Simple tips: how to become a successful freelancer

I work in the field of graphic design and freelance for about five years. I said “about” because I didn’t have a specific start date, just things went on as usual. Probably the deciding factor that influenced my decision to become a freelancer was the prospect of stopping working for someone else. And I have never regretted the decision taken then myself to be at the helm.

I would like to share what was useful for me and what can help you start a freelance career. It will suit web designers, computer graphics artists, photographers, and anyone who does business.

Plan your days

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We perceive time as something infinite. We amuse ourselves with the thought that there will always be more hours, more days, more months, more years. On the road to achieving success in freelancing, let me give you one piece of advice: you should never underestimate the importance of an action plan.

Being a successful freelancer means that you yourself are in control, and therefore it only depends on you whether you will follow the planned course or not. When more work comes up, the schedule and scheduling of your days becomes even more important. We all know this feeling when the approaching deadline with a sword of Damocles hangs over his head. You understand exactly what I mean. This can be easily avoided if you systematically build your work: to know what is going on and when. Find time in the week to make your task list, setting out your goals for the next few days, and stick to it!

Be focused

It is very important to know in which direction your career or business should move, and not go astray. There is no point in aimless work for the sake of the work itself. In order to go the intended path and be focused on your goals, develop a business plan. Understand what services you can offer to your clients, what is your circle of potential clients and how best to get them. Do not forget to include in your business plan goals, financial requirements and how you plan to achieve these goals.

Thomas Ingrassia (Thomas Ingrassia), a former higher education official who joined freelancing and now works as a manager in the entertainment industry, said:

“I know that now I am engaged in the work that is important to me. And I am the one who is responsible for my work, I am the one who controls everything and makes decisions. And this is what helps me to be focused and motivates me to continue my business. ”

Create your own website or blog

Want to look more professional? Create your own blog or website. It should serve as a bridge between you and your clients, as many are looking for freelancers on the Internet. But do not forget to regularly update your blog. It is important to show your potential customers that you are an active freelancer so that they do not go to competitors.

Create your brand

Together with the development of the site create your own brand. If you want your business to stand out from the sea of ​​others for potential clients and employees, then you need to look professional. Creating a brand should follow an understanding and a clear vision of what you want to achieve in your work and therefore it is important not to forget about the level of quality that suits your customers. During the creation and development of your brand, do not be afraid of small failures, look for new markets.

“I always felt weird working online and selling myself, but I found it necessary. When I first started in this business, the rule read: "Let your work speak for yourself." This is still relevant. “You just need to market yourself and your experience,” says the former executive director of an online agency, now a digital nomad Tim Geoghegan.

For you as a freelancer, the presence of a brand is very important, because you are your brand. But do not be discouraged if customers do not knock on your door immediately after launching the brand. Be focused, keep working on attracting customers and remember that the main thing is quality, not quantity.

Manage your finances

Being a freelancer, you will quickly realize that the salary does not come to you every month as scheduled. Regardless of the size of your business, it is very important to be able to manage your finances. A good idea would be to install some accounting software for this. Start to save a part of your profit, because one thing is certain: when you get a good fee from one profitable client, you are tempted to waste every penny. But do not be fooled: there is a high probability that your profit for the next month will plummet. So save money!

Try to find a job that can give you a steady income. It is worth making an effort to find customers who will provide you with ongoing projects, even if you take less money from them. At the same time, art director Sheena Matheiken looks strategically at pay heights, arguing:

“Always settle for projects that you really like, even if they don’t meet your standard rate. If you choose your mind wisely, in the end, working for less money will give you more options. I mean that you can agree that by doing work for less, you reserve the right to be more flexible and carry out the project longer. Almost always it suits the customer. Customers appreciate that you are willing to lower your bid for them because you like their business, product, etc. And in the end, this leads to more work at your standard rate. ”

Social media is your assistant

For your business to flourish, it is vital to make connections. In recent years, the online world has become a place where you can get to know a huge number of people and acquire useful connections. No matter where you are, sites like Twitter can help you find customers all over the world. Creating your own name will take time, but having Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts can help speed up the process. Constantly look for contacts with those people who can ask you the desired motion vector or bring to potential customers.

Artist Moose Allen said: “I started posting tweets as an experiment. I tried to be original and witty and from time to time I published photos of my works. The number of my subscribers increased when two people with many subscribers recommended me. And soon, people started asking if they could buy works that I post online. Twitter is an incredibly useful tool for conveying ideas and products to people. For me, he became not only a social network, but also a creative mediator. ”

Create a portfolio

Along with promoting your brand and maintaining accounts in social media, do not forget to create your own offline portfolio. It is very important to have an impressive tangible portfolio if a potential employer wants to see your work with them. After creating your own brand, develop business cards for yourself, letterheads with your logo — anything. So you will be parallel to turn out your portfolio.

In your freelance portfolio there should be such work that you would like to focus on. It can be both the work that you did for clients and your personal projects. Self-created designs are often better than nothing.

You should also look professional. The fact that you are your own boss does not mean that you can afford to talk to clients as you please and then expect them to continue to work with you. You should look presentable: do not forget about respect for customers and basic courtesy.

Collaborate with your competitors

Competition is unavoidable. Therefore, it is better to know your competitors. The successful freelancer Leif Kendall (Leif Kendall) argues that you should strive for "the kind of job that would be best for your competitors." Do so that you stand out among them thanks to an active presence in the digital information space and attractive individual features of character.

Connect with those who are in the same conditions as you. They can help you cope with projects that are too big for you alone and may give you a job for which they have no time. Bonus: cooperating with those who work with your potential customers may be a good idea. For example, photographers can collaborate with wedding planners, computer graphics artists can cooperate with marketing consultants.

As a freelancer, you most likely work mostly at home alone, and therefore it is also important to maintain partnerships. This is a good way to avoid isolation for your own health, because loneliness can wear you down. Perhaps you should even consider renting a work space at a local coworking center to work among people for at least a short period of time. Many of the people you can meet there are freelancers like you, and they are more than happy to have the opportunity to communicate with someone they sympathize with, and even share knowledge and experience.

Don't be afraid to say no!

You should by no means suffer from your work. Learn the simple truth: another client - sometimes it's too much. Look at the volumes of your work and realistically assess the situation. If you take another client, will it affect the quality of your work? Your priority should always be to carry out your work at the highest level for the client or employer.

If your intuition tells you that you will not be able to work with a specific client, do not be afraid to believe your instincts and refuse. I guarantee you will not regret.

Aware - it means armed

It is very important for everyone in a creative environment. Keep your eyes open. This world is your inspiration. You never know what you meet on your freelancing road. No matter how hard it sounds, carry a pen and a notebook with you. Write notes about how and why a commercial poster or building looks great, how you feel when you look at them. Pay attention to changes in trends and even collect for example brochures or business cards from restaurants, coffee shops - from everywhere, collect everything that seems successful and innovative to you.

To become a successful freelancer means to seek creative inspiration in everything and everywhere.

Do what you love

In the realm of deadlines and long periods of unpaid labor, it is easy to lose the love of traveling into the world of freelancing. Regardless of their occupation, whether writing or design, freelancers choose this path because they want to do what they love. Do not forget why in the first place you decided on this. Even if you got customers who did not pay for your work, continue to improve your business and pursue your passion daily.

You are all you need to create your own prosperous business. So do not be afraid to rush into the pool with your head and start a freelance career. But first, think carefully about everything, develop your plan of action and at least conduct simple research!