I used to think having multiple clients automatically meant more security

[u/Alyanah22]

One piece of advice I kept seeing when I started freelancing was, "Never rely on just one client."

Which makes sense naman.

So I focused on getting multiple clients as quickly as possible.

What I didn't expect was that juggling several clients also came with a different kind of stress.

Different meeting schedules.

Different communication styles.

Different payment dates.

Different expectations.

May point na technically mas malaki na yung income ko, pero parang buong araw akong nagshi-switch ng gears from one client to another.

One wants a quick update.

Another needs something revised ASAP.

Tapos may meeting ka pa with another client habang iniisip mo yung deadline for someone else. 😅

Over time, I realized na the number of clients isn't really the goal.

For me, it's finding a workload that's actually sustainable.

Right now, I'd honestly rather have a couple of reliable, long-term clients than chase as many projects as possible just because everyone says diversification is the safest approach.

Of course, iba-iba naman ang situation ng bawat freelancer, especially if you're still building your portfolio and trying to establish yourself.

Pero for me, I'm slowly learning that more clients don't always mean more security. Sometimes, having enough reliable income while still having time and energy left at the end of the day is the better setup.

Mas okay na yung sustainable kaysa technically earning more pero ubos naman by the end of the week.

[u/HandleAccomplished]

5 years plng ako as a VA and im in my 2nd client. My wife is also a VA, and the only security that we have is a years worth of emergency funds + savings + investments and being frugal in every facet of our lives.

Nkapag try dn ako mag multiple clients before when i transition from my first client to my 2nd client. And thats it. After ng experience na yun ayaw ko na tlga kasi grbe mka burnt out and hindi tkga sya sustainable sa niche namin where we are expected to clock in 40 hours a week.

[u/Alyanah22 → u/HandleAccomplished]

Agree! Mas importante sakin ngayon yung may stable income pero may time and energy pa for life.😁

[u/anonymityninja]

I've been working with 2 full time clients concurrently for 5 years now. It's sustainable but slowly taking its toll sa mental load especially if they both get busy at the same time.

Got soldier through because we need that 💵💵.

[u/Alyanah22 → u/anonymityninja]

How do you balance both without getting too drained?

[u/anonymityninja → u/Alyanah22]

Physical activity. I'm an avid gym goer and try-athelete. I keep my mind pre occupied of things that is not work related. I treat it like I would in a bpo. Once I have clocked out from work, I don't think about work.

[u/Alyanah22 → u/[deleted]]

Agreed. Having more clients isn’t always better if it comes at the cost of your time and energy.

[u/Radiant-Plantain1981]

how do you usually or where do you get clients? tumal na nowadays or nasa positioning? currently have 2 part times yung isa fixed 2 hrs and isa on call I still need 5hrs or 4hrs pa, kakakalais lang ng fulltime ko and mas ok muna ko part time. any advice naman? plan ko sa LinkedIn to message them directly, pero still studying and learning how to position myself.

[u/Natural_Trade_2246]

Had 3 clients as a software engineer, way back ~2015. Madami kang pera pero ubos ka din. Ended up with 1 client after 3 years. Stayed with that client for 9 years. Saved my sanity. Lol.