So You Want to be a Freelancer? Here's How!

Copyright 2004 Vishal P. Rao

Not that long ago, freelancing was something people did
mainly in larger metropolitan areas where work for writers,
artists, and other creative types was plentiful and easily
accessible. Today, however, the freelance landscape has
dramatically changed.

For one, you can live practically anywhere in the world and
still be able to maintain a successful freelance career. Not
to mention that the creative fields aren't the only areas
where freelancing is popular any more.

Today, accountants, trainers, computer technicians, etc. are
all able to earn a living as freelancers. Regardless of the
freelancing field you are interested in, there are some
important things you should know that will help you get
started and get successful.

Before we discuss those, however, we need to talk briefly
about the pros and the cons of being a freelancer. You need
to know both sides before you make your decision so you
truly understand what you're getting into.

Freelancer Pros

1. You set your own schedule
As a freelancer, you get to determine what time you get out
of bed and what time you turn in at night. You get to decide
how much vacation time you can afford to take this year and
you can elect to skip work one afternoon to spend time with
your children.

2. You don't work for a boss
Even though you are answerable to your clients, they don't
wield the same power over your life that a boss does. Yes,
they can fire you, but you can also quit working for them if
things get too difficult.

3. You determine how much you earn
While a conventional job pays a set amount of money
regardless of how hard you work (and in some cases how long
you work), freelancing allows you to make practically any
amount of money that you wish because you determine how much
your services cost and how many jobs you take on at one
time.

4. You are able to work from your own office
Whether you prefer working in a home office or renting space
somewhere to do your business, you are in charge of
designing and maintaining your own comfortable office. You
get to pick the people you work with. You get to pick the
type of computer, post-it notes, and bottled water that you
use on a daily basis also.

Freelancers Cons

1. You can become overworked quickly
When you start working steadily as a freelancer, it becomes
nearly impossible for you to truly take a vacation. You have
projects and clients that need your constant attention, so
being gone or getting sick even for a day can put you behind
schedule.

2. You have to deal with clients who can be more difficult
than bosses
Most of the clients freelancers work with are genuinely good
people, but there are others out there that are not. Every
freelancer has probably been ripped off by a client at one
time or another, even if they take steps to protect
themselves.

3. You don't have a steady income
Unless you have one or two truly constant streams of work,
you can expect your income to fluctuate dramatically. Some
months you may feel like you struck the lottery while others
may make you think you're heading for the food stamp line,
especially when you are starting out.

4. You don't have a way to separate work from home life
If you have a home office, you may find it difficult to
recognize the difference between being at home and being at
work which means that while your watching television or
eating dinner you may begin to feel like you're actually
still on the job.

As you can see, each positive has a negative aspect as well.
However, many of these negatives can be easily handled once
you have experience as a freelancer, but to get to that
point, you need to know how to get started.

Find Something You Enjoy Doing

This is critical to your success. If you don't already have
something in mind to do as a freelancer, you need to be sure
that you pick an activity that you truly love. Remember, you
will be doing this type of work every day. Also, the more
you enjoy your work, the more passionate you are about it.
Potential clients will spot that passion and will be more
inclined to work with you.

Save Some Money

Most freelancers actually start out as conventional 9-5
workers. In fact, many of them maintain their full-time jobs
in addition to their freelance work for the sake of a stable
income, health insurance, or other benefits. If you choose
to go freelance full-time, however, you need to be sure to
have a comfortable nest egg in the bank. Most experts agree
that you should have enough money in your savings to cover
six months worth of your basic necessities. If that sounds
impossible, then try juggling some freelance work with your
regular job for awhile. Save up all of the money you earn
from your freelance work and use that as your nest egg.

Start Finding Clients Today

One mistake that freelancers often make is that think they
can only start networking and marketing their services after
they've gotten started. The truth is that if you're
considering becoming a freelancer, now is the time to start
networking and marketing. Let people know that you are
thinking about going solo and get their reactions. Start
building a database of possible job leads. In fact, you may
want to line up some work beforehand so you can be sure of
having an income initially.

Be Prepared

Most potential clients will want to see references and/or
samples of your work before they give you a project. You
need to have these prepared in advance. Don't wait until
someone calls to possibly offer you a project to get your
portfolio in order or to line up some qualified references.
Have those ready to dispatch as soon as you get off the
phone or finish the email.

Find an Accountant

The most difficult part of freelancing can be the handling
the financial aspects: tracking invoices, staying on top of
bills, figuring your yearly taxes, etc. Unless you are
already skilled in accounting, you need to find someone to
help you out with this from the beginning. It makes it much
simpler for you and for the accountant.

Start a Web Site

Use the Internet to your advantage. Create a
professional-looking but simple web site advertising your
experience and your services, then place it on the Internet.
It's one of the best ways of attracting new clients.

These suggestions will help you start your freelancing
career on the right foot, but the most important key to your
success will be your perseverance. If you give up easily or
don't follow through with things, you may never truly make
it as a freelancer. You must be able to take rejection. You
must be self-motivated, and you must be persistent. Only
then will you be able to experience firsthand all of the
benefits of being a modern freelancer.

Useful sites:

http://www.elance.com/
http://www.guru.com/
http://www.allfreelance.com/