Freelance outsourcing is an attractive profession of the present time. However, you have to conform to certain things or issues to get success in this business. Remember to deal with the challenges that may come in your freelancing career. You have to proceed in this career by resolving these issues. This report is about some valuable tips and tricks required for successful freelancing.
- Do your marketing: To get a new job or to get back the jobs of the previous clients, marketing is the biggest key. Highlight your qualities. Never stop, even if you are busy. Remember that conditions get respect in this world.
- Stay active through social media: Besides the marketplaces like oDesk or Freelancer, social media and other online communities are also one of the best ways to find out prospective clients. Try to keep yourself updated in the social media.
- Make your website: Create a portfolio website of your own, where full details of your expertise and description of your work will be highlighted. The advantage is that the site’s link will increase your credibility with the client.
- Keep a blog to establish your skills: Blogging is an excellent way to represent yourself to others as competent and knowledgeable in the subject you are working on. So it is necessary to do blogging on that subject on a regular basis.
- Know the positive aspects of the work: Each person is unique in labor and expertise. Find out the uniqueness in yourself. Find out the job in which you are skilled and the best. If you can figure it out, working and marketing both will be easier for you.
- Keep your portfolio updated: Review and update your collection regularly. Remember to show your best operates on the top of the list.
- Learn to talk: Do not expect that the clients will knock you always. Maintain regular contact with potential clients. If the opportunity does not come itself, make ways to look for it on your own.
- Research on the potential clients: It is wise not to make any deal with the clients without knowing well about them. Before working, it is necessary to learn about the client and the work both. Otherwise, the probability of falling in risk becomes higher in future.
- Learn to listen and make necessary queries: Do not take decisions by guessing what the clients want. Listen to them carefully and try to collect their requirements in details. If you don’t get a clear idea about their needs, ask them or make required queries.
- Be modest: Even if you live in an adverse situation or environment, indeed it should not be disclosed to others in any way. Good manners will make you stand out as a remarkable person to others. So, always aim to be modest and polite in manners.
- Have a discussion: Neither there is any such rule that you have to accept any offer or condition of the client, nor you should do it. As a freelancer, you can discuss all the aspects of a deal or can make negotiations.
- Create your opportunities: There should be a clear understanding and specific knowledge about the needs of the client. It is also required to have a precise idea about the work as much as possible.
- Fix the price rate of works neutrally: As some people do not get jobs, they want to serve the clients at a level price-rate. Never do that. Instead, fix the appropriate price rate of works by presenting the clients quality works.
- Learn to say ‘No’: There is no reason to think that each opportunity in the freelancing career will be right for you. If you believe that you can’t do the job that has been offered, do not be afraid to refuse. Considering the amount of work in your hand and the time you have, say ‘Yes.’ Remember, the ability to say ‘No’ politely, is also a part of your quality.
- Ask for a written description of the work: Make a written agreement before starting to work. You can also take a written report on the list of the tasks to do.
- Do not get disturbed: Before starting to work, be sure that the environment you want to work in, gives maximum support to your job because it can cause the destruction of attention which may delay finishing your job. Even it may also happen that you won’t be able to satisfy with the quality of the work you have done.
- Follow a routine work: Most of the freelancers admit that when they follow a regular job, the productivity of their work increases mostly. So, try to develop a routine while working.
- Keep your workplace clean: Dirty and untidy environment decrease the speed of your job and diminish your courage to a great extent which you even may not be able to understand. If you are messy, then today, only for one day, organize your workplace in order and start working. Believe me; you will feel the difference.
- Build up the right food habit: Staying healthy is one of the prerequisites for getting success in the freelancing career. Most of the freelancers cannot work due to illness. Wrong food habit is one of the primary reasons for such disease. Your wellbeing does not change after an incredible exercise brother. Your wellbeing is training. Generally, nourishment that is low-estimated as well as extremely sound that you can take in your day by day diet. You can make some smoothie drink with smoothie blender. So, develop the habit of choosing the right menu.
- Take exercises: Take exercises regularly to feel fresh. It will also help to increase your attention and enable you to do any complex work efficiently.
- Sometimes take breaks from work: It may sound a bit awkward, but remember that continuously working for long hours significantly reduces your productivity. So, at times take a break to find back the joy in your work.
- Fulfill the expectations of the clients: Don’t disappoint your clients. Submit the work within the scheduled time. The matter that should get the highest priority is that the quality of your work must meet the client’s expectation.
- Send invoices: Send invoices to the clients after submitting your project or work. If you delay, either you or the client may forget about it.
- Say ‘Thanks’: Such people can rarely be found who say ‘Thanks.’ Thanking sincerely is a straightforward way to become a pleasant and remarkable personality to anyone. This is why do not forget to express your gratitude to the clients.
- Conduct follow-up: Many freelancers get afraid to follow-up the clients. But keep in mind that the essential part of freelancing is to follow-up the clients.
- Set the goal: Without setting the target, you can’t make any measurement about how much of your work has been done or whether it is moving on the right track at all. So, set a reasonable goal so that you can reach it or fulfill it.
- Sketch a plan: Have you already set your goal? Now, according to the purpose, outline a plan. If needed, divide your work into small parts. Whenever possible, check or refer to the scheme.
- Take the help of others: Being a freelancer does not mean that you have to do all things alone. Take the support of others for a particular job.
- Keep some time for learning: There is a proverb, ‘‘there is no end of learning, there is no age for learning.’’ Maintain the level of your skills and knowledge up to date. Learning something new, on a regular basis, is not optional instead is a must for the freelancers.
- Invest money for something better: The best grounds for spending your money are to buy a high-quality PC, necessary software, and a high-speed internet connection. These arrangements will save you from wastage of time and also make your work easier.
- Use the right software: Though most of the work can be done with freeware tools, sometimes you may have to buy some software or tools. At that time, try to collect the required information regarding the tools and take the right decision to finish your job properly.
- Create a support group: the freelancers work alone, but in some cases, other people’s help is needed. So, making friends or maintaining it entirely depends on you.
- Collect the feedback’s from the clients: If you can collect good remarks or testimonials from previous or new clients, it will help to strengthen your marketing. So, you can highlight the positive statements of customers regarding you and your work in your portfolio.
- Make own products: Make some products on your own for having some extra income. For example, templates, training modules, WordPress themes, e-books, etc. By selling out these products, you can earn.
- Be positive: A freelancer should always bear in mind that his positive attitude is the best asset for him.
- Be self-confident: If you consider yourself, not the right person for doing the assigned job, how do you expect that the client will find you eligible for it?
- Do something new: Do not fear to do experiments.
- Analyze your opinions online: What you say or what others say about you online, are imperative. Try to follow it correctly.
- Prepare for the future: Be prepared for the future. Save for bad times.
- Review or check the above issues regularly to see whether they are running correctly.
In the present days, trembling economy, freelancing is on the mount. By entering a freelancing arena, an excellent way to increase your current income level and can generate a new career. So, Utilize the talent you already have, and you will be okay on your way to creating a successful personal business. In conclusion, avoid isolation. As a freelancer, you almost certainly work at home mainly. That can make you lonely and burned out. So escape from there. Join various networking groups, engage yourself in a freelancers’ meeting, and make some fun. Always have to have some time for friends and family.
Credit: Sharmin Khurshid
Freelance Writer and SEO Professional at oDesk, Fiverr and Advance IT Institute.
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