Why solopreneurs don't have to chase retainers
And why project-based work might actually be the safer bet
When I first started my freelance writing business, I assumed I should find clients who would put me on retainer. The appeal seemed obvious: steady income for me, predictable working relationship for the client. I even knew how to structure retainer agreements based on my prior roles at marketing agencies.
But a few months into a solo career, I was willing to take any work that came my way. Which was primarily project-based work, not retainers. I quickly built a business based on ad hoc assignments from many clients, rather than relying on a few.
The conventional wisdom would say that I was “doing it wrong.” Every solopreneur forum, coach, and freelancer community says the same thing: lock in recurring clients. But after three-plus years of running my solo business on almost entirely project-based work, I’ve found the opposite to be true. Chasing retainers isn’t the only path to a sustainable solo business… and it might not even be the best one.
