10 Things You Should Know Before Jumping into a Freelance Career

While working from home with the use of the internet has been gaining popularity for the past few years, demands for online jobs have skyrocketed ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic. And with good reason. 

Freelancing allows for a high level of autonomy, flexibility, and freedom of doing business with clients while still being in the safety of their own homes. Making it a very appealing alternative to countless people who once had outdoor jobs before the Pandemic came to be. 

Freelancers typically offer services, products, and knowledge that support a specific area of their clients’ businesses or lives. While freelancers decide what they are going to offer, their work is usually guided by their clients’ requests and needs. 

Despite all of the advantages a freelancer has, there are a few things you need to know before taking the leap of fate in a freelancing career. 

1.) A Freelancer’s Workflow is prone to sudden Fluctuations 

One of the reasons why freelancing is so appealing nowadays is due to its flexibility in time management. Being able to clock in and time out several times a week, when needed, is a very convenient working environment, especially for individuals who were accustomed to outdoor duties time-sensitive occupations. But with that flexibility, comes with some cons and unknown variables that can potentially scramble a freelancer’s workflow timetable. 

Depending on the services you offer, some weeks might have a packed schedule while others will have fewer clients resulting in lighter workloads. So while freelancing jobs allows individual more control over their work schedule, one must be prepared for the financial and time fluctuations. 

2.) Creating a stable Structure works wonders 

Juggling multiple clients could be a challenge if your working structure is not managed and coordinated properly. And since you’re a freelancer, you have the power to set the structure and change it whenever you want. Having a schedule and sticking with it will make a freelancer more productive every day, week, and month. Setting goals to be accomplished in a timely manner such as creating specific time periods dedicated to working on each individual project as well as real but flexible deadlines will help you make consistent progress as a freelancer. 

And finally, one must not forget to take into account the time for completing business-related tasks, planning, professional development, stress management, breaks, meals, and personal time in your calendar, too. 

3.) Advertising Yourself 

It goes without saying that for a freelancer to find work, they must first convey to all potential clients the skills and services that he/she can offer. Informing everyone about what makes you stand out compared to everyone else and how you can solve their problems or issues 

The first step in achieving this is to spend some time carefully writing the professional bio that you would be using to market your services. The next step is the creation of a portfolio where files from previous works are stored and can be accessed by potential clients. And finally, craft a suitable and preferably catchy sales pitch that speaks directly to your client’s pain points. 

4.) Not Everyone Understands Freelancers yet 

Although freelancing careers have been gaining popularity, they are still a somewhat new concept to the general folks. So being prepared to explain what a freelancer is and does to colleagues, family members, future employers, and even prospective clients can be a pretty good boon in the long run. 

5.) Be Prepared for Rejection 

Always bear in mind that not everyone will see your skills and services as applicable to their needs and say yes to what you’re offering. There’s no shame in being rejected as not all of your services are going to be a good fit for everyone but that doesn’t mean what you’re offering isn’t valuable. The right clients will come soon enough. 

6.) Create Your Pipelines and Processes ahead of time 

Before launching your freelancing services for everyone to see, it’s best to first have your pipelines and processes prepared in advance. Constructing a contract for a client to sign or making an intake form to receive information and updates are both viable options to be taken action. Regardless of whatever step you take or the process you include, preparing them in advance can save you from a lot of troubles in the long run and give clients a smooth transition. 

7.) Collect Feedbacks or Comments regularly 

Creating a method for current and previous clients to give their reviews and feedback about your services is also a clever way to boost your reputation for future clients to see. Gathering feedback and testimonials from current and past clients can be crucial for a freelancer’s continued success. After all, future clients often investigate what other people have to say in the reviews list before they make their final verdict on a product or service. 

8.) Document EVERYTHING. 

While freelancers are independent of any company or organization to a certain degree, it’s still very important to keep track of your expenses, income, invoices, client information, contracts, and any other information and data that you might have. You’ll be needing them to file your taxes, proving and reporting your current income, and possibly accessing past information that might still prove useful in the future. So keeping your important files documented and in decent order could be very crucial for any surprises that might be ahead. 

9.) Your Business is a part of you 

Whatever you do to support your business, advertising, keeping in touch with clients, or conducting client calls, you’re still representing your business because YOU are your business. As a freelancer, providing positive, professional, quick, and consistent communication to every person you interact with is a must to maintain your reputation among clients. Quite similar to how celebrities fall from grace, even the tiniest of mistakes could result in a negative light from clients. 

10.) Be Patient 

Succeeding in a freelancing career rarely if it ever happens overnight. It takes time and a lot of planning, building, and adapting to create a stable and consistent client base for a freelancer to thrive in the virtual stage. But despite the amount of time spent, every step taken is a step in the right direction. If you give yourself a well-established starting point as you begin your freelancing career, then clients will come before you even realize it. 

So if the flexible, self-paced, and boss-free life that a freelance career path offers sounds appealing to you, take it one step at a time. 

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