Scroll through LinkedIn or Reddit on any given day, and you’ll see the same complaints on repeat:
Freelancers: “I can’t find clients who don’t flake, underpay, and micromanage.”
Businesses: “I can’t find freelancers who don’t flake, overcharge, and underdeliver.”
Or put another way…
“It’s impossible to find good work right now!”
“It’s impossible to find good people right now!”
Is it, though?
I don’t think so. And as someone who hires and gets hired, I see exactly why this happens—and how to fix it.
1. Yes, people are flakier than ever.
But not for the reason you think.
Some say attention spans are shrinking. I don’t buy that. Our brains haven’t changed—we’re just drowning in way more distractions than before.
That client who was about to sign but suddenly ghosted?
Maybe his car got stolen and he’s dealing with insurance hell.
(This actually happened to me last month.)
That freelancer who vanished mid-project and won’t answer emails?
Maybe they found a better-paying client and decided you weren’t worth prioritizing.
Sounds harsh, but the reality is…
2. You need to be someone worth focusing on.
And the key, in my opinion, is borderline delusional confidence.
I’m not talking about “faking it till you make it,” although that’s good advice too.
I mean looking like you have your stuff together. Because whether you’re hiring or getting hired, people size you up in seconds.
If you’re a business and post a vague, lifeless job description with unclear expectations, you immediately signal to top freelancers that you have no idea what you’re doing.
Which means you attract bargain-bin talent.
If you’re a freelancer and you send a generic, copy-paste pitch, you look like every other desperate applicant.
Like this one:
“Hello sire, I would like to help you with your project. I have ten years of experience in [PROJECT]. I graduated with an English degree from blah blah blah…”
Sorry, but this reads like 90% of the proposals in my inbox.
And the people writing pitches like that? The ones complaining there are no jobs? They don’t realize…
3. Money still moves—even in a “bad economy.”
Yes, the bottom 20% of broke, unstable, barely functional businesses are tight on cash. They weren’t great clients to begin with.
But the other 80%?
They can’t afford NOT to spend money.
Like this guy:
“Looking for a professional, expert-level market researcher. Money is not an issue. I need the best to work on this, people who really know what they are doing.”
MONEY IS NOT AN ISSUE.
I was one of 21 applicants, and he hired me.
Then he KEPT hiring me for more work.
Why? Because his problem mattered. And when a business has a problem worth solving, they will pay to solve it.
Want Better Clients or Better Freelancers? Fix Your Bait.
If you’re struggling to attract top-tier talent to your business, ask yourself:
- Are you signaling that you know what you want?
- Are you writing a job post that attracts top professionals—not bottom-feeders?
- Are you making it clear why working with you is worth it?
If you’re a freelancer who wants better clients, flip the script:
- Are you writing pitches that stand out, or sounding like everyone else?
- Are you positioning yourself as someone worth hiring—or just another option?
Most people won’t fix this. But if you’re not most people, I can help.
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