When it comes to making the leap into freelance work, there are several things to consider. It’s important to decide what kind of freelance work you’d like to do first.
In addition, you’ll need to decide which services or products you can offer that other people don’t already offer or know about. After that, you’ll have to decide how to approach potential customers and convince them that you can provide the best service at the most reasonable price.
WHO ARE FREELANCERS?
The term freelancer refers to someone who offers their services as a freelancer, such as writing, design, or development. What does that mean? The freedom and flexibility to choose the projects you want and turn down those that don’t fit into your schedule.
You can take time off when you need it, pursue your own interests and build your portfolio without compromising the quality of work. The only downside? You don’t get paid for vacation time!
THE STEPS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE FREELANCE SUCCESS
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
Many qualities make one a successful freelancer, but the most important is believing in yourself. You have to be confident in your abilities and not afraid of what people might say or think of you. The best way to find out if you should pursue freelance work is by asking yourself three questions.
- Do I enjoy the type of work I’m currently doing?
- Am I good at my job?
- Am I interested in pursuing freelance work?
If the answer to all three questions is yes, then you’re on the right track!
GET ORGANIZED
Getting organized can make all the difference in how successful you are as a freelancer. It’s important to create good work habits and develop systems that work for you so that you’re not wasting time on mundane tasks. These simple steps will help get you started on your journey from square one to freelance success.
- Decide what works best for you.
- Establish your boundaries.
- Keep up with your invoices.
- Set clear goals and timelines for projects.
- Find mentors and ask for feedback when needed.
- Utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and more! They’re all great ways to network with other professionals in your field or find potential clients and customers.
KNOW YOUR WORTH
Freelancers are often seen as expendable and easily replaceable. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. As a freelancer, you should know your worth and charge what you deserve for your work. Here’s how to figure out your worth and get paid accordingly.
- Determine your hourly rate.
- Decide on a ballpark estimate of the number of hours you’ll spend on an average project.
- Calculate the total cost by multiplying your hourly rate by the estimated number of hours it will take to complete the project. For example, if you’re charging $150 per hour and expect a project to take 20 hours, the total cost would be $3,000.
- Use that amount as a starting point when submitting quotes or proposals. If someone is offering less than your calculated quote or proposal price, respectfully decline their offer because they don’t appreciate your value.
- Consider setting up an email signature that includes your rates so that potential clients can quickly see them before deciding whether or not to reach out with questions about pricing or availability.
MARKET YOURSELF
Another step for successful freelance work is to market yourself. Your personal brand is the key that will open many doors. To have a successful career, you need people to know who you are and what you do. For this reason, social media is an essential part of your marketing plan. Using tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+, spend time developing your own personal brand strategy.
This means coming up with some ideas about the type of person you want to be, what message you want people to see when they look at your profile or read your posts or tweets, and figuring out which platforms will work best for this type of person.
STAY FOCUSED
It can be easy for freelance writers, designers, programmers, and other creative professionals to lose focus. When you’re not working on the project or client that’s paying your bills, it’s all too easy to feel distracted or unproductive. But finding ways to stay focused is crucial if you want your freelance business to succeed. Never take on more than one major project at a time.
This will allow you-or whoever is helping you manage your time-to-prioritize your work and do a better job at everything else in your life while also ensuring quality control on every project.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL AS A FREELANCER
It’s true that some people are afraid of failure and giving up, but taking risks and learning from your mistakes is key to success. In the long run, it will help you avoid making the same mistakes next time.
Many times we are unable to see what’s around the corner, or how much time we need for things like follow-up emails. When things go wrong and failure happens, know that we’ll be better prepared for the future. Freelancers must learn from failures and grow as individuals.
PERSEVERE
You’ve got the skills and the knowledge, but where does all of it lead? Don’t be discouraged if you’re at the start of your career. It can take a long time to get a job your first one. That doesn’t mean that you need to stop. Continue to apply for jobs or to send in proposals and you never know when your time will come.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LIKEMINDED PEOPLE
There is no better way to be successful in your freelance career than by surrounding yourself with like-minded people. Seek out groups of freelancers and network with them, or make an effort to connect with other freelancers online.
You may not be able to see their face, but you can feel their support. It’s also important that you make time for yourself outside of work – this will help keep your sanity intact!
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY
One of the best ways for freelancers to stay organized and on top of their work is by using social media. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin are not only great for staying in touch with potential clients but also provide an easy way to grow your business and find new opportunities.
I would recommend that you take a few minutes each day to update all of these sites. Not only will you be able to keep yourself accountable for keeping up with social media, but you will also have access to information about freelance jobs before anyone else does.
You might even be able to post about freelance jobs that you have open and fill them without ever posting them anywhere else!
Another great thing about social media is that you can use it to share what projects or jobs you’re currently working on without feeling too vulnerable or exposed.
It’s not uncommon for people looking for freelance help to do quick searches on Facebook or LinkedIn and see if there’s someone who looks like they might be available and who they might contact right away!
NEVER STOP LEARNING
It’s important to never stop learning. No matter how skilled you are, there is always more to know, always learn. This is because you never know when your skills will change or when something new and game-changing will happen in the industry that requires you to re-evaluate your strategy.
Plus, learning will help you maintain and grow your self-confidence. You’ll feel more confident in the work you produce and more confident in yourself, which can lead to higher self-esteem and better performance at work.
IS FREELANCING FOR ME?
Freelancing is an increasingly popular career path, but you should be prepared for the challenges that come with it. With these few steps in mind, you should be able to attain freelance success.
Some popular freelance platforms you can leverage on are upwork, guru, peopleperhour and much more.
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FROM SQUARE ONE TO FREELANCE SUCCESS: HOW TO MAKE IT AS A FREELANCER FAQ
How do I start myself as a freelancer?
It’s simple. First, you need to learn a skill if you don’t already have one, create a portfolio, define your target client and develop a strategy for finding clients.
What makes beginner freelancers fail?
The majority of the time, people struggle because they lack the discipline or business sense necessary to succeed as a freelancer.
What is the easiest freelance job?
Writing job, proofreading, translator jobs, data entry, virtual assisting, copywriting jobs, social media manager are some of the easiest jobs.
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