In your early days in the gig economy, you will find yourself learning lots at a fast pace when freelancing! After all, there\u2019s so much to get used to, and you will have to be open-minded and ready to embrace your new working environment. To help you adapt, here are twelve top tips that will help you get started as a freelancer in the right way.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest challenges facing new freelancers is knowing what to charge for the service that you provide. And our advice is to conduct some thorough research into what freelancers in your industry currently charge before setting your prices accordingly. In the early days, it\u2019s a good idea to price yourself slightly lower than the industry standard in order to win clients.<\/p>\n
A great way to boost your earnings is to offer billable extras. You might consider offering expedited delivery for a fee or perhaps additional revisions for a small fee. Billable extras enable you to bolster your gigs and will see you increase your bottom line as a result.<\/p>\n
In our opinion, this is the golden rule of freelancing. When a client pays you to complete a project, the least you can do is deliver it on time. If you\u2019re struggling in the lead up to the deadline to meet their expectations, make sure you communicate with them and provide updates. There\u2019s no excuse for late deliveries in the gig economy!<\/p>\n
As a freelancer, it\u2019s important to protect your professional interests and manage the expectations of your clients. As such, it\u2019s a good idea to put together a freelancer-client contract that sets out your terms and expectations. If you don\u2019t do this, you might find that your client expects more from you than you can reasonably deliver.<\/p>\n
Just because you\u2019re a freelancer, it doesn\u2019t mean that you have to work alone all the time! There are so many tasks involved in running your freelancing business, so we suggest outsourcing some of the more mundane tasks to free up your time and allow you to focus on your billable hours. Hiring a virtual assistant is a great way to help manage some of your less important daily tasks.<\/p>\n
The best way to structure your freelancing schedule is to take work from various clients. Putting all of your eggs in one basket and taking work from just one client isn\u2019t a smart move, as your professional relationship might end at the drop of a hat. This could cause you financial difficulties and means you will have to go back to the drawing board.<\/p>\n
One common mistake that freelancers<\/a> make is failing to ascertain their capacity. So, instead of committing to working X amount of hours on Y days, some freelancers just take on as much work as they\u2019re offered, which means they then struggle to fulfil their obligations. Start with a plan and decide how much you\u2019re willing and able to work. You can then fill your diary accordingly.<\/p>\n Before taking on a project, make sure you\u2019re clear with your client about the deliverables and timeframes. You will need to put this in writing and ensure you\u2019re both clear about what will be delivered and when. If you\u2019re not transparent from the start, it will lead to a breakdown in communication, and you will probably upset your clients.<\/p>\n When you\u2019ve completed a project, be sure to ask your clients to leave you a short review or testimonial based on their experience of working with you. This will help you attract new clients in the future and build up your business.<\/p>\n Organization is of paramount importance for freelancers. You will probably have work coming in from various clients and will have a number of deadlines to meet simultaneously. As such, it\u2019s super important that you develop a system for tracking your work and managing your upcoming deliverables. You can use Google Sheets to get you started, and you might like to upgrade to a project management tool like Monday.com<\/a> when you get more clients.<\/p>\n Regardless of the industry that you work in, you need to bring together a collection of your work in the form of a portfolio. This is something you can then share with potential clients to show that you\u2019re capable of the services that you offer. You can build a professional website yourself on a site like Wix<\/a>, or you can hire a freelancer on RadialHub<\/a> to help you put together a site if you don\u2019t have the time or skills.<\/p>\n At some stage of your freelancing career, you will almost certainly receive some negative feedback from a client. And whether or not you think it\u2019s just, it\u2019s important to take it in your stride and not let it define you. If you get caught up and fixate on negative testimony from your clients, it will affect your confidence, so just accept it as part and parcel of the freelancing lifestyle!<\/p>\nBe clear about deliverables and timeframes <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Always ask for feedback and testimonials <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Develop a system for tracking your work <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Put together a portfolio <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Don\u2019t let negative feedback define you <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Find clients today on RadialHub<\/strong><\/h2>\n