What is Freelancing? How to start freelancing

Freelancing is a contract- based service in which you do not work for a company but give skill-based services to various clients and companies.

• You are self- employed.
• Your business model is service – driven.
• You are a solopreneur.
• You charge based on the project or number of hours or days.
• You can provide both short and long-term services.
• You will have to choose a freelancing work that not only excites you or matches your skill-sets but also has a demand in the market,

Steps to Start a Freelance Business

a. Define your goals:?

• A part from freelancing, you must have clarity about?your goals so that you can measure how much time you will spend on acquiring clients and doing your projects.
• You must have an idea about both short-term and long-term goals

.b. Find a profitable niche:

• In freelancing, more focus is on the quality and not money so ensure to give quality work.
• Try new things and tell clients about them and show them your work.
• This will help you in expansion.
• You can add new clients or can limit yourself to a few clients and give them your service

.c. Identify target clients:

• Find a niche of your freelancing and also who need the freelancing services in that particular niche.
• One can do this through research, online websites, or through networking.
• The objective should be to give quality and that too in a time bound manner.
• Therefore, find a perfect fit to work with clients.
• Find your clients by the following ways:

1. Target business for your services:

Look for the business that are interested in taking your services.

2. Business who can afford you:

Look for the business that can give you the right value/price?for your work.

3.Company decision-maker:

Know the decision- maker of the company.

4. Your growth:

Understand how you can grow individually while working with the company/client.

5. Future business:

Know?about how much business can get in the future from the company.

6. Benefit to you:

Know if the client is added to your portfolio, what benefit you will get?

??d. Set strategic price for services:

You will have to charge the amount for your work as per the value you are giving and not what your competitor is charging:

• At times, you might have to work at a lower price.
• But there are other advantages like working with a new company, and learning new type of work.
• Also, your skills and experience is getting better, and therefore, you can show some flexibility.

e. Build high quality portfolio website:

Make a website to display your projects as it makes a good impression on the clients you are targeting. To make a good website, these 6 things are important:

• Display your work
• Highlight your services
• Mention your contact information and personality insights.
• High light relevant skills, education, experience, achievements.
• Testimonials of?previous clients to increase the trust factor.
• Update your website with new projects and work of your clients

f. Learn how to pitch yourself:

• Irrespective of the fact that how good you are at your work, but keep marketing your strengths.
• Always keep your sales pitch ready and communicate it well.
• You should have a perfect elevator pitch to be sent on email or for a face to face meeting.
• The pitch should convey your value to the clients and he also gets an impression that you do your homework properly

.g. Do not mix day job priorities with freelance business:

• Do not violate contract norms:If you are working with a company and have a contract?with it that says you can not work as a freelancer do not breach the contract.
• Freelancing in office hours:
• Do not do freelancing work during office hours rather do it on a holiday or during weekends.

1. Rules of freelancing

1) Sign contract before working:

Whenever you sign a freelance project make a proper contract, and do not start working without it.

2. Decide payment Structure:

?Decide a payment structure so that the payments do not get delayed.

3. Business increasing opportunities- Existing clients:

As a freelance, you must understand that your business opportunities will only increase with the existing clients as it takes time to find and convince new clients.

4. Compromise with the price(if required):

If you have fixed a rate for your services, be flexible with it and work even if you are getting a lesser amount.

There?are more then 100 ideas for freelancing. Lets discuss a few of them:

1) Writing:

There are also various options in writing like:

• Blog writer
• E-book
• Fiction writer
• Web content writer
• Copy Writer
• Translator
• Proof reader
• Press Release writer
• Academic writer
• Resume and cover letter writer
• Product description writer

2) Designing

• Photoshop editor
• Website designer
• Photo editor
• Photo retouching
• Graphic/poster designer
• T-shirt designer
• Infographic designer
• CAD designer
• Vector designer
• Cartoon artist
• Banner designer
• Sketch artist
• Flyer designer
• Broacher designer

3) Consulting:

• Legal consultant
• SEO consultant
• Health advisor
• Parenting advisor
• Fitness advisor
• Career advisor

4) Video production:

• Short testimonials for social media pages
• Shoot?stop motion videos
• Video animator
• 3B model video

5) Audio production

• Audio editor
• Audio translator
• Music production
• Recording podcasts

6) Marketing:

• Presentation designer
• Online advertising advisor
• Content editor and manager for social media
• E-mail marketing designer
• E-mail outreach
• Experts for traffic generation
• PR submission
• Market research
• Branding service
• Review products Freelance as per choice?cooking videos makeup influencer, photography, etc.

Benefits of freelancing

1) Freedom:

• Do not need to travel to work.
• Freelancing can be done from any location like your home, coffee shop, etc.
• Do not have to deal with colleagues.
• Do not have to put up with corporate rules.
• Make your own decisions and live your life on your own terms

.2) Flexibility:

• Work-life balance is maintained.
• Can take a break whenever you want.
• Do not have to work for fixed hours.
• Freedom?to choose your own projects

3) Financial independence:

• Get the flexibility to manage your earnings.
• Reward yourself anytime by going on a holiday with family, adventurous trip etc. as you do not have to wait to get your leaves approved

.6. Websites For Freelancing

1) For general freelancing work:

• Flex Jobs
• Solid Gigs
• Fiver
• Upwork
• Cloud Peeps
• Indeed.com
• College Recruiter
• Freelancer.com
• Guru
• Service Scape
• Craiglis

1) For writers:

• Contena
• Blogging Pro
• Morning Coffee Newsletter
• Freelance Writing Gigs
• Journalism Jobs.com
• Freelance writing.com
• allindiewriter.com

2) For photography:

• raigslist
• The creative loft
• Photography jobs finder
• Photography jobs online
• Freelance photographer jobs

3) For marketing:

• Peopleperhour.com
• Remotive.com
• Aquent.com

4) For customer service:

• We work remotely
• Virtual vocations
• Support driven
• Through your networks

7. Tips to be successful freelancer

1) Write monthly newsletter:

Write regarding the type of work that has been done in the past and what is happening in the industry. You can send this to your network.

2) Share work samples with clients:

Share the samples with the clients once every 6 months to keep them updated.

3) Connect with freelance agencies:

List with these companies to find a relevant connection.

4) Work insights on Linkedln and website:

Update your Linkedln with your past work and also add the link of your Linkdlen and Twitter on your personal profile.

5) Ask for testimonials:

Ask your current clients or ex-bosses to write testimonials on social media as it helps in building the trusts of the new clients.

6) Develop new skills and tools:

Research about new skills and tools and use them in current work.

7) Always use We:

While making any deal, use the world we to give the impression that a team is working with you.

8) Show bundled price:

9) Call yourself a consultant:

Do so just to make an impression.

10) Do not lower your rates:

Unless there is a tangible advantage working with the client, do not lower your rates.

11) Offer 2-3 service packages:

Always give options so that the company can choose one as per their convenience.

12) Ask for feedback:

Feedback will add to the client impression regarding your seriousness related to the work.

13) Build friendly relations with clients:

It makes it easier for you to work

14) Invest time based on actual and potential revenue:

Divide your time amongst clients based on the actual and potential revenue.

15) Understand promise and over deliver:

Promise less and deliver more to meet the expectations of the clients.

16) Define a minimum acceptable rate:

Think about it and do not work below it.

17) Start with a higher price:

When sit for negotiation, start at a higher price.

18) Be available for calls:

Give them a clear message that they can call you anytime.