This is part of a series of articles on becoming a Freelancer Entrepreneur. These articles are meant for first-time freelancers and the more experienced freelancers may find some parts elementary. Â I shall start dwelling deeper into each aspect once we get done with the basics. If you wish to contribute to this topic please write to marketing@affirmcareer.com we will be happy to incorporate your ideas as well.
A freelancer is a self-employed individual who renders services to clients, and often to multiple clients at a time. Freelancing can be an interesting journey and also enticing journey to venture into. This is because of the independence, flexibility, exposure, autonomy and unlimited financial potentials that comes with freelancing.
However, with all the benefits that come with freelancing, most people are actually scared of venturing into freelancing because of the mystery and uncertainty that is attributed to freelancing.
The first thing you should do as a beginner is to identify your skill. However, when identifying your skill, you should avoid rendering too many skills because it will make you less productive.
Also, you are less likely to deliver your best when you list out so many things. Instead, you should pick one or two of your core skills that are of good market demand and render quality service in that area of choice.
Register on freelance sites
Register on freelance websites and ensure you fill in all the necessary details from your profile to your gig description. Â There are so many freelance sites you can register on to get clients. Â Ensure you register on a credible freelance site to prevent being duped.
After identifying your area of service, the next thing is to inform everyone about what you have to offer. Spread the word, tell a friend to inform a friend. Make use of every possible available to let people know about the service you have to offer. Â This is one of the major means of getting clients because you never can tell who can be in need of your services. Â Register on freelance sites and ensure you fill in all the necessary details
Make good use of LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional social media tool that you can utilize to advertise your services and to also position yourself as a freelancer who can deliver a good job.
You should research how best you can utilize this social media tool to your benefit. Work on your LinkedIn profile, make sure your profile is attractive. You should include every professional detail possible. This act will develop a sense of trust from the part of your potential clients.
In addition, you should have a professional picture as your profile picture and not a random selfie; remember LinkedIn is not Instagram or Facebook. Â Ensure you sound professional and your profile looks professional.
You can also post educational content within your area of industry and also comment intelligently on some work-related articles. This way, professionals will see you as an expert in your field and connect with what you have to offer.
Never stop learning
No matter how good you are in your field, there is still room for improvements. So, ensure you take professional courses in your area of specialization. It will boost your work portfolio and enable you to learn new things.
Ensure you always deliver a good job
No matter how little the pay is, you should always give every job you accept to do your best. Â This way you will build a good portfolio and you can also get referral and recommendation from that satisfied client.
You should learn to say
Sometimes, you can be tempted to accept all the jobs that come your way because of the money involved. Â But, in a few cases, you should learn to say especially when you know that these jobs are outside your area of specialization and when you are so busy and you deliver a good job. Â Â Hence, you should not let greed take the best of you, learn to say in order to focus on other important jobs.
These are some of the useful tips you should keep in mind as a beginner in freelancing. We will be explaining in details on how to get started with each tip in this series.
With this brief overview of freelancing it is now time to get started. Much as you can start anywhere and with anything.
You could even start off alone with just a mobile phone, a computer, an internet connection, and a job board/LinkedIn recruiter subscription. In the next article, we shall write about Freelancing Prerequisites- Getting Started.
