Have you ever thought about freelance work as a side hustle to earn extra income or as your main way of making a living? Many people do, for either of those reasons, including myself at one point in my life.
There are a number of benefits to being a freelancer. One of the most attractive draws is that it provides flexibility for your life and your career. Turns out many people love the ability to set their own schedule, be selective of the jobs they take (ones that bring them meaning and purpose) and in some cases, do freelancing from home.
Nonetheless, freelancing can also be a lot of hard work. As a freelancer, you work alone and are responsible for every aspect of your work. This makes it harder in some respects than a conventional salaried job.
To that end, this guide has been created to outline a few ways you will be able to achieve success in your freelancing career.
Send Your Invoices as Early as Possible
Let’s get some bookkeeping out of the way first. This might seem like an obvious and simple suggestion. But it is also one of the most important when it comes to freelancing success.
Unless you have a special kind of arrangement with the people that you are working for, you will not get paid unless you send them your invoices. This means that you should definitely send your invoices at the earliest possible date so that you will be able to get promptly paid. You’d be surprised how many freelancers fall short in this area, mostly because they are disorganized.
With that said, if you do face long waits for your invoices with particular clients, then it might be a good idea to look into the possibilities involved with invoice factoring.
Don’t Take On Too Much
Everyone gets tempted to take on as much work as they possibly can. This might seem like a good idea at the time because more work equals more money. However, you could be running the risk of working too hard and suffering from burnout.
Related Content: How to Manage Your Side Hustle and Family Life So You Don’t Go Insane
This means that you should only take on as much work as you believe will suit your schedule. After all, you cannot put a price on your mental and physical health. Experience will help you to understand what you are able to take on and what you cannot.
Don’t Limit Yourself
When working as a freelancer, no matter which profession you might be in, it always helps to be flexible. This means that when someone asks you to do something that might seem out of your comfort zone, it’s worth considering whether you are able to stretch yourself.
By doing this, you will then be able to take on more varied and interesting work and probably make more money in the process.
Turn Yourself into a Brand
When you are a freelancer, you are essentially a one-person business. If you are looking at your career this way, it also means that you should ensure you are branding yourself correctly. The result will be that you will become far more attractive to people who want to hire you to work for them.
You may be wondering how to do this. For starters, it is probably worth making sure that you have an easily accessible portfolio that people can visit. Additionally, you will want a modern, professional-looking website that shows off everything that you can do. It also doesn’t hurt to print out business cards that you can give to people that you meet at work events or business conferences.
Get Reviews
Much like any larger business, reviews are important for freelancers. Customer reviews let other potential customers know that you are a skilled professional at what you do. They show people that you are trustworthy and honest. Having an array of positive reviews available to see online proves that you are reliable and offer a quality product or service. That can make all the difference between someone choosing your services as a freelancer over someone else.
If you have a website for your freelancer services, it is a wise idea to have a reviews section or page dedicated to what your past customers have to say. But it doesn’t just end there. Registering yourself as a freelancer on the numerous online review sites will also help. Sites like Trustpilot, Yelp, and many others are used everyday by people who want to check out a business.
Respond to Reviews and Feedback
Lastly, when those reviews come through, don’t forget to interact with your reviewers. Whenever someone leaves a review, be sure to respond. Thank them for taking the time to leave a testimonial. If your reviews are positive, show gratitude to each person who leaves them
On the other hand, if you get a negative review, don’t panic. You can still turn it to your advantage by replying politely and thanking the person for their feedback. Then assess the validity of the claim and, if necessary, make changes to improve your services in the future.
By acknowledging the bad and acting positively on any feedback you receive, your customers will look positively at you as a professional.
Freelancing can be very profitable, especially when you stand out from the pack for any reason. Hopefully, this guide has helped you move in the right direction to improve your business.
Answer a Question or Leave a Comment Below: Have you ever done freelancing work? If so, was it a good or bad experience? What other tips would be beneficial for a first time freelancer?
Speak Your Mind