So, you want to be a freelancer? Welcome to the show. You won’t have a boss, you won’t have work hours, and you can do everything from the comfort of your own home. You will have deadlines, though, so you’ll have to make the deals yourself.
Being a freelancer is immensely challenging work, especially when you’re only starting. Freelance work is now more popular than ever before, and that is because it’s appealing, profitable, and comes with its fair share of benefits.
If you’ve decided you want a piece of the freelancer pie, you’ve made a good choice – now it’s all about getting yourself out there with the greats. In this article, we’ll talk a bit about freelance work, what it takes to be a freelancer, and how you can become a freelance professional in no time at all.
Why would you want to be a freelancer?
If you’re looking to become a freelancer, you’ll need to know why first. A lot of people become freelancers because they’re tired of being in the wage cage. A freelance job will give you a lot of freedom, but it’s not as great as it’s made out to be.
Freelance’s most popular professions are web design, writing, graphic design, web development, and translation. Many freelancers don’t have sick days and will have to learn an entirely new set of skills to get jobs, not to mention the many rivalries they face daily.
For developers, freelancing can even be more profitable than the traditional office career. According to statistics, the average web developer salary is just over $75 thousand a year. The average hourly rate for a freelancer is $60. Thus, if a web developer was to work 8 hours a day, they could make $480.
If you’re wondering how to get paid to write online, you might also want to consider becoming a ghostwriter. You’ll have solid, likable characters with real, believable backstories with lots of little fun details for you to riff on. With enough assignments, it is possible to earn much more. However, there are certain downsides. There might be times when things are slower, and you won’t get as many projects to work on. Nevertheless, with enough experience, you can make more as a freelancer.
With enough assignments, it is possible to earn much more. However, there are certain downsides. There might be times when things are slower, and you won’t get as many projects to work on. Nevertheless, with enough experience, you can make more as a freelancer.
How to start?
Once you’ve settled on a niche and profession in the freelance world, you’ll have to start the process by establishing yourself. Make sure to create all professional social media handles on platforms like Quora, Medium, and LinkedIn, and a profile on the freelance websites such as Freelancer and Upwork and turn your name into a brand.
Now, if you’re a web designer, you won’t need the same media and content as, say, a content writer, so make sure to stick to your profession’s target media.
If you don’t know how to do this, more than a few tutorials are available on the internet and even other freelancers that will help you gain an edge among the competition.
When you’re just starting, you’ll have to do things for glory first. That means charging slightly less, so you build up a reputable worksheet and gaining connections as fast as possible.
What goes into being a freelancer
Now, before you start turning the big bucks, you’ll have to know what goes into being a freelancer in the first place. Aside from a completely new job environment, you’ll have to adapt to the new rules as well. You’ll need to be prepared to spend a lot of time building your career and be laser-focused on becoming the best in your field and using the right tools for the job.
Time
There is a lot of time that goes into establishing yourself as a top-tier freelancer. You’re practically starting your career from scratch, no matter what your prior experience is. If you have experience in the field, that would be great for building up your portfolio, probably via positive reviews.
You’ll have to do a lot of jobs for far less than they’re worth to establish a big, clean, and positive review sheet. A good review sheet will give your future customers something to see and establish you as a hard-working, legitimate, and determined professional.
Determination
Determination is also a monumental art of freelance work. Freelancers don’t have it as easy as you might think. While fixed working hours are bye-bye, you’ll have to follow all kinds of deadlines, no matter how insane. Making a good deal helps, but at one point or the other, you’ll likely get swarmed with work.
You will need to keep your head up high and your eyes on the prize. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your freelance career.
Tools
A good freelancer always has a toolkit that reflects their professionalism. If you’re a writer, this means using plagiarism and grammar checkers. If you are a developer, you will likely have to juggle multiple tools. For instance, Trello is a great tool for anyone looking for a way to manage their tasks. Essentially, it is a project management app allowing you to manage everything neatly. It will do wonders if you collaborate with other developers or web designers. You can all update each other and coordinate assignments for the most productive workflow.
If you are a freelancer, you might get new tasks whenever, regardless of whether you are on holiday or sick. Thus, certain situations might force you to work under unexpected conditions.
Additionally, since staying at home can become rather tedious, you might go out to popular hangouts and do most of your work there. However, be wary when connecting to public Wi-Fi offered at coffee shops or other locations. They might lack protection and transfer all your data in an unencrypted form. In such cases, tools like Atlas VPN can help. It is an application that protects your traffic and identity, allowing you to work safely wherever you are.
In Conclusion
Being a freelancer is dynamic, exciting, and challenging work. If you remember all the top-tips from this article and remain diligent and disciplined, we’re sure you can carve out a part of the freelance market for yourself. However, always ensure that you stay true to your talents. Request equal and well-deserved payments for your tasks. Additionally, be sure to pick partners that do not make outrageous or unrealistic requirements.
