How To Become a Freelancer

How To Become a Freelancer in 11 Steps (And Benefits)

If you want the opportunity to work with different clients and have a flexible schedule, you may consider becoming a freelancer. A freelancer is an individual who works on a contract basis rather than as a permanent, direct-hire employee. Understanding how to enter this career can help you experience success and generate a reliable income.In this article, we explain how to become a freelancer, define the role clearly and provide its benefits so you can decide if it's right for you to pursue.

What is a freelancer?

A freelancer is an individual who works by the job, hour or day rather than working for one employer. They can accept contracts with companies or provide their services to individuals through online platforms. Regardless of the type of clients they work with, a freelancer doesn't typically have a long-term commitment to any one particular employer. It's possible to freelance in various industries, including writing, software development, graphic design, marketing, accounting, project management and teaching. Some freelancers choose a specific industry as their focus, while others may have a wider skill set to have more flexibility with their work.When they work for a company, the company considers them a contractor rather than an employee. Freelancers also have different responsibilities than employees. They're responsible for managing their projects, setting their work hours, billing their clients and paying self-employment taxes. Freelancers usually work with clients on a short-term basis, although they may develop an ongoing working relationship with some of their clients.

Benefits of being a freelancer

Working as a freelance can offer the following benefits:

• A greater sense of independence: Freelancing often gives you greater control over your workload, as opposed to a full-time employee. You can decide the new projects you accept, the number of clients you work with and the rates you charge for work.
• A more flexible schedule: You can decide where and when you work on your freelance projects. You often have the opportunity to work from home and set your hours as long as you meet your clients' established deadlines.
• Potential for increased income: Because you can negotiate your pay rate per contract, it's possible to attain a salary increase more frequently than if you were a full-time employee and generally only able to secure annual raises. It's also possible to take on freelance work while you still have a full-time job so you can earn extra income.
• Easy entry: You can begin freelancing with very few start-up costs if you already have the necessary equipment and skills for your chosen field. An individual may even quit their full-time job to work on a contract basis with the same company.

How to become a freelancer

Here are 11 steps you can take to become a successful freelancer:

1. Define your reasons for wanting to be a freelancer

If you want to be a successful freelancer, the first step is to define your ultimate goal. Take some time to ask yourself why you want to become a freelancer. Whether the reason is to achieve a particular lifestyle or earn extra income, knowing your motivation can help you maintain productivity if you ever encounter challenges when working.

2. Give yourself deadlines

Set a deadline for each of your milestone goals. For example, you can set deadlines for selecting your niche, finding your first client and leaving your full-time job if you intend to do so. Because freelancers create and adhere to their schedules without any supervision, giving yourself deadlines from the beginning can help you get comfortable with keeping up with your future responsibilities. You may create some leeway for these deadlines because you're new to this opportunity and you may encounter unprecedented challenges.

3. Define your niche

Many freelancers start by offering the experience they acquired in previous jobs. It's a quick way to start working without needing to acquire additional skills. Make a list of your current skills and consider how you can turn these into a service for which clients are willing to pay. Imagine your ideal client and think about what problems they may have that you can help them resolve.You can then create a summary of your service that outlines what you do and describe how it helps prospective clients. This can help you pitch your services to prospective clients and establish yourself in your chosen niche.

4. Gather what you need to get started

Verify with your county or city whether you need to file any paperwork or attain any licenses or permits to work independently in your chosen field. You can also create a business plan that outlines your services, target demographic and marketing strategy. Then, build a website and order business cards to advertise your services.

5. Create a portfolio

Your portfolio is a collection of your previous work that highlights your skills and experience within your specific niche. Prospective clients typically ask freelancers to provide them with a portfolio in addition to their resumes. If you're just starting out in your chosen niche, then you can create a portfolio with sample works. You can also build your portfolio by working at a discounted rate or for a nonprofit organization to gain experience.

6. Set your income goal

Although it may take some time to reach a full-time income, it's still important to determine your desired monthly payment. Calculate your monthly expenses for necessities, wants and savings. This exercise can help you figure out how much income you need to live comfortably while meeting your financial goals. When you know this number, you can understand how much you want to charge clients.

7. Keep your expenses low

As a freelancer, you may have business expenses that you wouldn't have as a full-time employee. For example, your laptop, smartphone, internet connection and any business services you pay for are expenses. Suppose you work from a dedicated home office. In that case, you can also count a portion of your utility costs and housing as business expenses.It can help to make a list of already existing expenses to see which ones are necessary for your freelancing activities. As your business grows, you may invest more into your freelancing activities and increase your costs. In the beginning, keep your costs low and make sure you stay focused on the income level you need to achieve to meet basic financial obligations.

8. Find work

Indeed offers a convenient way to search for freelance jobs online. Simply go to Indeed Job Search and type “freelance” in front of the job title for which you're searching. Then, enter your city or state and you can view a list of freelance opportunities near you. You can also search by keywords, company, salary estimate and more. Plus, you can filter your results by the job posting date and remote positions, among many other options.

9. Build your professional network

Once you start working as a freelancer, contact everyone you know to tell them about your new business. Mention that you're ready to start immediately and encourage them to forward your contact information to anyone who may need your services. By doing this, you can introduce yourself as their go-to expert for completing work and start expanding your professional network.

10. Work on your brand

As a freelancer, take the time to refine your image and advertise your brand on different platforms. Focus on creating a strong online presence. Your objective is to be easy to find and easy to remember through the use of a powerful digital brand.In addition to creating a social media profile, consider spending time on forums that are relevant to your industry. Asking and answering questions can be an excellent way to attract clients' interest in your services. This is a very targeted approach where you can reach potential clients who are already on sites that center on your type of work. Another advantage of online platforms is that you can meet more people than you would in person during the same amount of time. You can also leverage those online meetings into in-person meetings.

11. Find a mentor

Find a mentor who has experience with freelancing in your desired field. They can give you advice on finding clients and improving the quality of the services you provide. You can approach potential mentors with your business plan, website and marketing strategy to show them that you're determined to succeed.