Take the Reins of Your Freelance Business
Whether you have recently discovered the benefits of a freelance business at a young age, or you are on the thin edge to jump on the bandwagon of professional freelancing because you need a flexible work system, chances are that, even though this is already or will give you the opportunity to develop yourself in what you excel, there is so much more that finding a work / life balance to help you take control of your freelance business.
As many of you may know, to devote your career in the field of freelancing is not about starting a home-based business just waiting for clients to show up, and that way you will find success. God, I wish it were true.
If you are a newbie working as a freelance and you face with some troubles that do not allow you or make you get cold feet at the moment you want to push through your freelance business, on this post we are showing you five ways to take control of it.
1. Find Your Focus Since the Beginning
Starting and maintaining a freelance business every so often takes you to wear many ‘hats’ on daily basis; “doing this, doing that” in order to run yourself and your work, why not, right? It gives you the chance to keep testing your limits. However, when you don’t commit to the one thing you specialized and obviously you enjoy doing, potential clients won’t be able to catch what you are up to, plus your actual clients will see the effect on their results. I invite you to keep testing your limits as a freelance but finding your focus in the niche you enjoy.
2. Adapt to What the Market Requests at All Times
It is clear that to succeed as a freelance you will need a client’s base. However, some comments about freelancing create confusion – “Do not worry about the needs of the market; just pursue your passion and you will succeed”. Hey, getting into the freelance business is not about getting into a comfort zone people, if you want to stay ahead of the game you’ll have to know what’s trendy in your industry and quickly take advantage of your abilities to make yourself notice within your market.
3. Connect with the Right Clients
I have no doubt that freelancing gives you the great opportunity to connect with your industry through networking, networking, and more networking; nevertheless, the process of searching new clients can become a little tricky if you do not know how to reach the right ones. There are several tools and resources to help you find reliable clients that sooner or later will recommend your work for years to come!
You may be interested in A Freelancer’s Guide to Find Clients
4. Establish Your Income System: Hourly or Project
One advantage of owning a freelance business is that you are free to establish your income system. As some of you may know, the success of freelancing is measured on the number of projects you have, and moreover, on the time it takes you to finish it. So you would think that if you have an extended clients’ binder you could earn much more; however, all depends on the perception of value from the client. You must take in mind that if you decide to get paid for the hours you work on a specific project, charging per hour may limit your earning potential, but on the other hand having a fixed rate may turn into a hell if you don’t act cleverly.
You may be interested in The Great Freelance Debate: Hourly vs. Fixed Rates
There you go! One last thing I will like to mention; always strive to give your best in what you do, to the point where you do not have to introduce yourself to others.