So You Want To Go Freelance…

Here are nine practical tips.

You can have any number of reasons for deciding to go freelance. The past couple of years have shaken up the job market quite a bit, and more people are considering taking the freelance plunge.

I won’t lie. It can be challenging.

But it can also be rewarding.

There is a lot to know about making a freelance career successful and sustainable. These nine tips should get you off to a good start.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job… Yet

However tempting it may be, don’t quit just yet. Lord knows, I understand the temptation, but getting started in freelancing means going through a period of struggling for new clients, finding good-paying jobs, understanding how client billing and payment work, and other factors.

Your first year is going to be a lot of trial and error. If you’ve never freelanced before, you’d be better off spending the first year doing it part-time. This way, you learn the ropes and get a feel for the market and how it pays. After a year, take a look at the data and ask yourself the hard questions — can you survive on freelancing alone?

Also, while waiting a year, you have an opportunity to save a little money for emergencies after you go off on your own full time.

Know Your Goals

You know the old job interview question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

It’s not a total bullshit question, and it’s one you may want to ask yourself.

How well do you see your business performing in five years as a freelancer?

Have a one-year, three-year, five-year, and possibly even a ten-year goal in mind. Write your goals down and keep track of them as time passes. What needs to be tweaked? What about your work needs to change so you can meet your goals?

Will they always be your goals, or do you have new ones?

The idea is to have an idea of what you want to do tomorrow in order to stay motivated today.

To Niche or Not To Niche?

You’ll come across opposing opinions on this. Generally, don’t worry too much about finding a particular niche right away. Try a few different types of projects to see which ones you have a flair for, then build up a nice portfolio within that niche so you can later pursue more aggressively jobs within that niche.

But be prepared for the idea that you might be a good generalist. I write in numerous fields — tech, real estate, estate law, home improvement, trivia, small business, and more. It gives me a wide range of clients and a lot more variety.

Don’t let someone tell you it’s an either/or situation. Go with what suits you best.

Start Building a Portfolio

Have five to seven pieces you can show potential clients instantly. You can either have them sitting in a Google Docs folder, a personal website, or a service such as Contently.com, which gives you a unique link to share with potential clients that take them to works you’d like highlighted.

If you’re a designer, artisan, or another type of creative, a simple WordPress site with images of your work can often be enough. Just remember to include contact information.

Look For Your Niche Clients

You’ve decided to the niche. Good for you!

Now go look for clients in that field. Check out LinkedIn as well using your niche as a keyword. You can even look for people in your specialty on Twitter and Instagram.

When you make contact, be clear that you’re offering freelance services and direct them where one can find more information. Don’t overload any first contacts with attachments or pushy sales tactics.

But be persistent.

If you get one positive response out of 100, you’re doing well. That’s a positive response you otherwise would not have received had you not been persistent.

Have Clear Pricing

Don’t be coy about pricing. Ideally, have a website with a page that clearly outlines your pricing schedule, be it by the hour or by the project. If you include rush fees or fees for revisions outside the scope of the original project, make sure to put those there as well.

Boost Your Skills

This is a simple one.

Always keep on top of your field. If you’re a traditional book designer or layout specialist, get up to speed on e- publishing. If you’re a cybersecurity specialist, keep up with the latest news in cybercrime and methods being used to combat it.

Build Your Client List

Clients come, and clients go.

It’s great when they’re there, but you don’t want to bet your mortgage on them always being there. You should keep a good list of clients either active or worth reaching out to for when times get lean. Hop onto Twitter, LinkedIn, or even Facebook to meet new potential clients and become a familiar name.

There’s nothing like having a good network to keep the work flowing.

Keep Good Records

This one is often overlooked. Keep track of your billing. Keep track of your expenses. You’ll need all this information come tax time. It’s also a helpful way to review how profitable your freelance career is turning out to be or what areas might need improvement.

Accounting software is likely your best bet, but if you know how to keep good paper records, that’s fine as well. In either case, have backups.

It’ll Be Fine

I’ve been freelancing for over 25 years. It’s been my sole source of income for nearly 20. I’ve never regretted it.

Sure, there have been hard times, but I’ve been committed to this for a long time, and it’s really paid off.

That said, if freelancing isn’t for you, then that’s fine also. The income can be a little feast-or-famine at times. Following the above tips, however, should at least make it more likely you’ll see money coming in for your work.

And if you enjoy your work, you’re already better off than most.

Cheers!

About John Teehan

John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2