Launching a freelancing career is one of the best things in the world because you are your own boss. With that said, it takes a lot of hardwork to be successful! If this is something you’ve dreamed of doing, then here are 10 actionable tips to lead you to successful career as a freelancer.
If you’re done working for a boss, it could be time to go freelance.
The internet has driven a self-employment revolution. Around 16 million people in the US rely on the so-called gig economy engendered by modern tech.
The appeals of freelancing are as obvious as its challenges. While you might need to work harder for a stable paycheck, there are plenty of benefits to being your own boss. With just a small amount of advance knowledge, you can even make those challenges easier for yourself.
Here are the top 10 tips for launching a freelancing career.
1. Employ Yourself
Before you start, it’s important to understand that freelancing means you’re employing yourself.
That means you won’t spend days idling in your pajamas. You’ll be an employee in your own workforce, so expect to work as hard as you would in a regular job. And because you’re running the show, you’ll probably have to work harder, too.
A freelance career is a challenge and brings its own kind of stress. You’ll need to accept it as simply a different form of work to find success.
2. Figure Out Your Taxes
Taxes might not be a popular topic, but they’re one a freelancer can’t afford to ignore.
Know where you stand with tax obligations for your country when you start a career in freelancing. Put in the research to determine what you’ll need to file and when. If you’re a part-time freelancer, you may also have to take that into account, as you’ll continue to pay taxes through your main job.
Make all your tax calculations well in advance of your filing date. Leaving it to the last minute might result in penalties if anything goes wrong.
3. Get On a Freelance Platform
Success in freelancing depends on your ability to get organized.
Using a freelance platform can help you track projects, manage your deadlines, and collaborate with clients. Keeping things organized when you have to remember everything yourself can be tough. A freelance platform can prevent embarrassment and costly missed deadlines.
4. Cultivate Professionalism
If you want your clients to take you seriously, you need to cultivate your professionalism.
You’re likely working in the online space. This means you’ll need to consider how you appear on social media, and what impression your site gives off. In an age where everything is connected, you don’t want your Facebook to let down your professional image.
While working freelance means you can show some personality, it’s also important to remember you are your brand. Without a company name to hide behind, everything you do reflects on your business.
5. Know What You’re Worth
Unless you want to be working low-balled projects forever, it’s important to know what you’re worth.
If you lack a portfolio, it makes sense to take some low-paying work while you get your business off the ground. But once you have some experience under your belt, you should take another look at what your skill is worth.
There will always be work snatched up by the lowest bidder. But the quality clients know they need to pay extra for work that meets a professional standard. With just a small amount of advance knowledge, you can even make those challenges easier for yourself and earn an above average salary.
6. Use Contracts
When you work as a freelancer, it can be a gamble just getting paid.
Some clients will go mysteriously quiet. Others will attempt to dispute what’s owed. That’s why it’s important to always have a contract in place.
The contract doesn’t need to go in-depth on the legalize. It simply needs to state the general terms of your work. You can find many freelance templates online, so tweak and change one so it fits your terms.
7. Build Your Network
As in the wider employment world, you need to fight hard to get an advertised job.
That’s why people value networking so much. Networking will get you opportunities that never appear online. You won’t have to fight for them, and you’ll be working with clients who take what you do seriously.
Don’t be afraid to reach out and get your name out there. In an online world, that doesn’t even require you to leave your home – sites like LinkedIn can make powerful networking tools.
8. Have a Development Plan
If you’ve worked in a professional culture before, you might roll your eyes at the idea of a performance review. But keeping an eye on your overall development can keep you growing.
It’s easy to stagnate as a freelancer. By setting your goals on paper and then measuring them every few months, you can take small steps toward your larger objectives.
That allows you to continue growing your business. Over time, you’ll see a better class of work from more professional clients who pay respectable rates.
9. Build Your Portfolio
Clients might be reluctant to hire you if they don’t know your skills and expertise. Building a fantastic portfolio is the way to make it happen.
If you’re new to freelancing, your portfolio might seem patchwork at first. But as time goes on, you’ll develop your specialties and hone your portfolio so it reflects what you do best.
That’s the best way to capture more specialized clients and develop your own niche. Once you’ve established a niche, you’ll have access to a higher quality pool of clients who are looking for expertise, not dabblers.
10. Get Testimonials
A freelancer doesn’t have much more than their own rep and their portfolio to help win work.
This is why it’s important to get testimonials. These will set your client’s expectations before they contract with you. Testimonials give credibility to your skill and professionalism – and therefore the rates you charge.
Clients take on a risk whenever they hire a freelancer because they have no guarantee the freelancer will deliver the quality they need. Your testimonials can help reduce that risk, increasing your client’s incentive to work with you.
Launching A Freelancing Career the Right Way
These 10 tips should help with launching a freelancing career the right way. But freelancing demands a lot of learning, so be prepared to figure out what does and doesn’t work for you. With enough experience, you’ll have all the security of a regular job without answering to a boss.
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