Guide to becoming a successful freelancer
How often do you hear about someone who is making a living without doing only freelance? Are you one of those who wants to quit their 9-to-5 and ‘go freelance’ ? And why not? Going freelance means you’ll be master of your own destiny and that’s got to be a good thing. The bad news is that you will be pitching yourself against a slew of other skilled people who have already made the leap to freelance-ville. The good news is that there’s a huge gap in the market for quality freelancers and it’s just waiting to be filled. Follow a few simple guidelines, and the next successful freelancer could be you, regardless of the field you choose.
Getting Started
One of the reasons why you’ve probably thought about freelancing is that you are relatively much more skilled in a certain field than your peers, or maybe forcefully due to financial considerations.
Either way, there are a lot of fields you can pick from, given the current information technology boom.
Some of the common fields that you could opt for are:
And a lot more… In fact, the number of categories on one of the most popular sites Elance.com is massive…
So…with so many options to choose from, I’m sure there’s something for everyone!
Where to find Jobs
Below I will list a few of the popular freelancing job directories, which are useful to both the buyers as well as the sellers.
Custom Web Design and Programming. Freelance Programmers. Outsource Web Development Outsourcing
GetaFreelancer.com is one of the most active Freelance websites, with hundreds of new projects posted daily and thousands of active freelancers. With topics ranging from Website Security to as diverse as Telemarketing, there is something for everyone.
Guru.com - The world's largest online marketplace for freelance talent.
Guru.com also boasts of a wide plethora of job resources for both job seekers and employers. They aim to make the process of posting and seeking a job easy to attain maximum efficiency and satisfaction.
ScriptLance.com Custom Freelance Programming. Outsource web projects to programmers and designers.
Scriptlance is dedicated to those who are primarily looking for work in the web design/development industry. Projects range from custom PHP programming to full website design. Both part time and Full time jobs are available.
Guidelines
I mentioned about a few simple guidelines in the introduction to this guide, I will enlist them below. Even though they are not the be-all and end-all to freelancing, they are your key to becoming a successful freelancer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is my first ever article for TE, I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing the same
Even though this falls short of the minimum word requirement, I hope the TE management will not disqualify it :hap2:
Freelancing is an excellent way to earn especially while you are learning, and I did not realize it's potential when I started, but slowly I've come to realize its amazing scope. If you've got the skills, why not flaunt it? :cool2:
Note to mods : I couldn't upload the doc file as it was exceeding the maximum file size permitted, please let me know if I can PM it to you.
How often do you hear about someone who is making a living without doing only freelance? Are you one of those who wants to quit their 9-to-5 and ‘go freelance’ ? And why not? Going freelance means you’ll be master of your own destiny and that’s got to be a good thing. The bad news is that you will be pitching yourself against a slew of other skilled people who have already made the leap to freelance-ville. The good news is that there’s a huge gap in the market for quality freelancers and it’s just waiting to be filled. Follow a few simple guidelines, and the next successful freelancer could be you, regardless of the field you choose.
Getting Started
One of the reasons why you’ve probably thought about freelancing is that you are relatively much more skilled in a certain field than your peers, or maybe forcefully due to financial considerations.
Either way, there are a lot of fields you can pick from, given the current information technology boom.
Some of the common fields that you could opt for are:
- Writers / Bloggers
- Webmasters
- Programmers
- Photographers
- Web / Graphic Designers
- Artists / Illustrators
- Interpreters / Translators
- Proofreaders
And a lot more… In fact, the number of categories on one of the most popular sites Elance.com is massive…
So…with so many options to choose from, I’m sure there’s something for everyone!
Where to find Jobs
Below I will list a few of the popular freelancing job directories, which are useful to both the buyers as well as the sellers.
Custom Web Design and Programming. Freelance Programmers. Outsource Web Development Outsourcing
GetaFreelancer.com is one of the most active Freelance websites, with hundreds of new projects posted daily and thousands of active freelancers. With topics ranging from Website Security to as diverse as Telemarketing, there is something for everyone.
Guru.com - The world's largest online marketplace for freelance talent.
Guru.com also boasts of a wide plethora of job resources for both job seekers and employers. They aim to make the process of posting and seeking a job easy to attain maximum efficiency and satisfaction.
ScriptLance.com Custom Freelance Programming. Outsource web projects to programmers and designers.
Scriptlance is dedicated to those who are primarily looking for work in the web design/development industry. Projects range from custom PHP programming to full website design. Both part time and Full time jobs are available.
Guidelines
I mentioned about a few simple guidelines in the introduction to this guide, I will enlist them below. Even though they are not the be-all and end-all to freelancing, they are your key to becoming a successful freelancer.
- Portfolio: As a professional freelancer, you would need to setup your own portfolio. Keep your portfolio up to scratch: You could be the world’s greatest designer but if no one knows about it, you won’t make a penny. A bio or resume and cover letter would also help you apply for work and give you the added edge over others. The best way to remedy this is to create a really good portfolio web site. Your portfolio site should be simple HTML (unless, of course, you’re a Flash expert in which case you’re allowed to go to town with Flash). Your site should have simple navigation; do away with anything fancy, confusing or unusable. The key is simplicity. Make it easy and quick for potential employers to learn what you’re good at and how to contact you. If web design is not your cup of tea, you could hire some web designers to set it up for you for a small fee depending on your needs. Make your site reflect you and your skill. Ensure that you have examples of the full range of work you are capable of. If you can work on web application interfaces just as easily as print media then ensure that you show examples of both. If you don’t have any examples from paying jobs, create some and put them under ‘personal work’. And please, please, spell-check your site and re-read it at least once to check that the text makes sense. Spelling errors make you look unprofessional.
An example of a freelancer’s site is InCosmos.com, which is run by a friend.
He offers paid forum posting, script installation, articles, directory submission and a lot of other services. His site can be taken as an example of how to go about setting up your own portfolio website. - Contacts: Network, network, network  This point is relevant for whichever field you are in today. Unless you have the right contacts, it can difficult for you to climb up the ladder. You can pretty much treat any situation as a networking opportunity if you are genuine.
- Promotion: Promote a cause  This can be anything from a political or social cause to gathering funds for a relief campaign. Be careful with this one though. Only promote causes that you believe in and are passionate about. If you’re not genuine it could backfire on you.
- Blog: Add a blog to your site  You may think that you have nothing to write about, but you’d be wrong. Each of us has something about us that it interesting to others. You might start a blog about trying to go freelance, or starting your own business, or the software you use. Try to make it something related to the field you are freelancing in, so that you attract like minded people to your blog, which in addition will help you boost your network.
- Seeking Work: Pro-actively seek work  You’d be surprised at how many times I’ve seen a freelancer approach a potential employer with an idea and get hired. Make a list of the brands, or agencies, or the people that you want to do work with and go after them! Just remember, be positive and always think about “What’s in it for them? What do they need?†and try to meet those needs. Be warned though, being proactive doesn’t mean it’s okay to stalk people.
- Be contactable: Always, always keep your mobile phone charged and in your pocket. Your phone is your lifeline. If a potential employer wants to get hold of you for some work, make sure they can reach you. This is important early on when your schedule isn’t fully booked yet. A busy employer probably won’t call again after the first time so make sure you’re available. And always answer the phone in a professional manner; either say your name, or your company name.
- Be cheerful: This may sound obvious, but I’ve met a lot of freelancers who are miserable. Let’s face it - no one wants to work with someone who is negative and difficult to get along with. The more friendly, easy-going and positive you can be, the more work you’ll find walking through your door. In general people will like you and want to work with you. Just be your self, and treat your clients well so that they come back to with more work and refer their friends and contacts too.
- Skill set: Continually improve and expand your skills  Whenever you’ve got a bit of spare time, brush up on your skills or teach yourself some new techniques. This will be especially important for web designers and developers, as the technology is always changing and updating. A great man once said that you are 25 percent worse than you think you are, and your competitors are 25 percent better than you think they are. With this in mind you can never improve yourself too much.
- Be Different : Most business strategy comes down to one of two approaches: doing things differently, or doing different things. Few businesses have the luxury of being the only player in a market, so doing things differently will be the only way to differentiate themselves from others in the field. Identifying that area of uniqueness leads to planning and strategic action. Most people recall first and second placegetters in a class and, after that, only those that differ in some way. Few people who are just starting out in business can be number one or two: most have to rely on being recognised for their differences.
- Project Management: Are you the kind of freelancer to keep a notepad next to you to jot down tasks? I like to take the organized approach and use a project management tool to make my life as a freelancer much easier, both for me and for my clients. I use an excellent tool called BasecampHQ.
There is a free version of this application which allows the management of a single project, however to upgrade the pricing is very reasonable. Ideally, I use BasecampHQ to keep logs of my clients projects, to manage tasks and keep track of milestones such as starting a project, completing a project, I use it to upload preview of concepts and revisions, and most of all I use it to keep in constant regular communication with my clients, of course in addition to IM, Email and Telephone and in some cases meetings. As a freelancer growing by the day I strongly recommend this tool. Yes it costs, but it’s a cost you’ll soon notice the benefit of incurring. - Do it : The most important two words for people in this line are "Do it". Having the best plans, the best advice, and the best intentions are essential qualities; but if you never do anything, nothing will happen. Always stay calm and focused. Yet gaining a reputation as a "do-er" is easy -- just do it!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is my first ever article for TE, I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing the same
Even though this falls short of the minimum word requirement, I hope the TE management will not disqualify it :hap2: Freelancing is an excellent way to earn especially while you are learning, and I did not realize it's potential when I started, but slowly I've come to realize its amazing scope. If you've got the skills, why not flaunt it? :cool2:
Note to mods : I couldn't upload the doc file as it was exceeding the maximum file size permitted, please let me know if I can PM it to you.
