When you're trying to do both, it's crucial to pay attention to your capacity and to be very firm with your boundaries, both with yourself and with clients.
Market yourself ahead of time so you can take on fewer projects at once. So you might say, "I have two spaces available for projects starting Oct. 1" and be firm with incoming clients that you won't work on their projects before that date.
Avoid the temptation to take on a lot at once and, if necessary, build out even longer timelines for your work. Where you might say a project could be done in a week, give yourself 10 days. That gives you more flexibility in case something happens at work that affects your personal time.
Avoid anything that's rushed or last-minute (unless you can charge a phenomenal fee for it).
If you're not worried about finances, charge a bit more for your freelance work so you can identify higher-value clients (and take on fewer projects to make the same amount of money).
Heidi, I am curious as to how I can avoid exhaustion with similar rules when starting a freelance side business while working full time. Any advice?
When you're trying to do both, it's crucial to pay attention to your capacity and to be very firm with your boundaries, both with yourself and with clients.
Market yourself ahead of time so you can take on fewer projects at once. So you might say, "I have two spaces available for projects starting Oct. 1" and be firm with incoming clients that you won't work on their projects before that date.
Avoid the temptation to take on a lot at once and, if necessary, build out even longer timelines for your work. Where you might say a project could be done in a week, give yourself 10 days. That gives you more flexibility in case something happens at work that affects your personal time.
Avoid anything that's rushed or last-minute (unless you can charge a phenomenal fee for it).
If you're not worried about finances, charge a bit more for your freelance work so you can identify higher-value clients (and take on fewer projects to make the same amount of money).