6 tips to confidently navigate your freelancing career
Being self-employed is much more comfortable than doing a 9-5 job in formal pants inside the stuffy cubicle. With a freelancing career, you work whenever you want, with worthwhile clients, and you generate your income. At times you earn much more than a regular job can offer you. However, it is not as easy as it seems. Because we are so used to being told what to do, being independent may sound confusing or even a little scary.
We all know it’s not an easy decision, with too many doubts, questions, and so much of uncertainties, cultivating in the mind whether to start or not. And, today if you are reading this, it means you are still wondering how to start your freelance life.
So, here we are breaking six tips that will help you to start your freelancing journey.
- Find your reason to start
The first thing to discover while starting a freelancing career is why you want to start working on your own. What is that attracts you to try this lifestyle? If you are already working in a regular job, why do you dislike it? If you have your freelance job what would you do differently?
Take ample time to discover the reason behind your freelance career. That reason will give you enough energy to start and will serve you well when challenging situations come along on this exciting journey.
- Organize your finance
The financial management is another focus of attention. As professionals, the issue of money is very relative to the freelancer. If you do not usually work with medium or long term contracts, it may be that in one month you make a lot of money and in the next, you have no activity to do. So the most viable thing would be to save to support at least six months of expenses. And, the stress of money should not affect your performance as an independent.
In addition to this, it is very much essential to reduce unnecessary expenses. For instance, you can rent a part of your house, or you can sell what you do not need. Still, if you think you need more money, do not hesitate to take a part-time job. That will give you enough free time to use it in your freelancing project.
- Dedicate yourself
Succeeding as a freelancer requires a lot of focus and dedication. Being the boss, you should know how to deal with deadlines while managing your resources and expenses. It doesn’t matter if you are working at night, morning or dawn, sitting at your desk, sofa or in the hammock in the middle of the forest. It’s just that you have to create your work routine while being aware of the deadlines and the demands of the clients.
- Build your resume /portfolio
To stand out in the market, you need to show your work. For this reason, it is very much essential to have a good portfolio while making your resume attractive with all the work you have accomplished. In case, if you have no commissioned work to show, then include your projects or college write-ups in your portfolio. That’s what will value you, whether you are an entrepreneur or a freelancer.
Besides this, you should also keep your portfolio updated, because, in today’s super-connected world, people need to know where to find you.
- Go in search of customers
Without customers, there is no business. For those just starting, it is necessary to reach the public so that your work can be recognized. In this case, a good option is to attend events in your area: in addition to an opportunity to network and find partners, it will also act as a great place to prospect customers.
Another possibility is to ask your friends for help, either to indicate it by word of mouth or by leaving business cards (perhaps in exchange for a small commission to encourage you). The important thing is to keep the cost-benefit in mind and to know well about your target audience to whom you will offer the services.
- Learn how to relate with the audience
The freelancer is someone who, in addition to producing the service, also negotiates directly with customers and suppliers. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to relate to all types of audiences with knowing their ages and social classes.
More than that, it is essential to gain the customer’s trust. If the customer is satisfied with your work, then he will hire you again and will also recommend you to work on other people’s projects.
Wrapping Up
The transition from full-time work to a freelancer can be time-consuming and a real challenge. But if you reduce the risk, stay motivated and make sure you have safety nets, the transition can become a series of painless procedures that lead you to land the dream job you’ve always wanted as a freelancer.