Freelancing can be a rewarding career if done correctly. The sound of being your own boss sounds thrilling especially if there is little startup capital involved.
But before you get too excited, you need to keep in mind that you are a business person, hence the need to formalize meetings with clients and many other aspects that comes with running a business. The tips below will help you get started on your new career path.
- Make your face known to your clients
The way businesses operate has changed, these days people want to see the person behind the brand. Do not shy away from getting your personality through in your work. Before people can part away with their hard earned money, they would want to know who they are giving their money to. Therefore it is important that your personality is felt through your brand.
- Do not be a jack of all trades
There is power in having laser focus; well it is true that opportunities come to those who have prepared themselves which could in turn benefit those with multiple skills. However, a better alternative is focusing your energy in perfecting your skills in a certain niche you are passionate about and at which you naturally excel at.
Decide one or two skills you will focus on and commit to only taking projects in the set categories. This is how you build authority in your niche. People should not guess what your business is all about; become known for a specific thing and do it better than everyone else.
- Request for a 50% down payment before starting any work
For any business to thrive and grow, money is essential. This can be intimidating to request big corporate clients to adhere to this rule, but this simple trick could save you a whole of disagreements. Drafting a contract that is shared with potential clients such that there is alignment from both parties at the onset of a project is vital.
It is natural to feel that you will lose clients in the process, but if applied correctly you could retain good clients.
We hope these tips will help you get started as a freelancer.