When I started my freelance career seven years ago, I honestly had very little idea of what I was doing. I made some seriously painful mistakes that affected everything from my bottom line to my stress level to my relationships with some of my clients. (See also: The 5 Biggest Mistakes Freelancers Make)
But even though self-employment mistakes are common, they’re not inevitable. You can make the transition to self-employment much smoother and easier to handle if you commit to doing the following things in your first year as your own boss. Not only will you lay down the good habits and policies you’ll need throughout your new career in self-employment, but these moves can also help your career start off with a bang.
(See also: Day Job or Freelance: Which Is Right for You?)1. Set aside 30 to 35 percent of every paycheck for taxes
One of the double-edged swords of working for yourself is the fact that your paychecks will generally not have any taxes withheld. While it feels pretty good to have the full amount of money you earned coming directly to you, it can really mess up your finances if you don’t plan ahead for taxes.
Many of the newly self-employed can get themselves into trouble by assuming they’ll pay their quarterly estimated tax bills with whatever funds they have received as of the quarterly estimated tax due date. But Uncle Sam doesn’t care if you have a slow work spell or are waiting on some payments that are not quickly forthcoming from a client — he wants you to pay the taxes you owe on time. (See also: Avoid IRS Penalties With This Simple Estimated Payment Strategy)
You can bypass the quarterly stress of finding the necessary funds to pay your tax bill by specifically setting aside 30 to 35 percent of every check you receive. This does take a depressingly large bite out of your paychecks, but it gives you the peace of mind to know that you will be able to cover your estimated tax payments.
In addition, by putting this money into a savings account, you can earn a little interest — which already puts you financially ahead of folks who have their taxes withheld.If your diligent savings of 30 to 35 percent of each paycheck means you have more money than you need for taxes in your first year of self-employment, then you can always use the leftover money to reinvest in your business or smooth over any lean months in your second year of self-employment. (See also: 7 Things I Learned About Money After I Went Freelance)
2. Hire an accountant
Speaking of taxes, they are going to get more complex now that you have begun working for yourself. While it is certainly possible for you to complete your taxes all by yourself as you’ve done in the past, the money you spend on an accountant for your self-employment taxes can both save you time and lower your stress. (See also: 5 Free Accounting Tools for Freelancers)
Asking for referrals from trusted colleagues or small business owners can be the best way to find the right accountant or tax professional for your needs. Don’t let this important part of self-employment go on the back burner. Having an accountant throughout your first year of self-employment can help you to accurately pay your quarterly estimated taxes on time, and take advantage of deductions and other tax benefits that you might otherwise miss.
3. Determine your payment floor
During my first year as a freelancer, an educational company contracted me to write lesson plans for English teachers. I had been working as an English teacher before my freelancing career, and I loved that this company was committed to using humor in all of its resources. I thought it was a perfect fit, and I quoted them a price per lesson plan that felt reasonable for my expertise (and comedic chops). They offered me a fifth of what I asked for. Since I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to actually make a living as a freelancer, I took the job.
It was a huge mistake.
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