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Sep 11, 2019 by Skillbox

How to Freelance: Part 2 [Freelance Guide]

Connecting to the right clientele and discovering how to freelance is essential if you want to excel in your freelance career. In this second series, we discuss the importance of utilising your network and how to build on your fiances to model your expenditure to fit in with your pricing structure.

Make it your task to plan by forecasting potential turnover and footfall. Give yourself ultimate protection by being highly organised and protecting yourself from failure.

 

how to freelance

Photo by Domenico Loia 

Start freelancing today!

 

1: How to Freelance: Networking

 

Everything online starts with networking. Potential clients will hear about you through word of mouth, so you will need to put yourself out there as much as possible, by any means tell your immediate friends and family what you’ve started to do, but cast your net out in professional circles as well.

  1. Note down specific clients for your project based workload. Send an email to inform them that you are available for work. Don’t be afraid to ask what plans are in progress and what your skills can do to assist.
  2. Find and join any online communities that relate to your niche/skills. This kind of networking will probably take up 25% of your time as you learn how to freelance.
  3. Always include links to your professional site and profiles when cold emailing.

 

2. How to Freelance: Budgeting

 

Outside of work, you will, of course, need to survive. As a freelancer, your income may vary depending on how many projects you undertake. Setting a budget will ensure you can pay your rent, bills and weekly food shop.

  1. Once you begin earning money as a freelancer, you will need to monitor how much you make each month. Once you have a good idea of how much that is you can work out how much your average income is.
  2. If this source of income isn’t enough, consider a secondary job.

 

3. How to Freelance: Pricing

 

As a freelancer, you will have some breathing room with starting rates. Said rates should be indicative of your level of experience and the kind of work you provide. Before you set a price, research the standards of the industry that way, you can get a reasonable estimate of what yours should be. Some clients may offer you a base rate when you start, as opposed to an hourly rate.

  1. Never lowball. You won’t be able to increase your rates once a project has begun.
  2. Look at what other freelancers charge to get a better idea of what your rates should be.

 

4. How to Freelance: Quota

 

Setting yourself a quota as you learn how to freelance is akin to setting a target. Find a specific number you would like to hit within a time-frame and aim for it. You can base it on a pre-made budget, hourly rates for work and then set how many hours you’ll need to clock in before you reach that number.

  1. Set a new quota each month. It will help you narrow down your initial workload as well as figure out how many clients you need to get in contact with.

 

5. How to Freelance: Freelance Websites

 

Once you’ve set yourself up on a freelance website, you’ll be able to start establishing a reputation. Get as much customer feedback as possible to figure out how you’re progressing, don’t set your expectations too high either. A steady wage comes with a regular customer base.

  1. Find the right site for you. If you’re getting yourself into a niche, consider joining one site. If you’re a jack-of-all-trades, join multiple sites.
  2. Find out what sites have the best reputation. Talk to other freelancers to find this out. Look for a professional networking group; avoid any site that needs you to enter in your personal financial information.
  3. Fill out your profile carefully and always link your portfolio in as well. Remember to enclose a headshot for potential clients to see you as a person rather than a profile.

 

6. How to Freelance: Bidding War

 

After you’ve figured out how to freelance and discovered potential clients, matched them up to your skillset. You’ll need to start firing out proposals and bids for work. Clients will review any submissions they receive and make a decision. Any bid you submit should be personalised to the project and include examples of your work.

  1. Personalisation includes using the client's name, details about the project you’re bidding on and any work you’ve done that can relate to this work.
  2. Always link to your digital portfolio and website.
  3. Hopefully, you will get accepted for the project; at this point, you and the client can discuss rates and get to work.

Here is an example of a project timeline (for a client): 

 

how to freelance

In part 3 we will discuss how investing your time is crucial to the success of your freelance career and go into detail about how to monitor the market.

 

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