.

If more people did this there’d be a lot less debt. They should teach it in schools. In fact, it’s such good advice that Nationwide have started a campaign – Pay Day = Save Day.

You may not be a natural saver like me, but if you can get into the habit of paying yourself first, you’ll find those brown envelopes from HMRC a lot less sinister.

9) “I’m doing a job I love. Every day should be a good day, right?”

If only it were that simple.

Even if you were to follow all the tips in this article – and let’s be honest, it’s taken me the best part of 20 years to adopt them all – working on your own can still present challenges to both your wellbeing and your mental health.

I’ve suffered from anxiety and mild depression at various times in my life so I know how important it is to look after yourself and recognise the signs of burnout before it’s too late.

When it comes to keeping your head above water, everyone has different coping mechanisms, and it takes time to learn what works for you. Below are a few examples.

(The same strategies also work brilliantly to reboot your brain and clear writer’s block. Win–win.)

• meditate
• go for a walk/swim/run/bike ride
• listen to music – loud (singing at the top of your voice, optional, but it works for me)
• dance around your kitchen
• do a jigsaw
• bake a cake
• get out in nature
• above all, get plenty of good-quality sleep

Don’t be afraid to be human and admit that you’re struggling.

Reach out to colleagues and peers for support and empathy – you’ll get it in spades.

We’ve all been there – even the most seemingly together, sorted and grown-up among us.

Pro tip: believe it or not, admitting your weaknesses makes you more likeable. It’s called the pratfall effect.

(I experienced this for myself when I left my suitcase on a train earlier this year. I arrived at Manchester for the Creative North conference, and my suitcase arrived at Nottingham!)

I hope this advice helps to make your freelance life a little bit easier.

Which tip is your favourite? Email me to let me know, or to share your own advice for surviving as a freelancer.

I love my job. Let’s face it – I wouldn’t have stuck at freelance life for 25 years if I didn’t. But if you’re thinking of making the leap from a regular monthly income to the uncertainty of going solo, there are a few important things to consider.

Not the obvious, like what to charge, how to attract the right clients, or how to market your business.

While they’re all vital issues, I’m talking about the dirty, gritty, soul-searching stuff. The “am I really cut out for this?” delving you need to do before you start.

Though I’ve only experienced life as a freelance copywriter, the same issues apply to any freelance role – freelance graphic designer, freelance illustrator, freelance rocket scientist (is that even a thing?).

The benefits of being your own boss

Ahh, the freelance dream. Chances are, these are some of the reasons you’re considering working for yourself:

• The freedom to manage your own time
• The flexibility to work where you want, how you want, when you want
• The chance to choose who you work with, and what you work on
• The potential to earn a good income
• The ability to choose your own hours

Yet many of those benefits can only be unlocked by years of hard graft, reputation building and solid experience.

It’s a fortunate freelancer who gets to pick and choose their pet projects from day one.

Consider this:

Being good at your job doesn’t mean you’ll make a good freelancer

So you’re a great writer/illustrator/photographer* – solid start.

But being good at what you do, day in, day out, with the security of a full-time job and the stability of a regular income isn’t enough to guarantee you a successful freelance career.

*insert your chosen discipline here

There’s a lot more to it. Can you hack these hurdles?

All by myself

Freelance life can be hella lonely. I spent the first 15 years of freelance life stuck in my office, home alone, with only the cat for company.

By the weekend, I was climbing the walls and chewing the ears off anyone who’d listen.

When I started my freelance career in 1999, there was no social media. Hell – there was barely an internet.

It took me years to discover the support that’s available through social media, networking and events… and the joys of working in a decent coffee shop.

I now treat the business hub at my gym as my second office (thanks, David Lloyd).

Good coffee, free wifi, free heating, and the buzz of other people without the constant interruptions of working in an office. (My noise-cancelling AirPods were worth every penny).

Yet it’s not unusual to meet freelancers who need complete silence to work.

You’ll need to experiment to discover the working environment that ticks your boxes.

The thriving community of freelancers on LinkedIn (RIP #copywritersunite on Twitter) has kept me going on many a tough day.

It’s great to have trusted freelance friends to bounce ideas off – and for the necessary office banter.

And nothing beats networking for that “I’m a freelancer – get me out of here!” lifeline.

But be warned – it takes time to discover the type of event that works for you. A weekly cooked breakfast, 60-second pitch and business card frenzy isn’t my bag. I prefer a casual meet and chat and see what happens.

Which camp do you fall into?

Distraction, distraction, distraction

I know freelancers who can’t work without the buzz of daytime television in the background.

Are you kidding me?!

I can’t even listen to a song with lyrics without getting distracted. I suggest you keep the TV firmly switched off, but only you know what works for you (and who am I to criticise – Judge Rinder?).

If you need to focus – and believe me, you need to focus – create a work playlist.

Mine consists of progressive house and electronic trance, but who knows? Classical may be more your thing.

As for loading the dishwasher, hanging the washing, polishing the cat** you can look at these in two ways: as distracting household chores that remain untouched until you’ve clocked off for the day, or as valuable thinking/stretching/stepping-away-from-the-laptop time.

Above all, stay off social media, switch off pop-up notifications (annoying, distracting little mosquitoes that they are) and discipline yourself to check your email two or three times a day – rather than once every five minutes (you know you do it).

Finally, be prepared for insecurity, rejection and self-doubt in spades.

If you’re a sensitive soul who can’t take criticism or knock backs, do yourself a favour and cultivate that full-time, steady income role.

Freelance life is not for the faint-hearted. But if you’re organised, tenacious, thick-skinned, self-motivated, ambitious, driven and disciplined, it might just work for you.

If you’re gonna do it, do it right

Having built a successful freelance career over the past 25 years I know what works – and what doesn’t.

I’ve combined my real-life experience with advice from 120 freelancers in the brand new 2025 edition of Survival Skills for Freelancers.

Busting the eight myths of freelance life, it’s your secret weapon to grow in confidence and find freelance success.

And it’s available on Amazon for just £11.95.

As someone once told me: “There are two types of freelancers: those who freelance because they want to, and those who freelance because they can’t get a job.”

Make sure you’re taking the plunge for all the right reasons.

**not a typo