How to become a freelancer

Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • How to start freelancing (or moonlighting) To start freelancing while you already have a full-time job, you’ll have to consider the following steps: Define your business goals Before you start freelancing, you’ll have to be honest with yourself, and answer an important question: • Is freelancing just a side gig? Or do you plan to expand it to a full-time business? The answer to this question will determine your next steps, considering that you’ll either aim to balance your full-time and freelance work, OR aim to work your way out of your current job to pursue a full-time freelance career. The answer to this question is your long-term goal. To pursue it, you’ll have to set a number of short-term goals and answer questions such as: • What niche will you specialize in? • What services will you offer? • What amount do you want to be earning on a monthly basis to decide to quit your full-time job (if applicable)? These are just some of the vital questions and short-term goals you need to work through to take your freelancing career off the ground. Find a perspective niche (and stick to it) No matter whether you’re a graphic designer, copywriter, developer, or anything in between by vocation, it’d be best if you were to specialize in a particular area of work: For example, If you’re a content writer, don’t aim to write about any topic under the sun, from Top 3 Ways to Prepare Your Garden for Spring to Taxation Laws in all...

Becoming a freelancer is a great way to start working for yourself. You can work for multiple employers at a time, hone a variety of marketable skills, and work as much or as little as you want. Even if you’ve never worked freelance before, you may be able to land a project if you know how to market yourself and where to look! Contemplate your marketable skills. Whether you’re a writer, photographer, mathematician, web designer, marketing guru, illustrator, scientist, or underwater basket weaver, there is probably a freelance job out there for you. What do you enjoy doing? What are your strengths? Make a list of everything that you think you could possible monetize. X Research source • Don’t write off any of your skills or passions. List everything that you think you’re good at, regardless if you’ve heard of freelancers doing it or not! Don’t limit yourself before you’ve started. Consider the market. While most skills can be effectively monetized, you probably want to consider early on who needs particular skills. If you want to make freelancing your full-time job, you may want to pick a skill that you think a lot of people would be willing to pay for, or at least broaden the scope of what you are willing to do. Conduct a little research on the marketplace before you get started. • For example, strong academic writers may find work easier than an expert on 15th century German footwear. Consider how many people will need what you’re selling, and decide if you can broaden yo...

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So you’re reading this because you want to become So you’re ready to dump that job and get cracking on your first assignment, right? Wrong. One of the biggest As our friend Leif Kendall aptly put it: “First: you must strive. Nothing good is ever easy.” I hate to break it to you, but working freelance means working. And I mean really working. Unlike your 9-5 cubicle, there is nothing cushy about freelancing, nothing stable about it until YOU have made it that way. But there are some simple secrets to becoming a successful freelancer which I am going to share with you in this blog post. Here they are in brief—feel free to select one to jump straight to it, or read on for the full story. • • • • • Using these steps—and a bit of determination—I’ve seen people get out of their desk jobs and start working comfortably for themselves in 30 days. If they can do it, so can you. As Leif told it: “Your first few days, weeks and months are probably going to be challenging, and likely to take everything you’ve got.” So what did I do when I first went freelance? Let’s be clear here, because what I did—what made me successful—was done BEFORE I went freelance, not after. Granted, my path to the flexible profession was abnormal. Having decided in college that “normal jobs” weren’t my thing, I used time in between studying and a karaoke bar job to set myself up. But when you read how I made the transition, you’ll realise that if you have any experience in your field at all, you’ve got it eas...

What Is a Freelancer? A freelancer is someone who offers their services for a fee and usually with no expectation of a permanent single client, although the working relationship can be ongoing. It's a form of self-employment, similar to operating a home business versus telecommuting. With that said, a freelancer can work as a contractor, as opposed to a home business. • Done on the side around your job, it's a way to generate extra income to pay off debt or save for a rainy day. • It's affordable to start if you already have the skills and equipment to do the job. • You can start quickly. As soon as you find a client, you can start getting paid to freelance. • It allows for greater independence over a job. • It's often flexible, allowing you to work part-time or during off-business hours. • A • A website that tells about you and your services, and includes a portfolio of your work, and testimonials. • A LinkedIn profile. While all social media can be a great resource to network for freelance work, LinkedIn is an online resume located in a place where professionals connect. It's also a great resource for ​finding freelance jobs. • A dedicated business phone or cell phone number on which prospects can reach you • A business card. • Amenuof services and yourfreelance rates. There are many great freelance sites to find work, including Upwork (formerly Elance and oDesk), Guru, and Freelancer. You can also look for freelance work on sites targeting your skill—for example, Toptal...