To be a successful freelancer, you first need to understand that it is a different arena to working … [+]
A career as a freelancer is an exhilarating journey—one that is certainly filled with ups and downs, but nonetheless holds hope with the potential of improved working and pay conditions, and a better lifestyle, compared to working in the regular corporate sense.
But since it’s not a traditional form of employment, you can’t expect to get it right from the start, without some adequate preparation. Freelancing requires you to follow a set of principles to be successful and have a sustainable career. Let’s take a look at some of them below:
1. Identify Your Niche
Define what makes you unique. There are million other freelancers offering the same product or service as you, working within the same industry. So what makes your brand stand out above the rest? Why should people choose to work with you and not another specialist? What are your areas of expertise, and what specialized skills or experience do you have?
You also need to ask yourself, Who would be able to benefit the most from my service? This is an extremely important question, because without understanding the answer, you will likely have an inadequate supply of clients, and hardly elicit any interest, which will work to the detriment of your freelancing career.
2. Define Clear Goals
Just like with a regular job, you need to establish a framework of goals for yourself as a freelancer. In fact, it’s even more essential to set goals as a freelancer than in a 9-5 job, because within an employer structure you have people holding you accountable, but as a freelancer you’re likely working on your own.
Establishing goals gives you motivation, and provides something to work towards. You can set long-term and short-term goals for a variety of objectives, such as financial goals, website traffic and SEO visibility goals, or social media post engagement and client conversion.
Try to avoid setting vanity goals—that is, goals that are there to make you look good but have no tangible value, such as follower count on social media or viral content views. This is because, on their own, these are distracting and don’t do much for you if they don’t translate into more clients or increased professional contacts to use in the future.
3. Create A Strong Portfolio
The next step is to create a solid portfolio of your work. People won’t trust working with you unless they see your services in action, and this is especially true for online-based work. What reason do they have to believe that you are genuine and not a scam?
This is why one of the most important activities you can do as a freelancer is to develop an initial set of products or services to display, and gain testimonials from clients who have worked with you for free, so that you have proof of the authenticity and impact of your services.
4. Build Your Personal Brand
Personal branding plays a critical role in attracting clients to you and your services, and ensuring your brand as a freelancer is memorable and easily identifiable. Craft a cohesive brand that encapsulates your values, flair, and personality, and is in line with your industry and sector as well. Never underestimate the value of branding elements like a logo, personal website, a compelling LinkedIn profile, or your online engagement and presence.
When freelancing, focus on the metrics that matter and set measurable goals for them
5. Master Your Time
As a freelancer you will often be short on time, because you’ll be working on your own. Unlike a regular job, you will need to prepare for the harsh reality of doing the jobs of a marketing team, financial team, business development team, and the actual service/products delivery—all at the same time.
Of course, as you expand and develop you can reinvest money from your business to outsource some of these functions to virtual assistants, AI tools, or agencies such as marketing agencies.
But for now, it’s all on you. So you’ll need to develop a system in which each essential process of your business is attended to throughout the week, and has a time allocated for each. Time-block your calendar to fit around your personal life, and find ways to reduce time expenditure by using AI-powered tools.
6. Network Strategically
Networking is only effective when it is done strategically. Whenever you are on LinkedIn or at in-person events, establish beforehand your intentions for participation, so that all your engagements are intentional.
Network with professionals who are on the freelancing journey with you; find mentors and coaches; and even attach a QR code of your LinkedIn profile or portfolio to the back of your phone, instead of a traditional business card, so that wherever you are, you can easily connect with potential clients and they can find and follow you instantly online.
7. Continue Learning
One of the most essential things you must make time for as a freelancer is that of your own personal professional development. When you’re working on your own as a skilled professional, this activity is even more critical than when you’re working within the cushion of an employer. Upskilling yourself regularly helps you to be nimble to the needs of your market, and remain a top expert in your field.
8. Outline Your Terms
If it’s your first time working as a freelancer, it’s easy to be naïve and assume that all your customers will like working with you and that there’ll be no hiccups along the way. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. You need to ensure that you have all your documentation in place, such as policies, terms and conditions, and standard contracts containing project timelines and deliverables.
9. Watch Your Finances
Financial admin-related work is never fun as a freelancer. After all, you are paid to do a job you love, right? Nonetheless, it’s still essential so you can budget wisely, have savings, re-invest in your business operations, and have money set aside for taxes.
10. Prioritize Self-Care
Last but not least, remember to make your wellbeing and self-care a priority, even if it’s just a few minutes a day of meditation, or an hour a week to do something fun which is not work-related. Take time to recharge and fuel yourself so you don’t end up burned out.
Be intentional with your time, your energy, and your network
Following these 10 guidelines will help you set your career as a freelancer on the right foot, ensure that you feel confident, and help you develop resilience to face the daunting challenges that lie ahead in your journey.
Source: 10 Strategies For A Successful Career As A Freelancer In 2024
