A question for those of you who are freelancing

Freelancing has it's pros! I have taken a few projects as a freelancer and I can say I enjoy solving development problems on my own and when I am working on a website (for eg), It also lets me explore UI/UX or Graphic Design. But a major con is not having a team with whom i can work and solve problems when i am stuck. Sometimes i also feel really burn-out when a project takes too long to be made or when a client just suggests too many changes and I have to manage that with my ongoing job or whatever else I am doing.
Unfortunately, I have no time for personal projects. I'd like some help in managing time for this myself. but i do feel at times on weekends i can salvage 4-5 hrs. (It's basically a trade-off).
I usually find clients through connections only, I pitch my skills to potential startup founders and see if they need any dev work done. But I've seen people endorse their skills on LinkedIn and Twitter and get good results. Freelancing websites however are not preffered by me.
Talking of Happiness:- when a client is happy and pays on time , any freelancer is happy. but this feeling is similar to when my team at the job wins at something. I think this depends on person to person

How did you get started?

I got started because I was working in a job I didn't like, and I was looking for intriguing work to do. I wasn't looking for a full-time job, and wanted to have some flexibility with my side-gigs.

Approx. How much time a week do you spend working?

~20 - 30 a week, and I usually find these hours, admittedly, during my 9-5 and then of course at the end of the day. Working remotely has let me manage a full-time gig and freelance work. If I was working in person, it'd be difficult for me to manage both.

If you used to work at a job before going freelance, are you happier?

I've always done a full-time gig while freelancing, and I'd say the freelance work makes it easier for me to enjoy my day gig. I'm not as married to it as other people, since the freelance work keeps me fulfilled.

Where do you usually find clients?

I've met lots of clients through just cold emailing them. Sounds scarier then it is, and it's not a big deal. I'd say just looking for people who have problems you can solve and then reach out if you think you can solve them. If you can't don't bother contacting them.

Any other tips you might want to share?

Just do it, you'll find it's less theoretical once you're getting going. Being a PM vs. a freelancer are 2 radically different roles, and being a freelancer means you're going to need to learn to do multiple things well, but not thing "excellent".

I’ve done a few projects on Upwork so no expert on freelancing by any means but I can offer what it’s like starting out on a platform like Upwork.

Given you’ve got plenty of experience I’d recommend to try and get into Toptal, much less competition, better clients, better rates and they source clients for you.

Personally, I wouldn’t be quitting a job expecting to make the same amount quickly. It’s all about client reviews on these platforms.

The best way to get your first gig is to get a referral and then smash the job out of the park. Other ways are offering clear work examples and that you’ve done the job before.

Offering to jump on a call goes a long too.

You could probably ease into starting on Upwork on the side but i personally would say just go with Toptal if you’re thinking about using one of these platforms. Best of luck

I actually work as a full time 1099 sub/contractor in the government contracting industry. Currently I do Tableau development.

To answer your questions :

1. I converted my then W2 job in 2015 into a 1099 sub contracting role on the same project I was working on. I had leverage because the client liked me and the company didn’t have anyone else who could do the work (security clearance + skills).

2. Currently 30 hours a week. It has fluctuated between 20 and 40. But I take liberal amounts of vacation too.

3. Yes. If I can avoid getting a job I will. So far so good.

4. Yes more time and mental energy. No company nonsense like performance reviews or business development.

5. I have three methods I teach people in my industry: job conversion method, networking method, and converting a job hunt/application into a project. Might not apply to your industry.

6. I wrote a book that may have relevant information for you. A friend who is NOT in the industry recommended it to her friend who is also not in the industry. Feel free to reach out to me directly and I can share a link (don’t want to spam this thread).

I am not a freelancer but I have quit my job a year ago to focus full-time on my projects. I wrote this blog post where I share my reasoning before leaving my job