Freelance Business and Gardening

Getting a freelance business to grow is something that every freelancer struggles with from time to time.

As I was driving through the country the other day, I noticed that many of the trees and plants are already starting to bud. As the daughter of an avid gardener, I immediately thought of my father’s vegetable garden and the care that he took each year to insure that we had fresh fruits and vegetables in our home. Then it struck me.

Growing a freelance business is an awful lot like growing a garden. Many of the same principles that my father used to grow his vegetable garden also apply to my freelancing business and can probably help you grow your business as well.

Here are 5 gardening principles that can help grow your freelance business:

1. Gardening is a deliberate activity.

My father did not haphazardly toss a bunch of seeds into the air and wind up with his delicious tomatoes and tasty corn a couple of months later. No, instead he carefully planted each seed at the right depth in the soil. Before planting, he even carefully determined whether the plant needed sunlight or shade.

Freelancing is also a deliberate activity. A successfully freelancer doesn’t haphazardly apply for every freelancing gig they see and hope that somehow they will wind up with the right work. Instead, he or she carefully looks for the gigs that they are most qualified to complete. In addition, the successful freelancer follows through on applications and contacts.

2. Gardening takes time.

As gardener, my father dedicated a set amount of time each day to work on his garden. He often had to wait weeks, and sometimes even months, before he could enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Freelancing takes time. A successful freelancer also dedicates a set amount of time each day to work on their freelancing business. They may have to wait weeks, months, or even years to see the full results of their work.

3. A garden needs to be fed.

My father was a little bit ahead of his time in that he liked to use organic gardening principles. I still remember his attempts at making his own natural fertilizer from vegetable peelings and other organic kitchen scraps. The important thing is that he knew that his plants sometimes needed more than what the native soil could offer.

A freelance business also needs to be fed. You might have great natural abilities or a fine education, but to feed your freelancing business you may need to brush up on current methodologies and technologies. Or, your old computer equipment might be fine for home use, but not adequate for the robust needs of your budding freelance business. Feed your business by getting the training and equipment that you need.

4. A garden needs to be protected.

A good gardener knows how to protect their plants from harm. Sadly, there are parasites out there that can destroy a garden within days. A careful gardener will learn how to effectively protect their garden from insects and disease and then will take the appropriate steps to protect it.

A freelance business needs to be protected. Sadly, there are scammers and deadbeat clients out there that can ruin a freelancing business if the freelancer is not careful. A successful freelancer is on the lookout for scam artists. He or she should carefully review and research each perspective client before accepting work.

5. A garden needs to be weeded.

Anyone who has ever grown a garden knows that gardens get weeds. If left unchecked, the weeds can choke out the garden plants and either stunt their growth or even destroy them. To keep a garden healthy, from time to time the weeds must be removed.

A freelance business sometimes needs to be weeded. Does one low-paying client take a disproportionate amount of your time? Are some of your clients so difficult to deal with that it is hardly worth doing business with them? Maybe your freelancing business is ready to be weeded.
If cared for properly, a garden can feed you. So can a freelance business.

After a lot of hard work in the garden, my father was able to provide a significant amount of fresh vegetables and fruit for his friends and family. To my taste at least, his homegrown vegetables always tasted a little better than what could be bought in the store.

If cared for properly, a freelancing business can feed you. With a lot of hard work, a freelancing business can meet all or some of your financial needs. If you’re like me, you’ll feel a greater sense of pride in working for a business that you built yourself than you felt when you worked for someone else.