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The 80/20 rule (also known as the Pareto principle) says you often get 80% of results from 20% of your actions. In business, that means you get 80% of sales from 20% of your clients, and for a freelancer, 80% of your work comes from 20% of the things you do to get work. It’s a nice theory, but contrary to what it sounds like, that doesn’t mean you should stop doing the other 80% of the things you do to get work. Here are a few reasons why as a freelancer, you shouldn’t rely on it completely.
- You need a long trial to know whether the formula is actually adding up. Let’s say you started posting on Instagram recently to gain more clients, but you’ve only made a few Instagram posts. Even though you haven’t gotten many (or any) new clients in the last few months, you don’t necessarily want to stop posting. You may just have to train the algorithms by posting more often, or more regularly, and build your following. Persistence is the key to achieving any goal.
- If the work you are getting isn’t nearly enough to put food on the table, you’re going to have to change something. 80% sounds like a lot, but you might need to increase your work by 200% to actually make it profitable. Keep looking for new clients.
- Things change. Trends change and clients change. Always keep on top of trends and look toward the future. Anticipate things that could affect your clients’ wants and needs.
- There may be good reasons to keep doing the things that aren’t necessarily getting you the bulk of your work, like personal fulfillment or community building. While they might not lead directly to work, they may make you better at the work you do, and you may enjoy the job more.
If the 80/20 rule is working for you and you are able to see consistent results, you’re in a great spot! Until then, don’t underestimate the power of trial and error.
Thanks for reading!
Rebecca H. Lee
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