Top 5 mistakes new fractional professionals make

Going fractional for the first time is so, so exciting. You’re taking control of your career, your earnings aren’t capped by arbitrary salary bands, and you’ve got a sense of newfound freedom and autonomy to work in a way that suits you.

So fractional pros must all be living the dream, right? Unfortunately not.

Too many people throw themselves into fractional work, only to find themselves overworked, anxious about filling their schedule (or on the other end of the spectrum, overworked and burning out!), and lacking work-life boundaries.

Fractional work is on the rise (it goes without saying that we’re massive advocates), but sadly, loads of ‘newbie’ fractional professionals will sabotage their own fractional careers by making avoidable mistakes!

If you’re new to fractional work, or considering making the leap, knowing what not to do is just as crucial as mastering what works. Here are the top five mistakes we see people making, and how you can avoid faceplanting while taking your first fractional steps.
 

1) Underpricing from day one 

Mistake
A lot of new fractional pros, freelancers, and consultants struggle with pricing. If you’re used to applying for jobs the old-fashioned way, you’ll be used to having a little wiggle room around a listed salary, but otherwise probably haven’t given much thought to what you should charge. When starting out, many people instinctively go too low, assuming that lower prices will help land clients faster.

This can happen due to a lack of market research, fear of losing out on work, and underestimating the value of your own experience and results.

The fix

• Use our rate calculator to find a good starting point
• Research typical rates for your niche (don’t pick a value out of thin air!)
• Focus on value-based pricing instead of just hourly rates for your pricing strategy

Quick takeaway
Here’s the kicker: setting your prices too low isn’t just costing you money. It’s also signalling to your clients that you lack confidence, provide a lower quality of service, and don’t value your own services highly!

2) Saying yes to every project and client 

Mistake
When you go from a full-time gig to needing to find your own clients, you might be tempted to say yes to any work you’re offered. Not having anything concrete lined up can feel pretty spooky, and even when you start working with clients, you might find yourself accepting work, even if you don’t like the sound of the work or the client, purely out of fear that work might dry up in the near future. This can lead to messy client relationships, unfulfilling work, and burning out because of a lack of boundaries.

The fix

• Define your ideal customer profile (we cover this in The Fractional Career Blueprint)
• Politely decline misaligned projects or clients you think will be more headache than they’re worth
• Set clear boundaries in terms of availability and scope
• Learn how to say no gracefully, e.g. ‘I’d love to help, but I don’t have availability at this time.’

Quick takeaway
Saying yes to everything can lead to you feeling annoyed, overwhelmed, and burned out. Fractional work is about taking control of your career, so what’s the point if you end up doing work you’d rather not be doing?

3) Skipping the onboarding process 

Mistake
As a fractional pro, you want to hit the ground running and impress your clients. While you might be itching to get started, skipping over a proper onboarding can lead to problems down the line: such as scope creep, miscommunication, and invoice payment delays. Formally agreeing on expectations and processes might feel like it’s slowing things down, it is important to lay the foundation for a successful engagement.

The fix

• Create a simple onboarding checklist covering contract setup, expectations and scope
• Agree on your communication preferences and cadence, such as regular check-ins and messaging tools
• Use a tool such as Missive for streamlining your communications

Quick takeaway
Onboarding takes extra time up front, but ultimately saves you time and prevents issues from cropping up a few months into a project! Figure out how you want to approach onboarding with each client, then trust the process and stick to the plan.

4) Not building your pipeline of work 

Mistake
For a lot of fractional pros, we end up with periods of feast and famine; one month we’re working all out to keep up with client demands, and the next we’re panicking because we’ve got nothing lined up. This is the result of not having a solid client acquisition strategy in place, waiting around passively for opportunities to land on your desk rather than actively networking and marketing your services. 

A certain member of The Fractional Hub currently writing this blog may or may not be guilty of this…

The fix

• Figure out your content creation strategy, setting aside time to create LinkedIn posts or website content to increase your visibility
• Build a referral system to help generate inbound leads from your satisfied clients
• Get involved with The Fractional Hub; your network is a massive safety net, and a powerful tool for making connections with potential clients

Quick takeaway
If you set up a steady pipeline and build the systems that will lead to a steady flow of work, this means you control your workload, rather than just needing to take what you can get (this is relevant for point number two on this list).

5) Burning out by working like an employee 

Mistake
Some fractional pros fall into old habits and end up mimicking a traditional full-time job schedule, instead of embracing the flexibility that fractional work should offer. This might just take a bit of time to adjust your ‘employee’ mindset, but it can also result from a lack of clear time boundaries or a fear of missing out on opportunities. Maybe you’re fine with this, or maybe not, but in doing so you’re missing out on the fractional advantage.

The fix

• Use time blocking to manage your tasks efficiently, and make sure to set aside time for yourself. If you feel like you can’t go to the gym or take a walk in the middle of the day, can you really call yourself fractional?
• Set strict boundaries around work hours to guarantee that your free time is yours
• Consider using a time-tracking tool such as Toggl to make sure you’re not accidentally overworking

Quick takeaway
Fractional work isn’t just freelancing. It’s about structuring your work so that you have autonomy and control over your schedule, while also working efficiently and delivering results for your client. If you burn out, it’s all for naught!

Mistakes are part of the journey

It’s a cliché, but everyone makes mistakes; even seasoned fractional pros. The important thing is that you identify and fix these missteps early to ensure that your fractional career isn’t dead on arrival. If you can avoid these common pitfalls, you increase the likelihood of building a sustainable, successful career.

If you’re looking for deeper insights, join The Fractional Hub Plus to hear from other professionals on the same journey. We’ve all got our own horror stories and lessons learned, so come and join the conversation!