Growing a Lifestyle Business – Freelance UX/UI + Web Design

[GWan]

Hi everyone,

I'm creating this thread to document my progress as a freelance UX/UI + Web designer.

Here's a bit about me:
I've been a full-time UX/UI designer for the past 2 and 1/2 years, mainly working on SaaS web applications. I think I'm a pretty good designer, and know that I have the skills to do great work as a freelancer. I've been doing freelance on and off for the past few years. Joined Fox's course back in November 2017. Had some early success with it, but wasn't disciplined enough. You can view my previous progress thread here.

Why I want to do this:
When I joined Fox's program back in 2017, I had a job that I really hated. This really motivated me to work hard on my freelance business. However, I always had this tiny thought that if I got a job at one of those "cool" tech companies (work from home, free lunch, lots of vacation, etc.) that my life would be set. Fast-forward May 2019: I got a job at one of these companies. For the first few months everything was great, work was fun and not boring. The honey moon phase soon ended, and I was back where I was before. Sunday blues, and looking forward to Friday all week. There wasn't anything wrong with the job either, it's just that I got bored. This is when I realized that a 9-5 is not for me, I require freedom from time constraints to do my best work.

My goal:
My goal for 2020 is to make $100,000 CAD from just freelancer and eventually become a full-time freelancer.

Current progress:
$12,467 / $100,000 CAD

The number is weird because one of the payments was in USD from a US client (converted to CAD)

What I'm currently working on:
Last week a client contacted me on Upwork. I don't really use it much anymore, but for some reason they gave me top-rated status on there from jobs I did back in 2017-2018. Because of this, potential clients do contact me on there sometimes. I got on a call with the client and closed a deal for $5000 CAD for a 5 page website redesign.

I have 2 potential projects in the pipeline from a pretty successful freelancer who subcontracts work to me. The US payment I talked about above was the final payment for a project I finished for him in January. He's great to work with, and the projects would be around 10-12K CAD each so I'm hoping they work out.

I haven't really been doing any marketing/lead generation, and am a bit worried that eventually I'll have no work. I'm planning to start a blog and post more of my work on designer websites. However it's hard to find time between a full-time job and working on freelance projects.

 

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[Kid]

Gophist dsuttif !

 

[GWan]

Jisi't e raodl tannesz ug xjev O'wi ciip xusloph up vjot qetv nupvj:

$5000 Xictovi qsukidv
O katv huv vji gopem qeznipv ug $2500 gus vji $5000 xictovi O xet xusloph up. Ov xet e xictovi gus e vsewim ehipdz, xjodj huv ni raovi xussoif cideati ug vji wosat. O fofp'v xepv vji qsukidv vu gemm vjsuahj tu O huv vji xictovi fupi xez ejief ug tdjifami. O emtu uwis-fimowisif cz dufoph vji gsupv-ipf ug vji xictovi (ov xet usohopemmz upmz taqqutif vu ci fitohp xusl). Vjiz siemmz eqqsidoevif ov topdi vjiz'si huoph vjsuahj e foggodamv voni.

Juasmz xusl gus e qsiwouat dmoipv
Metv zies O fof tuni tacdupvsedv xusl gus epuvjis gsiimepdis. Vji dmoipv xepvif tuni tnemm djephit fupi, tu ji tacdupvsedvif vji xusl uav vu ni. O itvonevi ov xomm csoph op esuapf $1000.

O fu jewi tuni nusi gsii voni pux topdi O dunqmivif vji $5000 xictovi qsukidv, tu xomm tqipf nusi voni up gopfoph pix mieft vjot nupvj.

Aqfevif siwipai:
$14,967 / $100,000 DEF

 

[GWan]

Katv huv qeof gus e gix juast ug tnemm djephit gus e qsiwouat dmoipv ($390 ATF = 551 DEF). Aqfevif pancist cimux

Aqfevif siwipai:
$15,518 / $100,000 DEF

 

[GWan]

Jiz iwiszupi,

Ov't ciip exjomi topdi O metv aqfevif. O jewip'v ciip et gudatif et O tjuamf ci up vji gsiimepdi catopitt, cav xomm djephi vjev tvesvoph pux.

O sidipvmz qasdjetif Sep Tihemm't 6-Gohasi Gsiimepdi duasti gus fitohpist. Ov't ciip siemmz izi uqipoph epf jet veahjv ni jux vu sap nz gsiimepdi catopitt qsuqismz. Vji neop vjoph ji viedjit ot vu podji fuxp vu e disveop opfatvsz/dmoipv epf ciduni lpuxp et ep iyqisv op vjev opfatvsz. O'wi djutip iesmz-tvehi tvesvaqt vjev piif AY/AO fitohp us xic fitohp xusl et nz podji. O'wi emsiefz sifitohpif nz xictovi vu veshiv vjot podji, epf qmep vu tvesv qutvoph esvodmit vu onqsuwi nz xictovi't TIU.

Jisi't xjev O'wi ciip xusloph up topdi nz metv aqfevi:

Jedlevjup Xictovi gus $1500 (Dunqmivi)
Vjot xet e dmoipv vjev O'wi fupi xictovit gus op vji qetv. Vjiz sap e gix jedlevjupt e zies, epf ataemmz esi katv muuloph gus e tonqmi upi-qehi fitohp epf muhu. Vjiz'si hsiev vu xusl xovj.

Xusloph et e tacdupvsedvus gus ep ehipdz (Up-huoph)
Vjot zies O tvesvif atoph Xicgmux jiewomz vu fiwimuq xictovit. O evvipfif ep upmopi Xicgmux niivaq metv nupvj epf niv 2 hazt vjev sap ep ehipdz. O duppidvif xovj vjin epf tvesvif xusloph up e qsukidv xovj vjin vjot xiil. Xi'si tvesvoph xovj juasmz qez apvom vji tduqi ug vji qsukidv ot nusi figopif.

O emtu fof tuni nopus xictovi djephit gus ep umf dmoipv ($50.00).

Aqfevif siwipai:
$17,068 / $100,000 DEF

 

[raph21]

Jiz nep, O juqi zua edjoiwif zuas huem! Vjot ziest jewi ciip djemmiphoph gus at emm...

 

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