A freelancer or freelance worker is a term commonly used for a person who is self-employed and is not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. The idea is very enticing because you have the control and it’s very fulfilling indeed. A freelancer can also be a self-employed person offering services in different areas where free music, writing, acting, computer programming, web design, translating, illustrating, film, video production, and other forms of work is more accessible as ever and the hunting of potential audience of a certain field is a piece of cake.
But one must also determine your vision and mission on why you are doing freelance. There must be reasons right? So it is really essential to assess yourself first.
- What are your reasons for wanting to freelance?
- What kind of work do you want to be doing?
- What kind of hours do you want to be working?
- Do you want to be able to work from home or are you happy to commute and travel to clients’ offices?
- What kind of income are you looking for? (It won’t be enough to match your current income as you need to take into consideration the added costs of your business expenses as well as things like taxes and health insurance.)
Since you’re managing your freelancing work alongside an existing job, you’ll need the discipline to do all this on top of your current workload. Sticking to a more-or-less regular routine of working on your priorities every day will help you make progress and not feel overwhelmed with everything that needs doing. This practice will also help you once you leave your job and start freelancing full time, as then you’ll really need that structure and discipline if you’re to get anything done at all.
By the way, discipline doesn’t just mean doing the work but also managing your health and wellbeing and taking proper breaks and time off!
There are several perks to working as a freelancer, including:
You Can Begin Today
If you’re fully aware of your skills and potentials, then you’re ready to join the arena of freelancing and get started! Crack your bones and look for clients. Establish a network or media platform that will bridge you towards the potential clients. Impress them as often as you could but for beginners, lapses are unavoidable but don’t stop studying or learning new things to enhance your skills. Be adaptive and flexible with workloads that your clients will give you and be firm.
Accessibility
In freelancing, you don’t have to go out of your room or build an office with employees around you. All you need is a gadget (laptop, computers and mobile phones) and internet connection. It would be very convenient for you because you are the boss of your own home-based office and it will give you more time for yourself because you’re just at home.
Control
You have all the control of your time as long as it is convenient. You can start working with your craft anytime as long as you can finish it on time. With this, you can choose your schedule. You can work whenever and where you want. To cut the chase, you are the boss. But, too much freedom and control will be the barrier of being productive. So it is really a big challenge for you to get your self together and start working to finish your craft.
High demand
Freelance is at its promising trend and clients are dying to work with freelancers due to its accessibility. Hence, the world of freelancing is very competitive so you have to be at our best so that your clients will rely more on your craft than your competitors.
Pick and choose clients
While in the beginning you may take any client that will hire you. It takes time to build your name on freelancing and you have to be patient on it. As you grow, you can choose not to take on complicated works and clients.
Freelancing is not easy but with commitment and talent. You may also want to consider creating a profile on freelancing sites like 99designs, Upwork and Freelancer (or another site that’s specific to your niche). Platforms like these will help you showcase your portfolio and attract new clients.
