How to start working as a freelancer?
Do you want to break into the adventure of working as a freelance, leave your stable income, vacation, hours of 8 hours for the convenience of your home, work in pajamas, freedom and flexibility of hours but still do not know where to start despite having taken the decision will share some factors to consider to start.
A couple of weeks ago at a meeting asked me how I start working as a freelancer? My answer was simple: take the decision to do so. But surely there are more factors to consider to start. I think it is important to be clear what the significance of being freelance, so you lose things like that win.
10 challenges of being freelance
- To publicize your work: you must work hard to publicize your work and find customers interested in doing projects.
- Portfolio of work: If you do not have one, because it will be necessary to design your cover letter with your customers.
- Revenue: not safe or stable each month, you get used to be a lot of months and other income that may not receive anything under the projects you get. Optimize your resources and organize your finances.
- Organization of time: you must have discipline to work, organizing to meet the proposed guarantee and optimize it for more projects.
- Billing / taxes: You must resolve all legal matters in your country in relation to work independently to avoid problems with the client or legal matters.
- No work, no pay: you must change your mindset now working to guarantee an income based on your effort, you can not kill time as they did in the office and receive your payment, no freelance work does not get paid.
- Price just: put a fair price to do that work and negotiate with the customer is always a challenge, study your market, learn how to sell your knowledge and ability at the right price.
- Confidence: You must earn the trust of your customers to ensure more or recommendations for future work. Your reputation will create confidence in the people I work with.
- Proof: If there are months in which no projects have not lost the spirit, being freelance is a challenge that only people can do with consistency and perseverance.
- Holidays: spend a long time without having to strike a balance of income, learn to put some other things to achieve.
You should be aware that being is not only a freelance job or lifestyle, it is also an attitude towards the profession. When you work for a company and do bad work responds to the customer who is the company that you work when you’re freelance is that your reputation is always at stake.
10 steps to start as a freelance
Let it be clear that there are no formulas to begin with, there are people who have never had a boss who are accustomed to working independently. On the other hand, I know people who have spent years working for the same company and they want change but do not know how. So if you want to start your whatever they are working to evaluate some tips:
- Assess your skills: Do not try to sell something that you’re not, are very aware of your skills and expertaje to offer your customers safely.
- Set up your portfolio: you can not sell websites if you do not have a well designed, if you do not have many designs or developments so that the least worthy of admiration.
- Create stationery support: the presentation cards are never over, it’s always good to bring you an all your information to contact you.
- * Choose a work area is important because it is the place to spend much of your time, try to be comfortable and have the basics to work.
- Optimize your resources: the beginning is always a bit difficult, so it seeks to optimize everything: money, clothes, budget, energy, connection, etc.
- Find customers: any meeting, dinner or event may be the time to find customers, try to be prepared.
- Meet with your time: you’re not a fan of wanting to impress by offering less time than traditional, remember your reputation is at stake.
- Set goals for the short, medium and long term will give you an overview of what you want to achieve and not to lose courage.
- Evaluate your budget if you want to start this process, take a PROCUP you provide financial support in case of emergencies.
- Do not miss the drive, if several months pass and things do not go as expected, be aware that this is indeed the challenge, to assess how these flaws and try again.
Share your experience
As I commented at the start, there are no formulas for freelance work but certainly the experience of many can enrich our perspective. Part of the points they share are based on my experience and that of those who have worked with me. So we invite you to share your experience in comments and answer concerns How to start working as a freelancer? What was most difficult to start your freelance work?