Hi Reader,

Happy Friday!

I always find summer a tricky time to work. Mostly, because I want to be outside, but also because everyone's schedule seems to be all over the place. Clients are on holiday or taking time off, and it just feels like everything is a bit clunkier.

Anyone else?

P.S. This week on Instagram, I shared how I work less than 20 hours a week and still earn a decent income. Find out how here. And don't forget to give me a follow for regular tips and tricks!

Here's what I've been up to this week work-wise:

👉 I wrote 3 pieces for clients (an influencer marketing tool, Salsify, and Klaviyo)

👉 I refreshed 2 pieces for Shopify

👉 I edited 1 piece for Klaviyo

👉 I had a catch up call with an existing client

⏱ Approx hours spent on client work this week: ~20

⏱ Approx hours spent on non-client work: ~1

💰 Total revenue this week: £4,100

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Check out my three practical courses that have helped 500+ people get more clients, earn more money, and create better content.

Friday Freelance Tip​​ ✨ ​

Let’s talk money.

When I first started freelancing, I thought charging more came down to doing better work and being really good at what you do.

Turns out, that’s only part of the equation.

If you’re consistently delivering quality work but still struggling to raise your rates without feeling like a fraud (orrrr you keep getting ghosted when you quote your “new and improved” prices), I want to share what actually helped me increase my income.

I stopped charging for my time

Early on, I’d quote based on how long I thought something would take. £50 for 2 hours? Sure. £100 for a half-day? Why not.

The problem is, I was rewarding slowness. And clients weren’t buying a block of hours, they were buying a result.

Once I stopped pricing by time and started charging based on value, everything shifted. I looked at:

• What was this piece of work worth to the client?
• How would it impact their revenue, reach, or reputation?
• What kind of expertise did I bring to the table that others couldn’t?

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As a result, I ended up working less, made more, and attracted clients who valued outcomes, not busywork.

I positioned myself as a strategic partner not a lackey-for-hire

When you act like a task-taker, people treat you like one and they pay you like one, too.

The minute I started showing up as a collaborator (a.k.a. not just someone to “get it done”) I found that:

• Clients involved me in higher-level conversations
• They came to me for advice, not just execution
• I had more say in the direction of projects

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Sure, mindset matters here, but I ultimately changed the way I marketed myself. My website, my discovery calls, and my emails all reflected the fact that I help solve business problems, not just write words.

I created a whole-ass client experience (a good one)

At the start of my career, my processes were an absolute shambles. I had files stored all over the place and the onboarding process looked wildly different from client to client.

After a while, I knew something needed to change, so I spent some time building a smooth, thoughtful onboarding and project flow.

I gave clients things like:

• A helpful welcome guide
• Clear timelines and check-ins
• A dedicated portal where they could access all our work

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If you want to steal the dashboard and system I use, you absolutely can. I turned it into a handy Notion system that you can just drag and drop your own business details in. Get it here.

My goal with this is to make clients feel like this was the most professional, easy, and enjoyable project they’ve ever worked on (so they keep coming back AND are willing to pay more).

I surrounded myself with freelancers who were charging more than me

You don’t realise how much your “normal” is shaped by your circle until you start hanging out with people operating on a different level.

When I saw freelancers charging 3x my rates for similar work, I didn’t get jealous. I got curious. What were they doing differently?

Often, the answer was confidence, boundaries, positioning, and process. So I absorbed all of that. I asked a LOT of questions and I got inspired rather than dejected. And most importantly, I realised my pricing ceiling wasn’t real, it was self-imposed.

I differentiated myself by process, not just outcome

Here’s the truth: a lot of freelancers can deliver “good results.” What makes you stand out is how you get there.

I leaned into my methodology, spelled out my unique approach in proposals, and talked more about how I collaborate, communicate, and create.

Clients LOVED it. Because results matter, but clients want to know what they're getting into when they work with you, especially if they're dropping a large chunk of money on it.

This week, we have a personal finance writer from Essex, UK.

Where are you based? Essex, UK.

How long have you been freelancing? Five years.

What do you do? I’m a B2C writer and journalist in the personal finance niche.

What was your 2024 revenue? £75,700.

This person freelances full-time, and this wasn’t their highest earning year.

How much did you take as a salary?

£50,000 - the amount which keeps me as a basic-rate taxpayer.

How much did you pay in taxes?

£9,157 corporation tax, about £7,300 for dividend tax and student loan repayments (through personal self-assessment). I've recently registered for VAT as I now earn over the £90,000 annual threshold.

What were your business expenses?

About £200 a month (subscriptions to newspapers, ChatGPT, phone, occasional travel to London for meetings), plus accountancy fees of around £145 a month.

Do you contribute to a pension or investments?

Yes, I paid £10,000 into a private pension (SIPP) in my 2023-2024 business year (13% of total revenue). I invest in global tracker funds through an online investment platform. This year, my business revenue is on track to be around £120,000 so my pension contributions will increase - likely to at least £20,000. I currently have around £120,000 in pension savings, on top of ISA investments and Premium Bonds.

I’ve also recently started investing some of my business cash. I go through a platform that offers ETFs and invest in an ETF that replicates the performance of the FTSE All-World Index.

Do you have any hot money-management tips?

Pay into a pension where possible as it's the most tax-efficient way to save for the long term!

We need more Freelance Money Diaries submissions!

As you know, I'm on a mission to bring more transparency around rates in the freelancing world. And, to do that, it really helps to see what other freelancers are earning. I'd absolutely love it (and be eternally grateful) if you share your finances with us (you can do it totally anonymously!).

As always, happy freelancing :)

Lizzie ✨

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