Common Mistakes Made by a Freelance Developer

You are a freelance developer at the beginning of your career and don't know exactly which way to go in order to achieve success. Your confusion is natural, because everyone knows that the success and failure are separated by a very thin line and very often, out of disinformation or misinformation, we can find ourselves taking a step on the other side of the line and putting everything we've worked hard for in jeopardy. A good way to avoid making mistakes is to know when to recognize them. Here are some of the most frequent mistakes a freelance developer tends to make:

1. Under-pricing. You are just beginning, building a reputation, and aren't exactly sure of what your professional worth is, so you are tempted to lower your prices. You must keep in mind that you should always be paid the deserved amount for your level of skills and experience, and you shouldn't be afraid to ask for it, even if it might mean losing a bid or two. You are better served in the long run.
2. Modesty. Yes, everyone's been telling you how much of a virtue it is ever since you've been born, but in a world where you have to market yourself, your skills and your image, modesty shouldn't take up so much space. Be confident in your abilities and your client will as well.
3. Feeling compelled to take on a great deal of work even though you don't have the time to do it all and you know it? Learn to say "no". Take a step back, because you need to realize that overexerting yourself and missing your employer's deadlines isn't doing anyone any favors.
4. Keep in touch with your past happy customers because you never know when new work or recommendations could come in. Don't be afraid to drop a friendly email or a card on special occasions. It's called PR.
5. Don't commit to one employer. Of course, the idea of stability might sound tempting, but once you are working exclusively for one person, the benefits of freelancing fly out the window, not to mention you might start missing out on great opportunities.
6. Getting sloppy. Yes, it's been known to happen. You can get tempted to rush through your work, or not to double check its quality once you have established a good working relationship with a client. It would be in your best interest (and that of your client) to lose this habit because nobody wants sloppy work, regardless of how long standing your working relationship is.
7. Try to understand your employer's wishes. Of course, you are being hired for your level of skills and experience but you always have to keep your employer's desires in mind, otherwise you risk handing in a final product your customer is not happy about.
8. Always communicate with your employer, leave no gray areas. It's in both your interests.