Setting out as a freelancer is an immense move and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. It provides immense advantages but still has a complex set of obstacles. If you feel that getting an employer is difficult and dream of being the manager, note that you might end up with a dozen bosses as a freelancer. It can be frustrating and demanding, but both benefit and lifestyle changes have a remarkable effect. Here are seven of the best tips for artistic people who want to start making money as an independent.
Begin like it’s a side hustle
To someone who needs to pursue as a freelancer, my first suggestion is to give him a chance as a side hustle. Leaving the job to a contractor works well, but moving without a net cannot work. I know a few former freelancers who disliked the lifestyle and clashed with consumers and ended up at a day job. Do not start freelancing by leaving your work if you have a career you want, one where you do well. Commence freelancing on weekends and nights.
When I created my blog, Personal Sustainability, in 2009, I began my freelance writing as a side hustle. I generated sales of $100,000 in 2019 and leaving my job in 2013. If you need math support that means it took me 10 years from the time I began writing online about money before it became a full time career. Of course, anyone with more concentration and determination will do it even easier but without having tried it out, do not gamble your life. Getting a few customers already aboard also makes the financial flow even smoother
Increase the rate until somebody says no
I charged around $10 for my first independent post. Not long before I got big and reached the amount of $25 to $35. For each article I publish, I make about 10 times today. I should have done that sooner by increasing my prices more dramatically, as long as it took time to get there. Although I knew that I had the right expertise and delivered a product of excellent quality, I was more interested in what other customers I loaded than the value I delivered.
Do not underestimate yourself or your resources. Continue to drive before you figure out the importance someone thought you deserved. When you first give a discount, and if the potential consumer leaps, you know that you have sunk too short. However, it takes time to find the perfect location, study and experience with some loyal customers.
Always deliver
The easiest way to annoy a buyer or someone is by making a commitment and not keeping it. A promise and expectations being met is one of the best opportunities for clients. As a seven summer Boy Scout camp employee, our key customer service motto was “under contract, distribution done.” For everything I’m doing today, I keep it.
Think about it as if you are about to see a new, hyped show. Since you anticipate it to be so amazing, it might be skipped and you could be fooled, even though the film was amazing alone. It’s better to be satisfied if you take a move with low expectations, so even a halfway outcome will exceed what you expect.
Meet the clients personally where possible
Most of my client relationships are established online, and all of them originate there. Yet my corporate partnerships are much more important than meeting a customer in person. I see a lot of clients at conferences relevant to what I do, but you can add a layer of sophistication and a wow factor by turning up in their office or making a point of seeing them in person while you’re in the same area. As long as you’re well groomed, keeps the tone straight, and stop getting hilariously wasted, there’s nothing that can go wrong, and a lot to win.
Your clients are expected to have even more than one freelancer at any time, including in-house employees. When it comes to deciding who can compose the next article, or edit the next film, or whatever you do, you want to be at the top of your head. You deserve to be the first thing they’re worried of. To get there, make sure that your customers see you as accessible and welcoming, and strengthen that by developing a personal partnership.
Extend your expertise
I was also a website designer and a financial writer while I was in my full-time freelance job. I learned to write and still could explore topics which I hadn’t heard before, but I worked differently for web development capability. I had to learn new stuff for my customers to build more and more websites. So what could I have done when a customer asked me to do something I didn’t know how to do, I said yes.
It was overwhelming, of course, and I recall sitting at my desk cracking code in order to make things work. Still I worked it out in the end and the customer was glad. They even returned and in the future wanted to recruit me again! Never say no, just grant the idea a longer time span. You will work that out all the time.
Don’t quit your job and jump into freelancing.
The first tip on this series is the most significant one. Don’t just start freelancing at a whim. Don’t give your manager a wave and walk out, thinking you’re going to get the same paycheck you had in a couple of weeks. Start slowly now. Create a list of customers and an emergency savings account. Let your customers know that you’re going to be looking for further jobs when you’re about to go full-time, but you’re going to have a much easier shift, with a good income waiting on the other hand. If you keep your clients happy, increase your price, and establish good relationships, you’ll have a fantastic future in the imaginative freelancer community.