Hi Reader,

Happy Friday!

If you haven't already got my Freelance Starter Kit, I definitely recommend you check it out.

It's not just for brand-new freelancers starting out in this hellscape of AI. It's also pretty useful for seasoned pros and those who have some skin in the game - even if just to check whether you're missing a potential string to your bow.

​Get it here. ​

P.S. In this week's Instagram post, 10 freelancers share how much money they make. Check it 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 refreshed 3 pieces for Shopify

👉 I wrote 3 pieces (for Modash and Spoke)

👉 I had a call with a new client about blog content

👉 I had a call with an old client who wants to work together again

⏱ Approx hours spent on client work this week: ~23

⏱ Approx hours spent on non-client work: ~2

💰 Total revenue this week: £3,980

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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 12 years, I've had zero months with no income.

I want to say that with a BIG caveat before we go any further: this does NOT mean twelve years of smooth sailing, healthy invoices, and zen-like calm about money.

Far from it.

I've had months where I've stared at my banking app and felt genuinely sick. I've had the classic freelance rollercoaster... a brilliant quarter followed by a nervous one, a client who ghosts, a slow January that makes you question every life choice you've ever made.

But even in the wobbliest months, even when I've been travelling with a laptop and a prayer, something has always come in. And I've been thinking a lot lately about why, because I really don't think it's luck (well, not entirely, anyway).

So this week, I want to pull back the curtain on that system. And that's not because I think income gaps are some personal failing (they're absolutely not, freelance income is inherently lumpy, that's just the nature of the beast), but because we all need a bit of stability in this absolute corker of a landscape.

First, lemme get real with you

Last year, a long-term client took their content in-house completely out of nowhere. That client made up a significant chunk of my monthly income, and losing them overnight really, really hurt. It terrified me for hot a minute. Any time this happens (and it's happened a fair bit), I resign myself to the fact the gravy train is over and I'll have to go back to the job hunt.

I'm telling you this because I don't want this newsletter to read like "I've cracked the code and you haven't." I haven't cracked anything. Nada. What I do have is a set of habits that meant that even in that scary month, I wasn't starting from zero. Which brings me to reason number one...

I plan ahead, always

Most of my work is ongoing rather than one-off projects, which already helps a lot, but even ongoing contracts end eventually. So I try to always know:

• When a contract is coming to a natural close
• Roughly how many weeks' notice I'll get (or won't)
• Which months are going to be lighter (hello, January)

Knowing this in advance means I'm never surprised by a gap forming because I can usually see it coming a few weeks out, which gives me time to act instead of react.

I have a system for when a contract ends

Here's what I do the moment I know a gap is forming:

1. I go back to existing clients first. A quick, no-pressure message asking if they've got any extra capacity for the next month. This is often the fastest yes, because they already trust me and know my work.
2. I reach out to past clients. Just a friendly "hey, it's been a while, here's what I've been up to, let me know if you ever need support." People forget freelancers exist when they're not actively working with them and a little reminder can go a long way.
3. I lean on my freelancer friends. Other freelancers are some of the best referral sources you'll ever have, because they're often the ones turning down work they don't have capacity for. I ask them directly to keep me in mind or point people my way.

None of this is groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination. But doing it immediately, as a reflex, rather than panicking for two weeks first can really make a difference.

I network even when I don't need to

This is the slightly less glamorous, more long-game part of the system.

Every single month, regardless of how busy or crickety my calendar is, I make a point of connecting with new people in my industry... content managers, marketing leads, other people in a position to hire freelancers. I don't pitch them or anything, I just want to get on their radar and be a friendly face when the day comes that they do need someone.

The compounding effect of this has been huge. The longer I've done it, the bigger and warmer that network has become, and the easier it's been to fill gaps in my roster when they appear.

BTW, I teach this exact method in The Hello Effect, which is launching on Sept 1st for the 2nd time. If you're not already on the waitlist, get yourself on there because I'll only be launching it there!

I said yes to almost everything early on

In my first year or two, I took on all sorts of work I wouldn't touch now. Some of it wasn't exciting. Some of it wasn't even particularly well paid (in fact, a lot of it paid absolute peanuts). But it gave me two things: income, obviously, and information. It taught me what I actually enjoyed, where the real demand was, and where my skills were valuable.

Once you've got that knowledge, you can start being more intentional... like building visibility in a specific niche, showing up consistently in one particular corner of your industry, rather than being a generalist shouting into the void.

If I were starting again

If I were a brand new freelancer reading this, this is what I'd take away: build your network and your "gap system" before you need them.

Start the habit of reconnecting with past clients, chatting to other freelancers, and meeting new people in your industry as a low-key monthly ritual NOW rather than when you're in the pits of despair with no work lined up.

Reminder: income gaps in freelancing aren't a sign you're doing it wrong. They're just part of the terrain. But having a reflex and a set of go-to moves you trust makes a world of difference.

I'd love to know: what's your go-to move when you feel a gap coming? Hit reply and tell me, I read every single message!

As always, happy freelancing 🙂

Lizzie ✨

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!).

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As always, happy freelancing :)

Lizzie ✨

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