6 for 6: Key Lessons from My New Solo Act

I’ve always liked the idea of freelancing, but only flirted with it until six months ago. Tired from the ups and downs of a marketing campaign deeply impacted by the pandemic, I craved more flexibility and the ability to have more direct control of my financial prospects. Also, at the time, I was managing 10 subcontractors, and this experience helped build my confidence in my own skills to succeed as a solo act.

Six months in with Ellis Communications LLC, I’m learning lessons —sometimes from trial and error. One of the most prominent is that I should have done this sooner, but also there are several lessons that will stick as I move forward. Here’s my advice for newbie consultants like me, but maybe some old pros, too.

• Be detailed in your work agreement and stick to it. Define the full scope of the work up front, so it’s clear when you may need to alter the scope and ask for more compensation.

• Invest in yourself. Reserve at least 30% of your time for your self- and business development.

• Relish being a consultant. Unlike a traditional employee, you can focus simply on the work you’ve been brought in to complete. Not having a supervisor is pretty great.

• Only accept assignments that fit your interests. It’s okay to be picky and choose assignments that tickle your fancy.

• Understand the support that you’ll receive from your client’s team. This will help you understand whether your client needs a single freelancer or a fuller agency team.

• Track your time daily and submit invoices promptly. Place yourself in the best position to get paid quickly.

For Goodness Sake, Be Efficient

Don’t let the baby face fool you. I’ve been working in marketing and communications for 15 years. One of the secrets to my success is efficiency. As a project manager, I stand between the client and the creative team, and sometimes, I speak two completely different languages to accomplish the same task. That's right. I'm efficient in client and design speak.

A few tips:

• Translate text-heavy client edits into bullet points or check marks that make it easy for your designers to make updates. If needed, change the language of the edits, so your designers easily understand them.
• Hold your designers accountable to these checklists. I love designers who literally send me check marks with their updates.
• Ensure your designers proof their work. It is their responsibility to ensure client names and simple words are spelled correctly. Just run a spell check.
• Once you get the task back, do your own proof against your list and the client’s. If you have the luxury, send this to an internal proofreader, too.
• In your communication back to the clients, outline the changes that have been made, and if a change wasn’t made, tell the client why rather than letting them discover it on their own. That helps you be proactive rather than reactive.

This process not only delivers work efficiently, it also builds trust between your clients and your teams. With that trust, you're well on your way to becoming more than the "hired help;" you're a partner internally and externally.