I want to tell you about the day I almost quit.
One week into freelancing, I sat staring at my laptop with zero clients, a half-finished portfolio, and a WhatsApp status I was too embarrassed to post. I remember thinking, “Maybe this freelancing thing just isn’t for me.”
Sound familiar?
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of doing this (and watching so many women in ScaleHer Circle go through the exact same thing): most mums don’t fail at freelancing because they lack skill. They fail because of a few quiet mistakes that nobody warns them about.
So let’s talk about them and more importantly, how you avoid them.
1. Starting Without a Clear “Who”
This is the number one thing I see. A mum decides she wants to freelance, picks a skill, and starts posting… to nobody in particular.
“I help people with content” doesn’t tell anyone anything. Meanwhile, “I help busy coaches stay consistent on Instagram without spending hours on content”, that’s a sentence that makes someone stop scrolling.
How to avoid it: Before you do anything else, get specific about who you’re serving. Give her a face. What’s she struggling with? Why would she choose you over anyone else?
2. Waiting to Feel “Ready”
I get it, I was there too. “Let me just learn a bit more.” “Let me perfect my portfolio first.” “Let me watch one more tutorial.”
Meanwhile, months pass, and the women who started messy are already booking clients and improving as they go.
Truth: You don’t grow before you start. You grow because you started.
How to avoid it: Set yourself a deadline, even an uncomfortable one. “I will reach out to 3 people by Friday” beats “I’ll start when I’m ready” every single time.
3. Treating It Like a Hobby, Not a Business
This one’s sneaky. When you’re not taking your own work seriously, replying late, missing deadlines, not having a simple process, clients pick up on it fast, even if they can’t name what feels off.
How to avoid it: Show up like the professional you’re becoming, even before you feel like one. Respond promptly. Deliver on time. Have even a simple system (a Google Form, a basic contract, a shared folder) so clients feel like they’re in safe hands.
4. Underpricing And Staying There
So many of us start cheap to “get experience”, which is fine, at the start. The problem is staying there. I did this for way longer than I should have, and it slowly drained my energy for the work I actually loved.
How to avoid it: Let your pricing grow with your skill. Review it every few months. If you’re fully booked and still exhausted, that’s your sign.
5. Going Silent Instead of Staying Visible
Here’s the rollercoaster nobody talks about: you get a few clients, get comfortable, stop showing up online or reaching out… and then the work dries up. Then panic sets in, and you scramble to find your next client.
How to avoid it: Consistency beats intensity. You don’t need to post every day, you need a rhythm you can actually keep up, even in the slow months.
6. Trying to Do It All Alone
Working from home can get lonely fast, especially when you’re juggling school runs, feeding a toddler, and trying to explain a client brief in the five quiet minutes you have. When there’s no one to ask “wait, is this normal?”, it’s so easy to quietly give up.
How to avoid it: Find your people. A mentor, a community, even one other mum doing the same thing, it changes everything.
The Bottom Line
Most mums don’t fail at freelancing because they’re not good enough. They fail because they’re figuring it all out alone, with no one to tell them what’s actually normal and what needs fixing.
You don’t need to have it all figured out today. You just need clarity on who you serve, the courage to start before you feel ready, and people in your corner when things get hard.
If you’re navigating this season and want that support, come join us inside ScaleHer Circle. It’s a free community of women building online businesses from home, and honestly, this journey is so much easier when you’re not doing it alone.
Click here to join us. I can’t wait to see you inside!
Which of these mistakes hit closest to home for you? Come tell me in the community, I’d love to hear your story.