You’re a library services professional. How can you increase your earnings and flexibility?

1 Identify your niche

One of the first steps to becoming a successful self-employed, consultant, or freelancer in library services is to identify your niche. What are the specific areas of library work that you excel at, enjoy, and can offer value to potential clients? For example, you might specialize in cataloging, metadata, digital preservation, information literacy, collection development, or library management. You can also focus on a particular sector, such as academic, corporate, nonprofit, or government libraries. By defining your niche, you can position yourself as an expert and attract clients who need your services.

4 Set your rates

Another key factor that affects your earnings and flexibility as a library services professional is your rates. Your rates are the amount of money that you charge for your services, either per hour, per project, or per deliverable. You should set your rates based on your skills, experience, value, niche, market demand, and expenses. You should also consider your personal and professional goals, such as how much income you want to make, how many hours you want to work, and how much you want to invest in your business. You should also research the rates of other library services professionals in your niche and location, and adjust your rates accordingly.

5 Manage your projects

As a self-employed, consultant, or freelancer in library services, you also need to manage your projects effectively. Project management is the process of planning, executing, monitoring, and closing your projects with your clients. You should use project management tools, such as calendars, spreadsheets, invoices, contracts, proposals, or software, to organize your tasks, track your progress, communicate with your clients, and deliver your results. You should also set clear expectations, scope, deadlines, and feedback mechanisms with your clients, and handle any issues or changes that arise during the project.

6 Grow your business

The final step to increasing your earnings and flexibility as a library services professional is to grow your business. Growing your business means expanding your client base, increasing your revenue, improving your skills, and enhancing your reputation. You can grow your business by asking for referrals, testimonials, or repeat business from your existing clients, by marketing your services to new clients, by increasing your rates or offering new services, by taking courses, webinars, or certifications to update your skills, and by joining professional associations, networks, or communities to connect with other library services professionals and learn from their experiences.