Freelance Tips – The Freelance Blueprint

The Freelance Blueprint

Keep Investing in your Hard and Soft Skills to Grow as a Freelancer
There’s one thing I LOVE about freelancing 🤩 It’s that you’re your own boss 👩🏻‍💼

But the down side is… you’re your own boss 🫠

Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com

The reason why this is both good and bad, is because you can do whatever you want. But you don’t have anyone who holds you accountable other than yourself.

It’s your fault when you don’t make sales, it’s your fault when you forget to pay your taxes on time, it’s all on you.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to be your own boss. You have to choose which compromises you have to make.

And the problem with that is: If there is no manager whose job it is that we continuously improve, we often forget to set time aside to upskill.

So today, we’re going to learn how to keep learning.

Find a skill to learn/improve

This can be a skill that you already have but maybe you want to become better at it. For example, if you’re a good UX Designer, maybe you want to focus on how to do better user research.

But this can also be a skill that you know nothing about, like marketing or sales. Find a skill that will complement your business and make time for it.

Let me show you how ⬇️

What skill is worth investing in?

As a fellow freelancer, one piece of advice I can give you is that people book you for a specific skill. For me, it’s UX Design. People hire me because they want a new website or app or want to improve an existing piece of software.

It’s important to stay up to date with the main skill you offer as a freelancer. But often, it’s not the people who are best at their skill but the ones who are the best communicator and sales person. So it’s very important to be good at that when you want to be a successful freelancer.

Find what it is that you want to learn and improve on.

Currently, I’m investing in my communication skills. The main reason for that was the Freelance Blueprint Podcast. When I edited the first episode I noticed how rarely I finish my sentences and um and er. And only when I listened to my voice without watching the video to it I realised how important it is to communicate better.

Set a budget aside

It’s always good to have some money to re-invest in your business aka yourself. At the beginning, while you’re still building your shit happens-fund, you might not have budget to upskill. But overtime, your budget will increase.

For reference: At the beginning of my freelance career, I’ve not invested in myself at all. But currently, i’m spending 2k+ on coaching. I’m a strong believer that what you invest in yourself will come back to you.

What if I don’t have a budget?

If you don’t have any money you can invest right now, you’re lucky. Today, there are so many free resources out there. You can google anything and there’ll be a video tutorial for it.

The advantage of courses is that you get a structure. Modules are built on one another and as Eli has said in the latest Freelance Blueprint episode: It’s the fastest way to get you from where you are now to where you want to be.

You can also follow people on social media who offer great advice. Check out my stories today to see who I consider share great insights on UX and freelancing.

How to pick a course?

Personally, I tend to choose courses that are hosted life. Because otherwise, I won’t make time to watch them in my own time. It’ll have to be a set time and date.

But find a course that works around you. If the time zone doesn’t work for you, find one to watch in your own time or where you can watch the recordings.

And ideally, you’d pick a course that also offers a community access. The other people on the course will be in similar situations as you. It’s a great way to expand your network and find support.

Why do I need to invest in a new skill?

The world is constantly changing. 5 years ago, we wouldn’t have imagined that ChatGPT will write social media posts. Or that Midjourney will come up with designs. Especially when you work in tech, it’s important to stay up to date.

TLDR
1. Pick a skill to invest in
2. Define your upskilling budget
3. 😩 If you have no budget: find a podcast or Youtube Channel💰 If you have a budget: browse for a course for your desired skill set
4. 😩 If you have no budget: Schedule time to upskill, otherwise you’ll never do it
  💰 If you have a budget: Buy that course 💪
If you decide that you want to upskill your financial knowledge, you can sign up to my Financial Freedom for Freelancers Programme.

Scroll down to see how educating yourself on finances can help you ⏬

Financial Freedom for Freelancers

Want to learn more about freelance finances?

Making the most of your money doesn’t just mean to earn more. It’s also about making the best out of the money you already have.

Maybe you could save some money? Maybe you can pay yourself in a more tax-efficient way?

If you want to learn how to make the most of your money, join the waitlist of the next cohort of my programme Financial Freedom for Freelancers

Here’s what some of the previous cohort have said ⬇️

Money doesn’t have to be complicated

Learn everything I know about money as a freelancer in the next cohort.

Join the waitlist

That’s all for today 🙌

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.
January 27, 2026
What to do when Shit hits the Fan in your Freelance Business
I wrote these blog posts with the aim to prepare you for your freelance career.

But no matter how well you plan ahead, there will be things that you can’t control which might take you off the path.

Photo by Tim Gouw on Pexels.com

Maybe your client has issues with investors? Maybe they don’t pay their invoice on time? And after 2020 we probably all learned that there are things outside our control.

That doesn’t mean you won’t be a successful freelancer. It just means that we have to prepare for things.

Build a shit happens fund

I used to call it a “back up” pillow, but one of my friends calls it the “Shit happens” fund and I prefer that name. Whatever you want to call it, it’s basically a stack of savings that you can fall back on in case shit hits the fan.

If you already have one in place: Amazing!

If you still need to build a shit happens fund: follow the steps below ⬇️

Figure out how much you need to put aside

First of all, you need to figure out what you need right now. And this can be different for everyone. How much are you spending every month to cover your bare minimum? This includes
1. Your rent
2. Your electricity/water/heating bills
3. Wifi bills and anything to keep your business afloat
4. Food (this means groceries, eating out isn’t an essential)
Figure out how much you’re currently spending on your essentials each month. If worse comes to worst: Is there anything you can cut back on? Like your Netflix subscription?

Then multiply this by at least 3. But even better: 6.

This is how I’d calculate my worst case scenario

I’m a digital nomad. How much I need in a month varies. And my options for when shit hits the fan also vary massively.

Scenario 1

So for example, I’m currently in Chiang Mai. If for whatever reason I don’t have any money coming in, I can drive to my grandma’s place in Lampang where I could live rent free. But I’d have to cover my drive there, any food we consume, and wifi costs. Thailand is pretty cheap, so all of this will not total more than £200/month. So that means my shit happens fund should have at least £600 in it.

Scenario 2

In a few months I’ll be in Japan. Japan is an expensive place! I don’t know anyone there, so I’d have to continue paying the airbnb. Food is also more expensive than in Thailand. So per month, I’m likely going to have to pay around £1,800. That’d mean my shit happens fund should be at least £5,400 or even better £10,800 💸

So depending on your personal cirumstances, how much you need to survive will look different for everyone. Figure out what the minimum is you need and multiply it by at least 3 to cover your costs for 3 months.

It’s unlikely going to take you more than 3 months to find some sort of income. But if you want to stick to freelancing, I recommend you prepare for the worst case scenario and save up 6 months of your essential spending.

Why do I need a shit happens fund?

There will be things out of our control and I want to make sure that you make the decisions for your freelance career from a healthy perspective, not from panic mode.

You shouldn’t take on low paying gigs with horrible clients because you need the money. I’d rather you say no to gigs that don’t fit your life-balance and make space for a gig that suits you and pays you fairly.

If you’re in a situation where you try to make money fast, it’ll burn you out. Knowing that you have a pillow to fall on will allow you to make better business decisions.

How to build a shit happens fund

The best way to build a shit happens fund is to automate it. You just set it up once and then won’t have to think about it. If you’re based in the UK, I highly recommend Monzo, they do this quite well. You can create “pots” and automate weekly or monthly payments into one of the pots. You just set your savings goal, how much to transfer and how regularly and wait for your pot to fill up.

Here’s a little affiliate link which will give both of us £5 if you sign up with Monzo. Wohoo, free money! 🙌

Of course, you don’t have to use Monzo, they’re not the only ones who offer automated transfers into a pot. Find a bank that fits your needs. Maybe you already have a bank account that you’re happy with.

☝️ NOTE

Make sure the money is easily accessible at all times. You don’t want to have to wait 3+ months to be able to access your funds.

I highly recommend that you learn more about money as a freelancer. Scroll down to see how educating yourself on finances can help you ⏬

Financial Freedom for Freelancers

Want to learn more about freelance finances?

Making the most of your money doesn’t just mean to earn more. It’s also about making the best out of the money you already have.

Maybe you could save some money? Maybe you can pay yourself in a more tax-efficient way?

If you want to learn how to make the most of your money, join the waitlist of the next cohort of my programme Financial Freedom for Freelancers

Here’s what some of the previous cohort have said ⬇️

Money doesn’t have to be complicated

Learn everything I know about money as a freelancer in the next cohort.

Join the waitlist

That’s all for today 🙌

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.
January 26, 2026
Expand your networth by growing your network of Freelancers
As you know from this earlier blog: Your network is your net worth. So today we’re going to exploit everyone’s generous Holiday mood to connect, collaborate and expand that network 🤫

Photo by ANTONI SHKRABA production on Pexels.com

Ok, “exploit” is not the nicest word. But when it comes to asking people for help, it’s always good to consider timing.

You’re not going to invite a friend to your wedding after they’ve just ended a relationship with their partner. You’ll wait a little.

And you’re not going to ask for a salary raise after your company just lost their biggest client.

So we’ll take advantage of people’s “good mood” during the holiday season where everyone is trying to get a good deed in before the end of the year.

But we don’t just take, we also give! 🎁

Find people to collaborate with

Collaboration isn’t one sided, you’ll need both parties to participate. But this is where the magic happens.

Let me show you how ⬇️

What do you need?

First of all, you need to figure out what you need right now. And this can be different for everyone.

Are you working on your portfolio but procrastinate with other tasks?

👉 Find an accountability buddy

Are you having your portfolio and CV in place but haven’t gotten that first client yet?

👉 Find another freelancer with a complementing skill (more about that below)

Are you suffering from imposter syndrome or are you overwhelmed?

👉 Find a mentor or coach

Collaborate with other freelancers

One of the best ways to get a new client is via referrals. As mentioned in the recommendation blog, having someone refer you is great. But if you don’t have a previous client to refer you, you can also have other freelancers refer you.

So how does it work?

If you’re a UX Designer, you’ll work with developers. If you’re a graphic designer, you’ll work with copywriters. Your network isn’t just people up or down the hierarchy, it’s also the people on the same level as you.

When I work on a new app or website, I often get asked if I know copywriters. And I often refer those who I worked on previous projects, because I know they’re good at what they’re doing. And sometimes they refer me if one of their clients is looking to hire a UX Designer.

But where do I find other freelancers?

You can find them on Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter (or X, still not gotten used to call it that) and yes, Facebook is still a thing.

Use their search function to find other freelancers. Create a rapport with them, hop on a call, show each other your work. And then see if you both click and are willing to refer each other.

I’ve gotten messages in the past where people offered me a percentage of their rate if I recommended them.

Personally, I don’t recommend anyone who I haven’t worked with before. And that’s also what I tell the people who ask me to refer them. Because it’s also my reputation that’s on the line: If your current client asks you to refer a developer and it turns out that developer isn’t good, they’ll trust you less.

Your referral is strong, don’t misuse it. But because it’s so powerful, it can go a long way for fellow freelancers.

Ok, but we all have to start somewhere

If you’re hesitant to cold outreach to other freelancers, maybe you’ll find this post useful.

It can be tough to find freelancers in specific niches if you don’t have them in your current network. Hopefully, this post will help you find fellow freelancers who are also looking for you.

Just leave a comment below this post with
1. Who you are
2. Your offer
3. What you need help with
4. What you can help with
5. Who you want to connect with
This could look something like:

I’m Lisi, a UX Designer who wants to help startups turn their ideas into reality. I need help with finding my first client and can help others by being an accountability buddy. I’m looking to connect with other UX Designers and Developers.

For me, it looks like this:

I’m Lisi, a freelance UX Designer who wants to help people who are frustrated with their jobs create a work life that works for them. I need help with my podcast and can help others with coaching and mentoring. I’m looking to connect with other UX Designers, freelancers, mentors and coaches.

Heads up: Be patient! This won’t get you a client instantly. But it’ll plant a seed. I once had a collaboration call with a developer who was looking for UX Designers to refer him if their clients are looking for devs. In the end, it was him who referred me to a freelance gig 5 months later. You never know where things might take you.

Who knows, adding a little comment to the post might get you a gig in the future. Or as my friend Rachel calls it: build an opportunity creation system.

Go plant a seed 🌱

If you don’t find a referral partner through this post, you might find yourself a cheerleader or accountability buddy. You never know where things might lead to.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.
January 23, 2026
How to expand your network and find your peers
The whole point of freelancing is that you’re in control. If you feel like working, go for it. If you want to rest, you can. It’s up to you to create the work life balance that works for you.

Photo by Liliana Drew on Pexels.com

But once you start the freelance lifestyle…

It can become very lonely. When I started freelancing, none of my close friends had their own business. None of them understood why I decided to work on my portfolio while I could’ve joined them for brunch. Or why I was surfing the whole morning when everyone else was working (well, you can’t control the waves, can you?)

Becoming a freelancer can feel lonely. But you’re not alone in this!

Join a community

I highly recommend that you join IRL communities in your city. If there are non, you can even create your own meet ups. But in today’s world, you can very easily find a community online.

Depending on your niche and offer, there’ll be plenty of online communities you can join. Here are some of the communities I’m in:
Not all of these communities are very active. But every now and then someone posts a job offer or asks for help with a problem. And it’s nice to see you’re not alone.

What you need to do

Simply google “{your services} online community” eg. “UX Designers online community” and see what comes up. Join a couple of those groups because not many are very active.

Do you want to join my community?

When I launched my first course for freelancers, I communicated with the cohort via a Whatsapp group. I mentioned that in the future, I’d love to have a community platform with several freelancers where people can exchange tips and projects.

You can now join this group through this link. It’s a free Discord channel. I’m not heavily promoting it much yet and at the moment my focus is on the Freelance Blueprint Podcast. But once I wrap up season 5 I will focus on the Discord community, so make sure you’re ready to join.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.
January 16, 2026
Stop finding clients: Find A Client instead
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

How do you find clients?

This is probably the question I get asked the most. And it’s the same with almost anything you do: The longer you do it, the easier it gets.

But here’s the thing:

☝️ You don’t have to find clients. You just have to find one client!

Let’s get started with one, and then build from there 💪

But how do I get a client?

When you start your freelance career, getting that first client feels like climbing Mount Everest when you don’t even know how to go for a walk.

But did you apply for jobs before and got a permanent job? Did you apply for internships before and got one? Finding clients is pretty much the same and the best part: If it’s a nightmare client, you can easily find another one 🤫

Baby steps

But before applying for gigs, let’s see where people are looking for your services.

Set up a Job Alert

Just like with permanent jobs, there are several platforms online where you can look for freelance gigs.

Today, we’re just looking into setting up job alerts so you see how much demand there is for your service. It also helps with getting an idea of what type of projects there are (duration, payment, team sizes) and what type of companies hire your services.

Set up your first alert

If you follow the blog, you probably already know that I got my first freelance gig through Linkedin.

For UX Design, I still find it one of the best platforms to find high quality clients and projects.

Of course, you don’t have to use Linkedin. Depending on where in the world you are and what services you offer, you might find better opportunities on other platforms.

But one way to get started is to set up a filter for the jobs you’re interested in. This will show you how much demand there is for your services and how many potential next clients there are.

Just follow these steps:
1. Go to the “jobs” section on Linkedin
2. Enter the role you’re looking for (UX Designer, Web Developer, Motion Graphic Designer… whatever it is that you offer)
3. Filter by “Contract” to only see freelance gigs
4. and then the most important step: Switch the “Set alert” toggle on 🙌
Brownie points

You don’t have to use Linkedin. You can also set up a job filter at other job platforms like indeed.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.
January 15, 2026
How to get paid as a freelancer

Find a way to get paid

Money isn’t everything. The reason to go freelance is the freedom to choose where and when to work. But we also have to pay our bills, so let’s make sure you have a way to receive money.

Photo by energepic.com on Pexels.com

Here’s what I’ve used to get paid 👇

Disclaimer: Some of these have referral links, but I wouldn’t recommend anything that I’ve not personally used myself.

PayPal

(international)

This is an easy way to send and receive money. Almost everyone has a PayPal account. But they charge quite a lot of fees! But they only deduct those once a transfer is made. If you want to make it easy for your customers to pay you, this can be a good option. But be aware that they’ll take quite a chunk.

Stripe

(international)

Stripe is similar to PayPal but much easier to use and it takes a smaller cut of each sale you make.

Wise

(international)

If you’re planning to trade with businesses in different currencies, this one is for you. I’ve only used Wise for my private finances, not for my business. But if it’s as good for business as it is for private purposes, it’s definitely worth looking into it.

Starling

(UK only)

I’ve used Starling since I started freelancing in 2019 and never had an issue with it. I’m quite happy with how their app is set up. You don’t have to go to a bank branch to open a business account. Actually, it took me only a few minutes to set up an account and I was able to use the card online instantly.

Here’s a referral link, you won’t get much out of it other than a day pass to a National Trust venue.

Monzo

(UK only)

When I launched my freelance UX business, I couldn’t open a Monzo business account. Maybe because I registered as a Ltd.

But I’ve managed to open a business account as a sole trader for the Freelance Blueprint brand to make sure mentees won’t have to pay VAT.

So far, I’ve not used it much for the business because most payments are through my UX account where I use my Starling account.

But if you’re interested in opening a bank account with Monzo, here’s a referral link that will give you £5 to get started (Wohoo! Free money 🙌)

Why you need a separate bank account

When you start to work for yourself, it’s good to separate your personal finances from your business finances. And the easiest way to do that is to have a separate bank account for your freelance business.

Find an account that works for you

Depending on where you are in the world or which companies you’re planning to get into business with (just within your country or international), there might be other accounts that work better for you.

Just because I gave a list of accounts that worked for me doesn’t mean that it’ll be the best for your circumstances. So find a payment method that you trust, that protects you in case there are any scams and where you have a fast customer service if you have any doubts about payments.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.

January 14, 2026
Which business structure is the best for your freelance journey?
Do you know what business structure you’ll have? In the UK, there are 3 types
- 👩🏻‍💻 Sole trader
- 🏢 Limited company (PSC = Personal service company)
- ☂️ Umbrella
Depending on where you (or your limited company) are tax resident, you might have different options than the ones mentioned above. But if you’re based in the UK, these are your options.

Photo by Scott Webb on Pexels.com

If you’re a tax resident outside the UK, I’m sorry, I can’t know everything. So you’ll have to do a little more research. But today, we’ll find out which business structure is best for you.

Define your business structure

If you’re a tax resident in the UK

Have a look at the pros and cons of each business structure below 👇

If you’re a tax resident elsewhere

Your task today is to find out what options you have and choose one that works best for you to get started.

What is a business structure?

The business structure of your freelance business will define the legal stuff of your company. This includes things like liability, taxes, legal requirements etc.

If you’re a tax resident in the UK, I normally recommend people to open a Limited Company.

☝️ BUT only do this if you know that freelancing will be your main source of income AND if you’re earning more than £30k/year.

Disclaimer: Before you go and open your limited company, always talk to a financial adviser. Your circumstances might be different. I’m not a financial adviser, I can only give you recommendations based on the knowledge I accumulated as someone who has been freelancing for 5 years.

Also, laws are constantly changing. I highly recommend to get an accountant to make sure you’re finding what’s best for you.

UK Business structures

A little more information about each of the business structures:

👩🏻‍💻 Sole trader

This is a common choice for many freelancers, especially those who just start freelancing on the side. As a sole trader, you have full liability if something goes wrong. But it’s very easy to set yourself up as a sole-trader.

Pros: easy to set up

Cons: not the most tax-efficient, full liability (get insurance!)

☂️ Umbrella

An umbrella company is basically a “middle-man”. It’s a company that hires you while you’re freelancing elsewhere and works as an employer for you.

If your freelance contract is inside IR35* you will not have a choice but you’ll likely have to go with an umbrella company. It’s not the best option when it comes to taxes. But when you just get started as a freelancer, this might be a good choice for you if you want to save time on the admin and accounting side of things.

Pros: you’re basically an “employee” and don’t have to worry about paying the right amount of taxes – the umbrella company will sort it out for you. It’s a good choice when you want to freelance full time but still figure out if freelancing is for you.

Cons: can’t claim expenses, not tax-efficient

🏢 Limited company

It’s pretty easy to set up a limited company in the UK. I was quite shocked, because in Austria (where I’m from) you need at least €30,000 in the bank to be able to open a Ltd. But in the UK, all you need is around £13 to register on companies house and congrats: your a company director 🥳

Pros: can claim expenses, pay yourself a salary and draw dividends; most tax efficient

Cons: more admin, you need to have a registered accountant.

*IR35 is a legislation for the UK only. If you’re outside the UK and aren’t planning to work with UK clients, you can forget about it. If you’re in the UK, this can be a complex topic to wrap your head around. But for now, don’t spend too much time reading into it. You can worry about it once you’ll have your first inside IR35 contract.

Online course – Freelance Blueprint

How to manage your finances as a freelancer

When it comes to tax efficiency and finances, it takes way more than a 5 minute task to learn what you need to know as a freelancer.

If you’re unsure how a business structure affects your taxes, then this course is made for you.

Join the next cohort for the Freelance Blueprint – How to manage your finances as a freelancer course. This course is designed to teach you everything you need to know about finances without hour-long googling.

Sign up to the waitlist to get more information.

Let’s get into business

Hopefully, this information about business structures helped you decide which one is right for you. If you’re still unsure which one to pick, Freelancer, just send me an email and I will try my best to help.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.
January 13, 2026
How to price yourself as a freelancer
One big thing most freelancers are struggling with is how to price themselves. And most of the time people tend to undersell themselves and don’t charge enough 🫠

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

But I also understand that, especially when you get started, your main focus will be to land a client. And often, your main selling point will be that you’re more affordable than others. At least if you don’t have much leverage on why they should hire you compared to another freelancer offering the same service.

And there’s nothing wrong with this approach, especially in today’s market. As long as you don’t forget to increase your prices over time.

Once you have more clients and experience under your belt, your leverage will no longer have to be that you’re the most affordable, but maybe you’re having a fast turnover, or really good quality or worked for brands that give you a lot of leverage.

But also, you don’t want to be the cheapest option. When you’re in a restaurant, nobody orders the cheapest wine, people order the 2nd cheapest – at least that’s what my friends and I do who have no idea about wine 😅

Your pricing will affect how people perceive you. So only use the “pick me because I’m affordable”-approach if you have no experience in the services you offer.

How much should I charge?

There’s so many things to consider when it comes to pricing yourself:
1. Your experience
2. The value your client will get
3. Your investment (how much does it cost you to be able to deliver the service?)
4. Supply vs demand
5. Your competition
6. Probably a bunch of other things I forgot to list.
And on top of that, there’s so many different ways on how you can charge your clients for your freelance services.
1. Project based
2. Retainer fees
3. Daily & hourly rates
4. Value based (this one is amazing if you get it right, but it’s tricky to explain to your client how you came up with the rate, so we’ll leave this one for another time)
In this blog article we’ll talk about how you can price yourself based on a daily & hourly rate. This is the easiest to understand for most clients.

And also, what is the minimum you need to charge to sustain yourself.

Remember: Don’t just charge for your time

You’re not just charging the client for the time you spent executing whatever service they hire you for. You also charge them for the time it took you to gain those skills. AND you have to cover your own costs: Your software, your laptop, your electricity bill, material costs. Those don’t pay for themselves.

For example: If you’re a UX Designer, you’ll have to cover your costs for Figma, your website hosting or any other running costs.

But you don’t have to do much maths to figure out how much to charge. I’ve created an easy-to-use calculator so you can define how much you need to charge. Of course, you can always charge more than that, but this will be the minimum to cover your costs.

How to use the calculator template
1. Create a copy of the google sheets document
2. Adjust the values in the yellow cells to match your minimum (or ideal) income.
3. Adjust the tax rate if it’s more than 20%, based on wherever you are a tax resident.
Note: Those prices are rough estimates. Make sure your buffer covers any costs you accrue for your services.

Get access to the calculator

Brownie points

Have a look at what your competition is charging. See what the industry standard is. Just as an example: As a freelance UX Designer in the UK, it’s pretty normal to charge £350/day. That was the initial day rate I had with only 2 years experience as a UX Designer back in 2019.

So I always recommend people not to charge less than that. But of course, it’s for you to decide what the minimum is you want to earn.

And if you’re a junior and you want to get more experience, it’s okay to charge less to get a foot in the door. Just remember to increase your rates in the future 🤫

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.
January 9, 2026
Why you need testimonials and how to get them
Photo by Karola G on Pexels.com

Where would you rather eat out? A restaurant that…
1. looks nice but has no reviews
2. has 4.8 Stars on Google
3. your best friend told you you’d love
Most of us will likely choose option 3.

Why? Because we trust that our best friend knows what we like.

That’s the power of recommendations and testimonials. Getting freelance gigs through recommendations from others is the best way to find clients.

But until then, remember that reviews are powerful too.

Most people who are starting their freelance journey are like restaurant 1. Today, we’re trying to get to the same conversion rate as restaurant 2 and 3 💪 So today’s task might be a little bit out of your comfort zone, but it’ll be worth it.

Sidenote

This blog article is one of the exercises of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them through freelancing. Get the guide for free.

Get a review

Have you recently worked with someone who you know enjoyed working with you? Send them a message and ask them for a review via whatsapp or when you next see them.

Has it been a while since you have been in touch? Use the template below 👇

Steal this template

Hi {Name},

Hope you’re enjoying the holiday season.

I’m planning to start my freelance career as a {UX Designer/Web Developer – insert your service from this task}. One reason for going freelance is to find projects I enjoy working on and am proud of. And thinking back to the time I enjoyed work was while working together with you on {insert project}.

One thing that would massively help with my freelance journey are recommendations. If you know anyone who is looking for a {UX Designer/new website or whatever you’re offering} I’d love if you could introduce them to me.

If there’s nobody in your network, another thing that would help me a lot is a recommendation on Linkedin.

I know this time of the year is very busy, so to save you some time I’ve worked on a draft recommendation. Feel free to edit this as much as you like.

{Enter a draft recommendation you’d like from them or ask ChatGPT to write one for you}

If you have any questions let me know. Thanks a lot in advance!

Kind regards/Cheers,

{Your name}

This template works for previous managers as well as colleagues. Send this to as many people as you like. But try to get at least 2-3 reviews for your Linkedin profile.

People like to help

It might sound like a big ask when you send someone an email like this. But people generally like to help. Also, feel free to follow up if you don’t get a reply after a week.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.
January 8, 2026
How to build and extend your network

Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

You’ve probably heard it a thousand times: Your network is your net worth.

It’s not about how many people you know or who you know. It’s about finding the link to the right people!

And it’s about reminding them that you exist! But we get to that later.

This is one of the exercises of my free guide to help you create a work life that works for you. You can get it here to get more quick and easy tasks like this to progress your freelance career.

But remember that working on becoming a freelancer is… well, work.

But the fact that you’re reading this blog article shows you’re keen and are willing to put in the effort.

This task may be an easy one, but it’s also very benenfical.

Collect your network

People always talk about building your network. But to build on something, you need to know what you are building on.

So today, you’re exploring your existing network. And it might be better than you think.

Grab Pen and Paper and let’s go ✍️

Step 1

Think of all the people who you ever worked with. Include the time you were waiting tables as an intern or when you watered your neighbour’s garden or walked a dog.

Include all the colleagues from existing and previous employments. There’s more people than just previous managers ☝️ don’t just look up, but look at all directions of the hierarchy.

Write down the names of every single person that you remember ever having worked with or for.

Step 2

Now think of all the people you know who have a link to companies you’d like to work for. Miriam from the running club who told you that she just got a job at Google. Your friend’s mum who said that her cousin got a job at Spotify. Those people might not be your direct link, but they’re the one connection to the link you need. Write down their names.

Step 3

Look at this list of people. That’s your network. Probably more people than you thought, right?

👉 Save this list. Now we’ve looked at your existing network, we’ll build on your network in a future task.

Brownie points

If you have more time today, put those names into an excel spreadsheet or notion. Add any contact details you might have, emails, phone numbers or the phone number of the connection to that connection.

All these people can be your leads or biggest cheerleaders.

Why does it matter?

The warmest leads come through referrals. It’s when you don’t have to show people proof through your portfolio or CV. They’re already keen on working with you because someone they trust has referred you.

It’s the same when you’re thinking of going to a restaurant because of good reviews on Google vs. a restaurant that your best friend recommends to you personally.

Your network will be your cheerleaders and support. It’s the people who know you who will refer you to others. It’s those people that know your work ethics and even though some of them might not be “beneficial” now, you never know how far their career might take them.

The colleague you had back during your internship might have founded their own startup and needs your services. Or they know other company founders who will hire you.

But remember: People are people. Be nice, don’t ask without giving in return. Help those who ask you for help, even when you don’t think you’ll get anything in return.

You never know who you might know

Hopefully this exercise helped you realise the connections you already have. You can always expand your network from here.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them.

Get the guide for free.

If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.

January 7, 2026