So you want to be a freelancer? Freelancing is a career of freedom, if you pick up the right clients or right contracts you can work from anywhere. While when you first start out the pay may not be the best with quality content, and good reviews or recommendations you can quickly build up your income. Freelancing is a great way to work as an independent and build a career with a solid income.
What Does a Freelancer Do
Freelancers are basically self-employed. They do not work for a company and do not punch a time clock. They take on work as self-employed, work is generally contracted and deadlines are set. Freelancers can do anything from website design, to writing, photographing or even editing photos and more.
Sometimes freelancers do work as a ghost, where they put in the time and effort to the project that they contract for and they get zero credit for it. Working as a ghost is more often seen in the writing field and it can often be some of the lowest paying work available, but it is the most consistent work. Other times a freelancer could also create work as a guest poster or guest designer, these jobs pay really well. So regardless of what type of freelance work you decide to do you can do it from anywhere you want.
Why Become a Freelancer
There are a million reasons to become a freelancer. You can become your own boss. You can decide what projects you want to take on. You can decide the length of projects you contract for, you can decide what you will get paid for the contracts that you take on. There is no one telling you when or what to do. You have the freedom to work when you want and how you want.
You can make your own schedule. You don’t have to punch a clock; you don’t have to work a set schedule. If you want to sleep all day and work all night you can and there is no one to tell you otherwise. Your schedule is yours to make and you are in control of how much work that you take on at one time.
You can work from anywhere, if you want to travel the country in a van you can do that and still work. As long as you can connect to the internet you can work. You can choose the clients you want to contract with, and the projects that you want to take on. You do not have to say yes to everything, and you are free to turn down any project you don’t want to do without an explanation.
Lastly, the biggest reason to become a freelancer is because you can make more money. You can gain financial freedom without having to hope for a raise from your employer. You set the hourly rate you earn, or the amount you earn per project. There is no end to the money that you can make being a freelancer.
How to Start Freelancing
There are a couple steps to take to become a successful freelancer. You will have some decisions to make as you get started, but keep in mind that none of those decisions you make will be set in stone. You can always change things as you go and find what works best for you.
Step 1
First you will want to decide what type of freelancing you want to do. Do you want to be a writer, a designer, a photographer, an editor, etc. This is an important decision to make as it will shape the fields that you work in. You will also want to decide if freelancing is going to be a full-time gig for you or is it just something to supplement your full time income.
Step 2
You will want to find your niche. Do you want to be a content writer, a ghostwriter, a designer and what type of designer, etc. Once you have decided what your niche is going to be you will want to stick with it and give it a chance to be profitable.
Step 3
Identify your target clients. Who will they be, what is their age and other demographics going to be. What areas of interest are they going to have? If you choose to write you are going to want to choose the area / niche you are experienced in and have something to offer. You will want to work in areas that you are familiar with and have something to offer, you will target a client base in those areas.
Step 4
Set your rates. Decide how much you are willing to take as a bottom-line dollar. Remember that you want this rate to be competitive and fair. In some cases when you first start out you may have to charge less than average to begin building a client base.
Finding Work
In order to find work you are going to want to research the best ways to build a client base. You will want to network and advertise with everyone you come across. You can also look into website platforms that list open jobs. There are hundreds of websites out there that host platforms of listings. Some of these websites are free to get started on, some of them will charge a monthly fee and some of them will charge a fee per contract that you get paid on.
Finding freelance work is super easy in most areas of work. Earning the contract will all depend on how well you present yourself. You will find that getting contracts will get easier as you build experience and a profile. I highly recommend that if you are going to apply to ghostwriting jobs you start a personal / public blog and keep up with it. That blog will be like your portfolio, because ghostwriters have no claims to the work that they do.
Does Freelance Work Pay
Absolutely it pays. Becoming a freelancer is one of the best ways to supplement income, earn financial freedom and make the amount of money that you want. Freelancing will pay if you put the work into it. You have to find the jobs and land the contracts and remain consistent. You also have to be able to provide quality work to your clients. Freelancing is about quality over quantity.
Since I started freelancing 6 years ago, I have quit my full-time job, paid off my house and started a retirement fund for the day that I decide to cut back on my contracts and do more living than working. Right now, I work from anywhere I travel to or even vacation to. I am able to be home with my kids and attend their field trips, and teacher meetings without having to ask anyone for time off. I am a single mom raising two kids on a freelancing salary. It definitely pays in more ways than one.
Wrapping it Up
Freelancing is a great career, but you have to remember that you will get out of it what you put into it. You have to seek the work because most of the time it is not going to be handed to you. You have to network and build a portfolio to be successful. Remember that you will have to sell yourself to the clients to land the contracts. Overall freelancing is a great career that can provide endless opportunities to earn a great income. It also gives you freedom to live your life and work from anywhere you want.