As you are on this precious article, we assume you already decided to go for freelancing as a full time job or even part time. Actually we all know that with all the preparation, marketing and follow-up work involved in setting up as a consultant or contractor, it can be a challenging career to launch into.
Anyway, it’s your lucky day, we have everything you need to know about getting started as a freelancer in one place, but surely you need the below attributes to go on.
Your self-management
One sure thing as a freelancer is that, you’re your own boss. You as a person get to choose your workload, your schedule, your dress code, and every other aspect of how you run things.
And apart from that, freelancing isn’t a vacation. Surely it’s up to you to make sure you keep your clients happy, keep track of budgeting, seek new clients, and negotiate rates. You may find that keeping on top of everything means you work double some weeks and very little others.
Your Location
The fact that you aren’t beholden to a single company or boss, surely you may be able to choose to live anywhere as a freelancer and even travel while working. And while some freelance jobs may require you to be near your clients, it’s possible to find clients wherever you go.
Obviously, many of freelance work is done digitally, and which means you can be totally remote, with clients worldwide, and live and travel wherever you please while getting them all done conveniently.
Be aware that this post will walk you through everything from coming up with an approachable niche to setting the right rate for your services. In the last few decades, the freelance economy has grown by leaps and bounds and it shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
In fact, there are now more freelancers than ever before; according to a study by Intuit, there are approximately 42 million Americans who have freelanced in some capacity in the past year as of 2016.
And while these numbers may be surprising to some people, they shouldn’t be – because freelancing has so many benefits that it almost makes sense that it’s become so popular in recent years.
What Exactly Is Freelancing?
This particular freelancing is the process of working for oneself or for multiple employers without a permanent contract. Freelancing offers the freedom to work from anywhere and choose projects that interest you.
Also we have many different types of freelancers, such as contractors, consultants, and independent contractors. Some common freelance jobs include Graphic Design, Web Development, Digital Marketing, Copywriting, Content Creation and much more. And We hope you’re enjoying this article, now let’s move to the crazy guide to successful Freelancing.
1. Just before you start freelancing: know who you are and what you’re offering
The most important part of successfully pitching yourself to potential clients is knowing who you are and how you can help them. You’ll have more luck finding clients if you’re able to clearly define your niche and the services you can offer to people within that niche.
Again you’ll also need to be able to show prospects how you can help them. And with all this in mind, here are some questions to ask yourself at the start of your freelance journey.
What again are your core strengths? – What are your core values? – What do you want to achieve as a freelancer? – What is your favorite type of work? – Who would benefit from your services the most?
2. Define your niche and plan your marketing
The first thing is that you need to define your niche and then decide how you’ll market yourself to prospective clients. What’s your unique selling proposition? What problem do you solve for your clients? What’s your biggest strength? What’s the pain point you solve for your clients? What’s the main thing you provide to your clients?
Ad then, you need to think about how you’ re going to reach out to your target market. And you can do that in two ways, with an online portfolio and with targeted marketing.
3. Also focus on Personal Productivity
Also being productive is the most important thing you can do as a freelancer. This might sound obvious, but it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that “I’m great at this!” or “I’ve always been this way!” and therefore don’t need to take steps to improve your productivity.
And it’s easy for us to get discouraged when we’re not getting results right away, especially if we’re just starting out as freelancers. But if you really want success as a freelancer, then there are things that will help increase productivity, and they don’t come from anywhere else but within yourself!
4. Create a Killer Portfolio
Be also aware that you can write a 100-page website copy, but the most compelling way to prove you’re a good fit for your clients is through your portfolio. It shows what you’ve been working on in the past and what you’ re capable of doing right now.
And don’t have to have a ton of experience to get clients and start earning money — but you do need to have a stellar portfolio. – Make sure you’re showing off both your past work and work in progress. In addition, be sure to link each project to its corresponding client or business so you can promote them as references.
5. Then decide on your rate and find out what you’ll earn per hour
During freelancing is all about setting your own schedule, but it’s also about setting a rate that’s both profitable and approachable to your clients. First, you’ll want to consider your expenses — including your monthly bills and how you plan on covering your living costs.
You also need to factor in your taxes, retirement savings, and other expenses. You also need to consider how much time you’ll be spending on each project and how much time you’ll be spending looking for new clients.
6. Also be Proactive in Finding Clients
One of the biggest mistakes freelancers make is waiting for clients to come to them. Instead, you should be proactive in finding opportunities and marketing yourself as a freelancer.
There are many ways to find clients:
Look for opportunities on social media platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook that may lead to new clients. You can also post job listings on sites like Upwork, fiverr or Freelancer, although these are less likely than other types of search engines because they’re not as comprehensive (and some people think they’re scams).
If you already have connections with people who work in similar fields and industries, ask if any of their colleagues would be interested in hiring someone like themselves—they might give feedback on your skillset too!
7. Always Be Closing!
It’s important to always be closed. This means that you’re actively seeking new clients and working on getting more work. If you’re not pursuing new business, then how can you expect to grow your existing client base?
You don’t have to be aggressive in asking for referrals or raises— but it’s okay if you are! You don’t want someone who is afraid of asking for what they want. They may end up with less work because they never ask questions or make demands while their competition has already taken the lead on these things.
However, if someone takes the initiative themselves and feels confident enough about their abilities as a freelancer then this can lead them towards increased success in both quality of life and financial status as well (more money = better lifestyle).
If you are interested in starting a career as a freelancer, it’s important to know that there are many resources available online. In fact, there are even more books and articles about freelance work and there are people who do it!
The Final Thoughts
So now after everything above, what’s your next step? Well first off, congratulations! You’re about to embark on a journey that many people never make because they don’t have the knowledge or experience necessary to succeed in this industry.
I need to tell you that the next thing is taking action; start by investing in yourself with your available resources so that you can better focus on your work. And of course finally, always be closing, i need to also remind you no one will ever love you if they don’t know how much time and energy you put into making them happy it also goes as vise versa.
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