Freelancing

Start Freelancing: Everything you need to know

It is of no surprise that for building sound sustenance, one needs to have an ample amount of money, which demands to have a stable job. But this traditional 9-5 way of making a living is not the right fit for someone, who wants to be self-employed, works on his own time, earns according to the number of projects done, and wants to work for multiple employers at a time. For this purpose, the market of freelancing, also known as the self-employment market, becomes the priority for such individuals. Along with this, freelancing is growing popular among people who want to earn more while still staying in their job.

But, if you don’t know what freelancing is, how it works, and how can you start it from the very scratch, do not worry, for you are not alone. Every successful freelancer was once at your place. So, based on personal experiences, we will guide you, via this article on how can you just start this pathway.

What Is Freelancing?

Before beginning, it is imperative that you know, what exactly is freelancing. Freelancing, in the simplest words, is providing your services to someone, via an online platform. In this method, a person is self-employed and only accountable to one person who is the one who used the services, unlike the jobs, where you are accountable to a list of people. Freelancers usually make money on a per-task basis, charging hourly or daily rates for their work. Freelance work is usually for the short-term and the work contract can end, without a lot of hassle, unlike a traditional job.

Let’s freelance:

Find your passion:

Ask yourself; What makes me go wild? What is the reason I want to be self-employed? Is it just because I want to make more money or is it because I was never in love with my job? These questions will help you figure out the genuine reason for beginning freelancing. This step, no matter how irrelevant it looks, is essential, since it will help you to find a suitable niche for you.

Choose a skill:

Once you have figured out what you love to do and what hobby does not make you feel burdened, move onto choosing a skill now. For example, if you love drawing and creating art, then Graphic designing is your pathway. Similarly, if you love writing, then content creation is your path and if you love leading others, advising them, and possess strong administration qualities, coaching career is for you.

Polish your skill:

Many people stumble upon this part which is “But I create art on a page, how can it be like creating on PhotoShop?” or “ It is easy to write on a piece of paper, but it is not similar to writing for a website.”

We agree. It is easier said than done. But here is the magic solution; Work on your passion, give it some time, learn it from people who are experts in the field. YouTube and online courses are your best friend, use them to search and learn. If you are an artist and love art, start learning Adobe Suite on YouTube. Six months from now, you will see that your passion has become your skill, for now, you can display your creativity, not only physically, but digitally too. Similarly, if you love writing, and want a freelance career in it, start working on your Grammar, sentence structure, punctuation and so on.

Collect resources:

Do not worry after reading the heading. There isn’t a need for a lot of material for freelancing. The only resource you need is a laptop, a reliable internet connection, preferably wireless, and you are good to go. If you are reading this article, chances are, you already have the above resources.

Plan it out:

Yes, freelancing is not like a typical job, but like any other money generator, it deserves your attention and time. So, try producing a schedule and follow it religiously. Since no one is holding you accountable for your time investment, so you need to be your accountability boss. You can designate a slot from your daily life, let us say, two hours in the morning or afternoon to your freelancing career

Create samples:

Once you have improved your skill, it is now time to jump onto the practical work. Start this by making some samples for your work. Let us say, you are a graphic designer, so design some samples for logos, posters and keep them saved on your computer and your phone. If you are a content writer, keep a 100-word sample of your writing. We will tell you later on, where are you going to use them.

Join Marketplaces:

For getting work, you need to contact a client, right? So, you need to join places, where you can get them. These places termed as freelance marketplaces are where clients post about a job and you contact him.

If you are a beginner, join different Facebook groups, relevant to your niche, and start contacting those who post about work.

Sell yourself:

No one is going to promote you, you are your boss, hence, you need to sell your service, all by yourself. Post in the groups about your service, tell your family and friends, contact people as soon as they post about their required work. Contact them via email, normal message, or the message board of your marketplace. Send them your samples, so that they can figure out if you are the best fit.

Start small:

You can bid (apply) for a project of a lower budget if you are a beginner. Even though many people don’t enjoy doing this, however, this helps you figure out where do you need to improve. As a beginner level freelancer, do not consider money. Keep on improving your skills, and money will follow along. However, do not let anyone exploit you. Do not work for free or at a rate that is even lower than low budget ones.

Find a mentor:

Whatever level you are at, there is always room for improvement. So, as soon as a workflow begins, find a relevant mentor, learn from him, judge the areas where you can improve. A mentor will assist you in this process. A mentor can be anyone your relative, a friend, a coach, or a random person on YouTube, who has satisfying experience in it.

Conclusion:

We tried our best to cover up everything for you to begin and start your freelancing career. The only thing you need to do now is to take ACTION. We wish you all the best for it. Happy freelancing!