The coming weeks therefore offer a valuable opportunity to strengthen your positioning as a freelancer.
Below you can read how to prepare yourself in the final 1.5 months of the year for a strong, attractive and professional 2026.
1. Update your professionalism and visibility
Clients are looking for freelancers who have their affairs in order. Now is the time to:
to professionalize your LinkedIn profile;
to update your portfolio with recent cases;
to collect references from clients from the past year;
to clearly describe your expertise again.
Visibility is no longer a luxury—it is part of your foundation.
2. Ensure your compliance before 2026 begins
With the increased attention to employment relationships and self-employment, a watertight foundation is more important than ever. Therefore make sure that you:
has up-to-date model agreements;
clearly distinguishes between independent work and employee status;
you can demonstrate multiple clients;
you have your own general terms and conditions.
When your foundation is in order, you are more attractive to large organizations that want to reduce risks.
3. Strengthen your soft skills, they are crucial
Hard skills get you in the door, but soft skills keep you at the table. Clients are looking for freelancers who can collaborate within multidisciplinary teams, communicate proactively and show responsibility. Think of skills such as:
stakeholder management;
manage expectations;
team communication;
flexibility and problem-solving ability.
A small investment in training or reflection now will pay for itself directly in 2026.
4. Secure your digital work environment
Security awareness is becoming a hard requirement for more and more clients. Make sure that you:
works with strong passwords (or a password manager);
are aware of phishing and data risks;
you have properly secured your equipment and cloud environment;
follows protocols for privacy and data storage.
Professionals who can demonstrably show that their digital security is in order are selected more quickly for strategic projects.
5. Make your financial foundation future-proof
Prepare yourself for the new year by creating clarity:
update your rates for 2026;
analyze your cash flow;
reserve for taxes, insurance and pension;
send out overdue invoices immediately.
A financially sound professional inspires confidence, exactly what major clients are looking for.
6. Work on your energy, rhythm and sustainable employability
Vitality is more than a trend—it determines how you perform.
Take the time to reflect on:
your work-life balance;
your energy level during projects;
where you got stuck in 2025;
how you want to work sustainably in 2026.
A well-rested and resilient professional delivers higher quality and continuity.
7. Build your network, right now
The last weeks of the year are perfect for warm, low-threshold connection:
congratulate clients on achieved milestones;
send a business year-end greeting;
plan introductory meetings for januari in advance.
Relationships determine opportunities, especially in the world of the self-employed.
The self-employed professional who looks ahead leads the way. En Circle8 is happy to support you with that. The next 1.5 months are a strategic advantage. By paying attention now to your professionalism, compliance, skills, visibility and finances, you'll start 2026 not only stronger, but also more attractive to large clients.
