What “freelancer” means?
Freelancer is a person who works independently and is not committed to a particular company.
Freelancers work for different clients.
Their work is often short-term.
Usually, freelancers earn their salary per-job.
They can be paid by the hour or by daily rates.
Freelancers are often working in the creative industry.
Examples of freelancing jobs are designers, writers, photographers, web developers, etc.
Positives and Negatives of Freelancing Jobs
Freelancing has become extremely popular these days.
It offers various opportunities that traditional employing jobs don’t.
But there are two sides to every coin.
Positives
Working as a freelancer means that you are your boss.
You can create your working schedule – you decide what is most important and when to do it.
You don’t have someone to tell you what to do all the time.
There is no need to go to the office.
You can enjoy the comfort of your own home. This can save you both money and time.
No need to dress up or to pay for public transport.
If you still prefer to go out, there are a lot of quiet coffee shops.
When you become more successful, you will be able to choose the projects you want to work on.
You will have the freedom to do what you enjoy!
But have in mind that when you are starting, you can’t afford yourself to be way too picky.
As you keep developing, things will turn the other way around!
Negatives
If you are not organized, motivated or self-disciplined, freelancing will most likely be hard for you.
Making your schedule sounds fun and easy until you have to do it.
You have to learn to prioritize your most important tasks.
But it can be difficult to do so when everything seems important.
You won’t have paid vacations or sick leave. There will be times when you will have to work during the holidays or when you feel under the weather.
Unfortunately, self-employment comes with less stability.
When you work by yourself there is a big chance that every month is different from the other.
One can be very prosperous and the next can be the exact opposite. Clients may be also hard to find sometimes.
Freelancers have to take responsibility for their taxes – incomes, outcomes, etc.
They don’t receive benefits and have to set money aside for their retirement fund.
5 ways to be the best freelancer possible
Put yourself out there
If you want to be a successful freelancer it is very important to be sociable!
You have to search for clients and offer them your work.
Tell everyone you know about your new job. Show that you are ready to take on projects.
Stay active online. Make a portfolio website.
Put every bit of information that can help attract clients. Attach pieces of your work.
The same rules apply to your social media accounts.
Update your website and your profile on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Meetup, Quora, Instagram.
Try to be active in the real world too.
Participate in events where you can meet people from your field.
Talk to them and exchange contacts and social media accounts.
Know your worth
You have to know how much to charge your clients. It must be fair to the quality of work you offer.
The hours you spent working also count. Think about how much your time costs.
If you can’t decide how much you should take, compare your prices to those your competition offers.
If your new freelancing business is close to what you have worked before, you can make a fee similar to the salary you have received.
Whatever you decide, you must stick to it. Do not accept lower-paid offers. You deserve the money!
Set boundaries
Freelancers often forget that they are humans too.
Work can be overwhelming and never-ending.
Therefore, it is important to make sure you take proper care of yourself.
Define your working and your resting hours.
When a client wants something during your free time, feel comfortable to say no.
People need to respect you and your rules. Everyone deserves their time off.
Try to look after yourself. Working from home does not mean neglecting your health.
You still need to eat healthily, work out and go outside.
Most freelancers work on their computers without letting their eyes rest.
This can lead to different diseases.
If you want to prevent them, you can download Iris software- a life-changing program.
Iris blocks the blue light which your screen emits.
It identifies if it’s day or night automatically.
Based on this, it changes your color temperature and brightness.
You can customize the program the way you want.
Choose from the different types (health, sleep, reading, etc) and modes (automatic, paused and manual) that Iris offers. Iris has a free version, so you can give it a go.
Improve
You should never stop improving.
The competition is big. There is always someone who will do anything to take your clients.
Never underrate what the others are capable of. We live in a very hectic environment.
Everything changes in the blink of an eye.
Surprise your clients. Show them that you can do more than they thought.
Of course, that does not mean to overdo yourself. Be ready to hustle and bustle.
There is always something you can do better. Renew your website and your social media content.
Make the product you offer the best one on the market.
Try to improve your communication skills since they are your main weapon.
You attract clients when you know what to say, how to say it and when.
Don’t waste a minute
As we already said, one of the most important things in freelancing is to make your schedule.
Try to be as productive as you can. You have to learn to limit distractions and use your time wisely.
Understand what you have to do first, what are the things that matter.
If you work from home, distractions may be endless.
For this reason, try to work in a coffee shop or to rent an office in a building.
For being more productive, you can download the software we’ve already mentioned.
When you have a good night’s sleep, you will feel refreshed in the morning and ready to take on the world.
This will boost your productivity levels.
Conclusion
It is no surprise that freelancing has become so popular these days.
It offers flexibility and freedom. You can work in the comfort of your own house without rules.
But things are not that simple. Being a freelancer can be harder than a traditional job.
There are way more obligations and risks.
You will have to be extremely productive and ready to make a lot of sacrifices.
However, if you want to succeed in the freelancing world, you have to be determined and consistent.
Plan ahead, understand that there will be both rough and prosperous periods, be creative and don’t give up!
Everything is possible!
Author: Anna Tsaneva
