--- title: "Like It or Not, Being a Freelance Designer Means Making Decisions" id: "142081" type: "post" slug: "being-a-freelancer-means-making-decisions" published_at: "2024-08-24T07:04:24+00:00" modified_at: "2026-06-18T21:18:16+00:00" url: "https://speckyboy.com/being-a-freelancer-means-making-decisions/" markdown_url: "https://speckyboy.com/being-a-freelancer-means-making-decisions.md" excerpt: "We talk about some of the important decisions you'll need to make as a freelancer and share some tips for making the right choices." taxonomy_category: - "Freelance Design" - "Web Design" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Design Clients" - "Freelance Business" - "Freelance Career" --- # Like It or Not, Being a Freelance Designer Means Making Decisions Last Update: June 18, 2026 By Eric Karkovack [Freelance Design](https://speckyboy.com/category/freelance/) / [Web Design](https://speckyboy.com/category/web-design/) I’ll come right out and say it: I hate making decisions. Whether it involves deciding on the best hard drive to purchase or choosing the itinerary for a day trip – the process makes me feel uncomfortable and anxious. The origins of my struggle date back to childhood. I believe it’s a combination of worrying about what others will think and wanting to please them. The irony is that indecision can indeed become a source of frustration for those around me. It’s also not lost on me that I became a freelance web designer. Running a business puts one into a position of making lots of decisions – big and small. How did I end up here? Personal limitations aside, freelancing requires us to be decisive. And the direction we choose has a direct impact on our success and happiness. With that in mind, here’s a sampling of some important decisions you’ll need to make. Along the way, I’ll share some tips for making the right choices. ## What Technologies to Invest Your Time In Freelancers wear many hats – but we can only carve a [niche](https://speckyboy.com/niche-designer-cliche/) in so many areas. As such, the technologies we embrace have to be the right ones for us and our clients. However, the decision isn’t always easy. Technology encompasses a huge swath of the web design industry. It covers programming languages, frameworks, content management systems (CMS), APIs, and all manner of software. Determining what [makes sense](https://speckyboy.com/new-tools-technology-web-projects/) for your business is complicated by a nearly endless array of options. Each has a learning curve, along with benefits and drawbacks. The choices you make are also personal. Factors such as comfort level, long-term stability, and cost are just the beginning. Plus, depending on the type of technology, switching gears later may not be easy. Perhaps you’ve established a workflow before going freelance (you’re lucky). For the rest of us, there are a few dozen decisions to make. ![The technologies you choose for your business will be critical to your success.](https://speckyboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/freelance-decisions-01.jpg) ## Setting Prices and Terms If you plan on getting paid for your work, pricing is a major decision. It can also be among the most [gut-wrenching](https://speckyboy.com/freelance-pricing-trap/) for freelancers. First and foremost, you’ll want a pricing structure that ensures you can make a living. Your rates not only have to boost your bottom line during good times – but they’ll also need to sustain you during the bad. From there, it’s worth considering your place in the market and the type of clients you’re hoping to work with. Most of your [competition](https://speckyboy.com/web-designers-competition/) won’t be publishing their pricing. Thus, you may have to do some sleuthing to determine the going rate. Plus, *how* you price your services is as important as *how much* you charge. For instance, will you charge an hourly rate or set pricing on a per-project basis? A combination of both may even be appropriate in some situations. All told, the goal is to implement a pricing structure that allows you to thrive while providing value for your ideal clients. ![Your pricing structure must sustain you through good and bad times.](https://speckyboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/freelance-decisions-02.jpg) ## How to Manage Client Relationships When it comes to working with clients, there are several key choices to make. Each one impacts your business in both the short and long term. Perhaps the biggest decision is whether to continue a client relationship after a project launches. Do you want to be in the loop for ongoing maintenance? Or would you rather hand off the finished product and move on? The path you choose has a direct effect on your finances and the type of clients you work with. Long-term relationships are a great way to produce [recurring revenue](https://speckyboy.com/recurring-revenue-web-design-business/) – but it also means more responsibility. Working on short-term projects, on the other hand, may mean keeping a fully-booked calendar so that you don’t miss out on income. It also limits your potential clientele to those who are comfortable with this type of arrangement. Then there are decisions regarding how you handle client requests, support, meetings, and project estimates. Together, they’ll determine much of how you spend your time. ![How you manage client relationships is a key factor in your business strategy.](https://speckyboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/freelance-decisions-03.jpg) ## Making Business Decisions (Without Too Much Trouble) Given my aforementioned phobia of decision-making, you might be wondering why I dedicated an article to it. There are a few reasons. First, it’s an important part of being a freelance web designer. Indecision in some areas can lead to major struggles. Let them go for too long and the choices may be made *for* you – instead of *by* you. And there’s no guarantee that you’ll like the result. In addition, I’ve found that it’s possible to improve decisiveness over time. By thinking about and preparing for these decisions, you can gain more confidence in your ability to make them. This makes the process a bit easier. And even if things don’t work out, there’s often a chance to revisit your decisions. You can change your pricing structure, adopt a new workflow, or tweak client policies. We all make mistakes. The bright side is that most things aren’t set in stone. Therefore, if you’ve put off some important decisions for too long – it’s time to think about taking a stand. If I can do it, so can you! ## Related Articles - [How to Increase Revenue From Your Existing Web Design Clients](https://speckyboy.com/increase-revenue-existing-web-design-clients/) Learn effective strategies to boost your revenue from existing web design clients, including upselling, cross-selling, and offering additional services. - [Your Web Design Business Has Grown: How Do You Manage Legacy Clients?](https://speckyboy.com/web-design-business-manage-legacy-clients/) One thing you may not expect with web design business growth is the continued pull of legacy clients. So, how can you keep old clients happy while forging ahead? - [How Freelance Designers & Developers Can Be Their Own Advocate](https://speckyboy.com/freelance-designers-developers-own-advocate/) Freelancers do not have a team to back them up when a client pushes limits. We cover client boundaries, payment rules, business hours, scope creep, and how to raise issues before they get worse. - [How to Deal With Your Ego as a Designer](https://speckyboy.com/dealing-with-your-ego-designer/) Every designer must learn to deal with criticism and their ego because suggestions and opinions often prove helpful to the design process. - [Should a Web Designer Ever Provide Discounts?](https://speckyboy.com/should-web-designer-provide-discounts/) Discounting services is not really a good move. But, there are some scenarios where it does make sense to offer a lower price for services. ## Related Topics - [Design Clients](https://speckyboy.com/topic/design-clients/) - [Freelance Business](https://speckyboy.com/topic/freelance-business/) - [Freelance Career](https://speckyboy.com/topic/freelance-career/) ## Written by Eric Karkovack Eric Karkovack is a web designer and WordPress expert with over two decades of experience. You can visit his business site [here](https://www.karks.com/) . He recently started a writing service for WordPress products: [WP Product Writeup](https://wpproductwriteup.com/) . He also has an opinion on just about every subject. You can follow his rants on Bluesky [@karks.com](https://bsky.app/profile/karks.com) . [Read more articles by Eric Karkovack](https://speckyboy.com/author/erickarkovack/) --- Top This page may contain affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, we may earn a commission from any purchase via the links on our site. You can [read our Disclosure Policy](https://speckyboy.com/affiliate-disclosure/) at any time.