12 simple and powerful tips for successful freelancing

Working for yourself has its own set of rewards and can be extremely lucrative. Being self-employed means being responsible for the money that you make and the amount is dependent on your ability and the kind of work which you’ll do.

Since the pandemic, many individuals have turned into freelancing to earn an extra income. In this article we’re going to give you several important tips on how to boost your career as a freelancer.

12 simple tips on how to become a successful freelancer

Becoming a freelancer isn’t an easy task. It’s like managing a business only your employee is you. The money you make will depend on the kind and amount of work that you do.

1. Plan of action – As a freelancer it can be very easy to take long breaks and blame it on not being able to find work. When you have a detailed plan of action in place, you will likely work according to that. Create various plans of actions based on your daily goals, your weekly, monthly, yearly and 5 plans. It’s also important to set realistic expectations and plans otherwise you’ll be disappointed when your plans don’t come to fruition.

2. Build your own brand – Building a brand takes time and requires resources before people start recognizing you for your work. As a freelancer, look for ways to enhance your CV. Ask yourself questions like is this the best way to build my website, how do I make my blogs better, how do I gain more visibility. Everything you put online is a means of acquiring more business and hence more money as a freelancer. Clients are more likely to hire those who have a proven track record so get those positive reviews so that you can gain clientele even through word of mouth advertising.

3. Be wise when quoting your price – When it comes to freelancing work there are mainly two types of payments that are done. Hourly and per project basis. You know the amount of work that goes into the completion of a project. The opportunity for a client to nitpick and negotiate an hourly rate and for the client to make comparisons about the work and the time it takes in its completion. Having said that, you know what works best for you as a freelancer so decide on a payment method that’s comfortable to you.

4. Setting up a system that works for you – Throughout your freelancing career, there’ll come many obstacles which you’ll have to overcome and things become 10 times more difficult if things haven’t been organized properly. Set up systems such as an invoice system, mark dates on your calendars, track your work record and find a filing system that works for you and makes your life that much easier. Use calendars to mark important meeting dates or to mark work events. These things will help you keep a track of the work that you’ve done and will also help when it comes to filing taxes.

5. Networking – As a freelancer, the onus of finding work rests on you. The more you network with your industry professionals the chances of you getting work increase. It’s also important to network with fellow freelancers as you can get many important job leads through them. While some of you may want to stay away from other freelancers from your industry, it’s a better strategy to work with them, build on their contacts and share the success rather than doing everything alone.

6. Learn to say no – It may be tempting to say yes to every work offer than comes your way but know your limits. It’s better to say no to a project while already working on something and giving it justice rather than taking on multiple projects and giving none of them any justice. Also, try to visualize how you want your work to be and focus on doing work related to that. You’ll have to adapt and change a few things along the way, however don’t completely stray off topic because it’s difficult to achieve success when being pulled towards multiple directions.

7. Make sure to have the terms and conditions written down – This point is often overlooked by freelancers when it shouldn’t. When you get on board with an agency or a client, make sure to have the terms and conditions of the work written down tight down to the payments. One problem many freelancers face is the issue of payments. A lot of the time payments are delayed or employers give less amount of money that was agreed upon. To save yourself from situations like these, it’s always better to have a written contract rather than a verbal one.

8. Create an LLC – While this may sound extreme, here us out. LLC or a limited liability company is a business structure wherein owners aren’t personally responsible for their companies debts or liability. An LLC will separate your business finances from your personal belongings and finances. This is just a precautionary step freelancers must take incase you get sued by the client. Another advantage of creating an LLC is that it makes taxing things much easier and also manageable.

9. Attend networking events – One way you can get more work is by attending networking events in your field. You can attend seminars, conduct seminars where you get to interact and connect with those from your field. Be on the lookout for events where you can meet potential clients. Once you are at these networking events, don’t shy away! Your main purpose of being there is to talk to as many people as possible, getting them interested in your work and making an impression.

10. Do a thorough research on your competitors – Spend as much time as you can getting to know your competitors. How they brand themselves on social media, how they find work and while you’re at it, also do thorough research on the kind of clients you want to work with. Getting an idea of what they’re looking for may give you ideas on how to better market your work and will eventually help you in acquiring new projects and clients to work with.

11. Set boundaries and take care of yourself – As freelancers it can be tempting for it to take over every aspect of your life and ignore the other essential things. Don’t let freelancing and overworking ruin your physical and mental health. Working up until the point of exhaustion won’t help you or your loved ones. One great thing with working as a freelancer is that you decide your own working hours and can therefore take breaks whenever necessary.

12. Don’t quit your day job immediately – If you’ve just started work as a freelancer then right now isn’t the right time to leave your day job in pursuit of becoming a full time freelancer and the reason behind this is that freelance work doesn’t guarantee you money every month like a day job does. Day jobs provide stability and a regular income source. You can only quit a job on good terms once you feel completely settled as a freelancer.

In Conclusion –

As with new things there will be a certain amount of getting used to this lifestyle. Working as a freelancer has its own set of advantages and disadvantages as does any other line of work. Freelancing will give you the freedom a regular 9-5 job won’t provide and it’s probably one of the reasons why more and more people are opting to be working as freelancers rather than just full time employees.

Ruby Smith is a career and productivity copywriter who believes in the power of networking. She’s passionate about blogging and writes web content for a variety of clients. She is currently dedicated to Online Jobs Academy as a gig worker, she understands the benefits and challenges of the industry. Blogging about education and career regarding ideas to grow is something that she loves doing.