Hi Reader,

Happy Friday!

I put together a proposal for a new client this week and I want to share my tips for that, because lemme TELL YOU, my proposals are definitely not corporate or long or anything, but they work.

Basically, I include one-sentence that outlines the task (shows the client I understand what they want), then I include 3 tiers (unless the client is very specific with what they want). These tiers include different levels of investment and outputs that correlate to the price.

For example, one tier in this particular proposal included:

• Monthly ideation & content planning (call or async)
• 4× LinkedIn posts (1 per week)
• 1× blog post or case study (1,500-2,000ish words)

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And another included:

• Monthly ideation & content planning (call or async)
• 8× LinkedIn posts (2 per week)
• 2× blog posts or case studies
  • OR 1 blog + 1 case study, depending on priorities

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Obviously, each tier comes with a different price tag, but it gives clients the option to compare and choose (and mix and match if they want).

P.S. This week on Instagram, I shared 47 warm outreach ideas for freelancers. Check them out 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 (EmailToolTester, Salsify, and an influencer marketing tool)

👉 I refreshed 1 piece for Shopify

👉 I sent a proposal to a new client

👉 I did outreach and LinkedIn posts for a client

👉 I ran edits on a piece for Klaviyo

⏱ Approx hours spent on client work this week: ~17

⏱ Approx hours spent on non-client work: ~3

💰 Total revenue this week: £3,750

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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​​ ✨ ​

In 2025, I made a very intentional decision to work less.

Some pretty stressful things happened in my personal life last year, and it became really obvious that I needed more joy outside of work. Historically, when life feels hard, I default to working more. Work becomes my coping mechanism. It’s predictable and it gives me a sense of control.

It's the thing I feel good at when everything else is spiralling around me. A therapist would probably have something to say about that.

But the cost is always the same when I default to working HARD in tough times.

My exercise routine slips, I don't see friends as much, doing things I love falls way down the list, and my mental and physical health take a backseat.

Eventually, burn out. You know the drill.

So instead of letting that pattern repeat itself again, I changed how my weeks actually look.

I design my week around how I work best

I work better when I switch up my environment, so I had to stop forcing myself to be productive doing the same thing, in the same place, every day.

Now my week looks like this:

• 2 days at a coworking space
• 1 day working from home
• 1 day working from my sister’s
• 1 day coworking with friends in a café or pub

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Having this structure makes it much easier to plan what work happens where.

My coworking days are for my most intense work, like deep writing, strategy, thinking-heavy tasks. Then I sprinkle the lower-intensity stuff around that: calls, admin, lighter tasks, bits and bobs.

Exercise comes first (non-negotiable)

I schedule exercise before anything else, and I treat it like a client commitment.

Tuesday and Wednesday evenings are locked in for my aerial class and dancing. Every other Sunday, I lift weights, and I sprinkle a spin class in where I can.

It also helps that having plans in the evening physically stops me from working later. My usual cut-off time for work is 4pm (my brain is basically mush after 3pm), and sometimes I’ll finish earlier if my work for the day is done and I don’t want to bleed into tomorrow’s tasks.

My most productive hours are between 8–12, so I protect that time fiercely.

When the weather’s nice, I’ll walk to my coworking space, which gives me 45 minutes of sunshine, fresh air, and steps before I even open my laptop.

Highly recommend.

Monday evenings are reset nights.

On Mondays I do the boring life admin tasks that set me up for the week. I prep food for the week, get myself organised, do any life admin that needs doing.

The food part here is really important for me, because eating well is one of the first things to fall apart for me when work gets busy. And once that goes, everything else follows (usually very quickly).

I’m also in the middle of a full house renovation (what a time to be alive), so I have to intentionally plan time for that too. If it’s not scheduled, it doesn’t happen and then it becomes another background stressor.

Weekends are a hard no

Weekends are no-work zones. Completely. I don't send any emails... I don't even open my laptop if I can help it (unless it's to scour FB marketplace).

Nothing I do in the marketing world is that urgent. And if it is, something’s gone very wrong somewhere else.

For me, weekends are for exercising, seeing friends, getting outside, and remembering that my entire life doesn’t exist inside my business.

Boundaries with clients make all of this possible

None of this works without clear boundaries.

In my welcome packet that I send to clients who want to work with me, I clearly state:

• My core working hours: 9–4pm, Monday–Thursday
• Response times: within 24 hours unless I say otherwise
• Call booking rules: 48 hours’ notice minimum (absolutely no same-day calls)

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I also batch calls on the same day whenever possible.

A “30-minute call” is never just 30 minutes. It’s:

• Context switching
• Prep
• The call itself
• Notes
• Follow-ups
• Actioning
• Getting back into deep work

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Batching calls like this protects my writing time and my brain. Also highly recommend if you struggle to switch between tasks like me.

How I fit in Freelance Magic

Friday afternoons are my Freelance Magic time.

I write this newsletter on a Wednesday morning, but Instagram and LinkedIn content gets created on Friday afternoons using a running dump list I keep all month.

Ideas that come to me in the shower, on walks, mid-conversation. They all go on the list so I’m never staring at a blank page.

I take a lot of time off

I aim to take 1–2 weeks off every quarter. Sometimes that’s spread out, sometimes it’s a proper break. In August, I usually take two solid weeks off in one go.

Travel and time away are critical for my creativity and productivity. Yes, freelancers don’t have sick pay or holiday pay but for me, the payoff is always worth it.

I come back clearer, sharper, and genuinely excited about my work again.

It's taken me a while to get to this point.

There was a looooong time where I was working 12-14 hour days in the beginning and my work-life balance was non-existent. And I was miserable.

Last year taught me that life's too short to make work our identity. This new way of intentionally planning my week so work fits around my life rather than the other way round has been PHENOMENAL. Really recommend. Do it.

This week, we have Melissa (Ek) Taylor sharing her freelance finances with us.

Where are you based? Texas.

How long have you been freelancing? 28 years.

What do you do? Website developer and graphic designer for small businesses.

What was your 2025 revenue? $152,000.

Melissa freelances full time and this was not her highest earning year.

How much did you take as a salary?

My payroll is $65k, but I take out money whenever I need it for spending or savings, and leave the rest to the business. I pay myself this amount because my CPA says that's the number that gives me the highest tax savings as an LLC. I generally bring in between $140k-$160k each year so somehow that math works out :)

How much did you pay in taxes?

I don't have a number to share, but I have to pay sales tax monthly, freelance tax yearly, property tax (on my home office) yearly, and federal income tax (there are no state income taxes in TX). Because I file as a corporation, my taxes are substantially lower than if I filed as a sole proprietor. At the end of the year, I generally don't owe any extra on my federal income taxes.

What are your business expenses?

• Accounting: $600/mo
• Software: $80/mo
• Electricity, phone, gas, water (only for my home office portion): approx $100
• Internet: $150

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I used subs last year, but I prefer him bill directly to the client so I don't have to deal with taxes for a sub or managing that for him.
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Do you contribute to a pension?

Yes, I put a lot of money each year into my 401k, Roth IRA, and general savings account. I probably have enough to retire now, but I enjoy what I do and like having the money to do big trips and home renovation.

In terms of profit, I keep some on hand for my monthly paychecks in case things get really slow, which they tend to do in the summer months. I transfer some over to high interest savings, some stock buys, but mostly just keep it in my business account.

Do you have any hot money-management tips?

Pay yourself first. Each month I have auto transfers happening to put money into my savings account and into my Fidelity stock account before my money goes into my checking account. It's not a lot...a few hundred dollars 2x a month.

My accounts grows so quickly bc I don't even notice and I don't have to remember to do it (this is key). Once it gets to a certain amount, I generally transfer the savings to a high interest savings account, and then buy stocks from the Fidelity account.

We need more Freelance Money Diaries entries! I'm forever grateful to anyone who shares their finances with us (you can do it totally anonymously!).

Click the button below to do yours!

As always, happy freelancing :)

Lizzie ✨

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