Freelancers that do well in their chosen career specialism will often achieve based on their candor, their networking capabilities, their turnaround effectiveness and quality, and of course, just how easy they are to work with in the first place. That said, freelancing requires much of you, in fact, it makes you a personal brand that firms should look at using with enthusiasm. Here you will find simple and powerful freelancing tips.
This means you have to stay relevant. As a freelancer, you may not have many insider ties towards a certain career. That means you won’t have access to the research and development departments of given companies, you won’t necessarily have paid-for training by another firm (outside of that which you engage in yourself), and no company is going to look out for you to make sure you’re a lean, mean, competent machine and that you have relevant skills to offer right now.
Staying relevant as a freelancer, then, requires planning ahead for the future, never resting on your laurels, and fortifying your competence for the future. Here are a few ways in which you can achieve that:
Simple and Powerful Freelancing Tips
1.Maintain Your Technical Capabilities
One of the freelancing tips is to maintain your technical capabilities. It’s important to maintain your technical know-how and of course, the tools by which you use to interface with your work. For instance, freelancers that needed to communicate via video conferencing during the pandemic would be on the backfoot if their device laptop and webcam were below average quality.
Additionally, learning some fixes towards preventing your computer from running slow, and protecting your accounts is also key towards keeping your desktop environment robust and your availability as a freelancer maintained.
2.Keep Up With Your Industry
Freelancers often move on the periphery of industries they work in, and so it’s good for them to take a healthy interest in maintaining their familiarity with the latest trends, the biggest announcements, and the change in procedures that do generally come with time.
For instance, cybersecurity consultants need to keep up with the absolute best modern thinking and threats to security if they’re to make sure they have the sharpest approach to fixes, while graphic design freelancers need to understand how to operate the latest releases of Photoshop in order to stay relevant. This kind of training and familiarity must be intentional, and self-directed.
3.Always Question The Value You Offer
It’s important to question the actual value that you have to offer. You must be a no-brainer for a business to use. For instance, constantly updating your portfolio as a copywriter can help you retain your ability to gain work and show your relevance in the industry. Constantly taking on more challenging projects can help you grow. Undertaking courses to help you become newly accredited is an investment in yourself and your brand. This kind of approach requires forward-thinking and diligence, but it will help you stand out and retain your relevance.
4.Identify your niche
“In my industry, what do I excel at?” Your niche and the starting point for your freelance career will be determined by the answer to that question. It will assist you in branding yourself, finding clients and work, and, most importantly, focusing your time spent perfecting the right skills in order to maximize your return on investment. Identifying your niche is one of the top freelancing tips.
5.Frequent job boards and freelance websites
Getting clients to come to you will be difficult at first. Websites such as Upwork and SimplyHired will provide you with access to job boards with listings in your field, allowing you to select your own projects and display your portfolio. This is an excellent way to begin establishing a consistent clientele.
If you have no prior experience with freelance work, this will provide you with experience managing clients and payments, as well as more material for your portfolio.
6.Build an attractive profile
Any potential client is very likely to look at your profile. Aside from your real name and face, you should include as much other information as possible on your profile. Social media links, references, and basic bio information are expected, but this is also your opportunity to show some personality.
Wear as much of your personality as you feel comfortable with. It’s important for freelancers to stand out from the crowd, so don’t be afraid to show off a different side of yourself when you’re not working.
7.Ask for referrals
Be active and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Referrals are no different. When you complete a project with a client, ask them to recommend your services to others. Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful tool for growing your business. Don’t expect them to do it on their own. Take the initiative and bring it up yourself. Asking for referrals is one of the top freelancing tips.
8.Know your worth
There are numerous roles in the publishing industry, ranging from proofreaders to book cover designers. Rates can vary greatly depending on your niche and experience. Your first step should be to find out how much other people with similar experience charge for their projects. You can do this by talking to your peers or asking questions in forums.
9.Understand your cost structure
Some projects, by definition, require more work than others, and you should be compensated accordingly. This includes jobs that may necessitate more after-care, more rounds of revisions, or a greater amount of research, such as design or ghostwriting. Designing an ebook cover, for example, should be less expensive than designing a physical one because the former only requires the front cover, whereas the latter requires the front, back, and spine.
10.Learn To Be Polite
Learning how to communicate with your clients and write a professional email is essential for developing long-term relationships. But that isn’t all; you must also learn how to be polite.
Not all customers are generous and kind. You must occasionally deal with difficult and aggressive clients. Those who criticize your work and request changes. When dealing with such situations, you must maintain your cool and respond politely.
If a client says your work could be better, don’t start defending or complaining. Don’t even think about making excuses. Apologize politely, then return to work and begin again. The client will respect you not only for honoring their request, but they will also regard you as a true professional. Complain less and be more polite when dealing with customers.
11.Keep the clients updated
Authors are entrusting you with the work they’ve long hoped to see in bookstores, so it’s only natural that they’ll want to know how the project is progressing. Follow up on a regular basis to provide status updates. Keeping your client informed will save you time by preventing them from emailing you every day for updates.
12.Learn to say no
Be ruthless with distractions and activities that may interfere with your ability to complete the task at hand — this could include anything that takes you away from work during a time you’ve already set aside for it. You should even consider declining new projects if they will conflict with ones you already have scheduled. This may appear to be a bad idea, but good time management will result in higher quality work and better service for your clients. Learning to say no is one of the top simple and powerful freelancing tips.
13.Invoice wisely
How you will bill clients is critical information that should be clearly stated in your contract. Here are a few strong recommendations:
- With each project, request a down payment: a percentage of your total fee (up to 50%) to guarantee the totality of the payment.
- Use an invoicing tool and a payment gateway to automate the process, and be clear about your payment terms, including how much and when each payment is due.
- To ensure you get the full payment, require the full balance of the payment upon completion but before the project is delivered.
Final thoughts
Being a successful freelancer is all about being an expert in your field (a content writer who can’t write, for example, won’t get far), being able to learn on the fly, and being willing to try new things to get ahead.
It’s also about striking a good balance between planning and flexibility, as well as the connections you make and the reputation you establish.
All of these freelancing tips will be useful in not only planning your freelance career but also achieving – and exceeding – your objectives.
With these freelancing tips, we hope you can stay relevant as a freelancer and make the most of it over time.
Read also: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Successful Freelancer
