If your December is anything like mine then work starts to wind down. Your inbox is a little quieter. The days are shorter. Some freelancers already have their festive ‘out of office’ autoresponder on.
After a busy year, I always revel in this time and enjoy the slower pace. This is when I like to take a moment to consider what improvements to make for 2025 so work can get off to a good start. Here are some things we suggest reviewing:
Your rates
I remember speaking to Paddy Donnelley about pricing prior to his children’s book days. He was primarily working with clients when he told me how he approaches raising his rates.
“I’m constantly evaluating my price. With each project I complete I’m learning new skills, sharpening my existing ones and gaining new experiences, so why should my price not follow suit and match my constantly evolving skill-set?”
There can be hesitancy with raising your rates.
Will existing clients feel angry? They shouldn’t if you provide an ample notice period and do good work.
Will new clients be turned off? You might be appealing to a new type of client and that’s OK. If your pricing isn’t a fit for someone maybe they aren’t the right client.
We’ve noticed lots of freelancers are overdue an increase. Bills are rising, outgoings are creeping up, and you’re more experienced than this time last year. By that logic you should put your prices up.
Whatever pricing you land on it’s important to value yourself, your skillset and what you bring to the table.
Keep your pricing simple and don’t be afraid to talk money (remember, you are a business! Operate like one).
Additional reading: why it’s definitely time to raise your prices.
Onboarding workflow
Onboarding is an iterative process so don’t worry if it isn’t right from day one. Maybe you were rushing to secure your first client so you’ve yet to refine this part of your workflow.
Is there anything falling through the cracks? At any point have you thought “I wish I’d known about this before starting the project?”. If the answer is yes, can you tweak your onboarding to help make the next project run smoother?
The longer you freelance, the more you’ll learn about what makes projects run harmoniously. Sometimes there can be bumps in the road, but try not to panic and instead use this as a learning experience for making the next project better.
Some projects will have ‘tiny fires’ you need to put out. Whilst this can be stressful, remember that with each ‘tiny fire’ you encounter you’re one step closer to having projects run like a dream from start to finish.
Can any part of your onboarding be automated? For example, scheduling software can help potential clients book discovery calls, receive an onboarding questionnaire and sign contracts without emailing back-and-forth.
Additional reading: Briony wrote about why Dubsado is her favourite tool for running her marketing business.
Agreements and contracts
Maybe you’ve had a few ‘close calls’ with clients throughout the year and would like to tighten up your agreements.
Can you set aside a couple of hundred pounds to have your contract reviewed by a solicitor? It’s a worthwhile investment because templated contracts are usually missing important clauses. You can’t expect a templated contract plucked from the internet to work for every business.
Whenever speaking to our customers about contracts, we always suggest they tell the solicitor what parts of their business keeps them awake at night. Are there any clauses the solicitor can add or amend to mitigate those risks and make you sleep easier?
This is a useful way to approach contracts because freelancers worry about things like:
- clients coming back to me repeatedly asking for changes and fixes
- accidentally making a mistake
- unintentionally breaching someone’s copyright when I’m managing my client’s social media
- being protected if my code isn’t functioning on a website
However, most of us don’t speak legal. We can tell solicitors what worries we have and let them turn it into a legally binding contract.
Additional reading: contract clauses for clients that ghost you mid-project.
Business insurance
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that January and February are our busiest months. Like everybody, freelancers like to start the year addressing things they procrastinated on from the previous year.
Ideally you’d have a policy in place from your first day on the job. This is because professional indemnity insurance is on a claims made basis (it needs to be active at the time the work is undertaken and when a claim is brought against you), but with all of the other considerations when starting a business insurance can take a back seat.
The next best time to arrange your insurance is, well, now.
Additional reading: Why do I need insurance?
January 1st is just another day
Whilst an annual review is always a good idea, there is no pressure to do this in time for the new year. It’s also OK to use this period to relax and watch Christmas movies and eat a lot of food. We can return to these points at any time throughout the year.
This is what’s so great about freelancing—it’s your business and you get to build it on your terms. But with that privilege comes great responsibility. Let’s make sure we’re setting ourselves up for a successful 2025.
