Freelancing often attracts people who are fiercely self-reliant.
Typically, it’s the kind of person who has worked in an agency environment and has picked up enough skills from multiple departments and thought to themselves “I could literally do all of this myself”.
The idea of being your own boss is a powerful draw. It’s part of what makes freelancing so rewarding. You’re in charge of your destiny, and every victory feels personal. Not only that, your output is directly tied to your earnings so your hard work is actually rewarded.
Yes, I could do a lot of things, but should I? That’s the real question I failed to ask in the early stages of my freelancing journey.
But, there’s a hidden challenge many freelancers face, one that I’ve had to confront myself: believing that because you’ve done something before, you can do it well enough in a professional capacity.
When I first started freelancing, I was caught in this exact trap. I thought, “I’ve written copy before, so I must be a capable copywriter.” Or, “I’ve dabbled in web design, surely I can manage my own site.”
The result? Hours of frustration, multiple reworks, and the nagging feeling that the end product wasn’t quite what I had wanted.
The reality of how businesses work
It’s not just about confidence - it’s about the reality of how businesses work. Yes, I could do a lot of things, but should I? That’s the real question I failed to ask in the early stages of my freelancing journey.
There’s a vast difference between being able to handle a task and being able to execute it to a professional standard quickly and efficiently. As freelancers, time is money, and wasting hours on something that takes a professional half the time isn’t just inefficient - it’s costly.
Year one of freelancing was filled with these DIY attempts. I’d spend hours tweaking a design on Canva, rewriting paragraphs of web page copy, or trying to figure out a social media strategy.
I was so caught up in the idea that I needed to do everything myself that I didn’t see the bigger picture: all this wasted time could have been better spent focusing on the areas of my business which I excel at. The areas where I bring real value to clients.
Instead, I was trying to wear every hat in the business to save a few quid, and it was slowing me down and paradoxically costing me more money.
Collaboration is liberating
Fast forward to year two, and I’m finally fixing those mistakes by doing something I should have done from the beginning: building a network of talented freelancers to work with when the opportunity arises.
Letting go of the idea that I could do everything was liberating. And honestly, the results speak for themselves.
Sure, I could probably still write copy or tinker with a website until it looks passable, but why would I when there are experts who can do it three times faster and ten times better?
Letting go of the idea that I could do everything was liberating. And honestly, the results speak for themselves.
It wasn’t an easy shift to make. I had to swallow my pride and admit that just because I could do something didn’t mean I should. Trusting someone else to handle parts of my business felt risky at first, but it has paid off in ways I didn’t expect. Projects are completed faster, the quality is higher, and I’ve freed up my time to focus on what I’m truly good at.
So, if you’re a freelancer feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list, take it from me: don’t fall into the trap of trying to DIY every aspect of your business.
Your time is valuable, and there are professionals out there who can help you work smarter, not harder.
Find the right people, trust them to do what they’re best at, and you’ll be amazed at how much more productive and profitable your business becomes.
