Projects for online earning have been available on internet. People tend to romanticize the image of a freelancer, imagining complete freedom from corporate conventions, constant travel and self-realization. Undoubtedly, such business has numerous focal points, but there are too drawbacks and troubles.
Becoming a freelancer with a stable income is not as easy as it seems at first glance. There’s no widespread approach, there are a parcel of pitfalls and non-obvious issues.
In my three years of working for myself, I have made some important findings that have had a direct impact on my income and customer acquisitionI hope they will help you get used to it faster, reach a steady income and develop steadily. No matter what you do, these recommendations are universal and do not depend on specialization.
1. Learn English
First and most important, learn English . All significant articles and materials show up in English, and they are not continuously deciphered.The most interesting global projects are created in the English-speaking sphere. Most likely, your idols also speak English. To ended up a full-fledged member in this environment, information of English may be a must.
In addition, fluency in English will allow you to collaborate with foreign clients, publish articles in international journals, develop on specialized freelance platforms and niche resources.
2. Define your niche
Any specialist will be much more in demand if they focus on specific areas, instead of trying to do everything. If you need an online store, you are more likely to go to a developer who specializes in e-commerce, rather than one who makes “any sites”. No one can be an ace in each single thing at the same time.To create something outstanding, you need a narrow specialization and deep expertise.
Determining your niche will also help you understand what you should focus on when presenting your services and what your client profile is.
Focus on what you are good at and what you really want to do. Nothing else matters.
At a certain point, I realized that I was most interested in working either with products or with complex applications. Promo and “festival” sites are not mine. Despite the fact that at first it was a pity to refuse and actually lose money, in the long run it was this specialization that allowed me to attract the attention of companies such as Adobe and InVision.
By accepting all incoming projects, we run the risk of missing out on the most important ones that are really capable of raising our level of expertise and income.
3. Organize your workspace
A well-organized workspace is of the utmost importance. At home, it can be difficult to switch from rest mode to work mode and vice versa, this border begins to blur. Yes, sometimes it’s great not to travel anywhere and work in the comfort of your own home (I’m writing this article at home), but maintaining stable performance for months or years will be almost impossible.
Consider renting an office or co-working space. Yes, these are extra expenses, but if you are serious, they will definitely pay off. In addition, in a coworking space you can meet other specialists, which will help you avoid the feeling of isolation and loneliness that comes with working at home for a long time.
4. Work on your reputation
More and more specialists are becoming part of the market, starting to compete for projects and jobs. Agreeing to the Nielsen Norman Gather, the number of UX architects on the advertise is expanding by over a million each year. Working on the Internet, you compete with all these people. Your reputation will help you stand out and build your competitive advantage.
A personal brand is something that is really worth paying attention to. For example, an excellent checklist that will help you work with your own brand can be found in Igor Mann’s book ” Number 1. How to be the best at what you do “.
5. Get your finances in order
Freelancing income is unstable: it happens that everything is going great, but there is also a lull. In the event that you oversee your cash appropriately and arrange your budget, you may not need to stress approximately a conceivable “low season”.
Many freelancers do not save money and do not invest , relying solely on future profits. This is a huge mistake. Regardless of the amount of income, you need to count money and plan your budget. Take a basic online personal finance course to get a basic understanding of how to manage money the right way.
6. Build a network of contacts
Yes, meeting new people can be difficult, but it’s critical to your career and business. A wide orchestrate of contacts is the key to a relentless stream of clients.We all tend to buy from someone we trust.
Besides:
- Networking is a way to strengthen your reputation in the professional community, not only in your specialization, but also in the industry that interests you.
- Thanks to personal connections, you can learn about projects and new solutions before they become known to the general public.
- You’ll be able share your encounter and information with other individuals.
In addition, I advise you to participate in professional meetings and conferences in your city. Are they not held? Try organizing meetings yourself. There are a expansive number of dynamic online communities where you’ll be able discover like-minded individuals: Migrant List , Meetup , Indie Programmers .
7. Don’t overexert yourself
If a client approached you with a potential order, this does not mean at all that you are obliged to undertake its implementation. Pick the projects you’re really interested in and don’t overwhelm yourself with work. If you work on several projects at the same time, there is a high risk of not doing the job as well as you could. And this can be a serious obstacle in your growth and building a strong portfolio.
Projects often take longer than planned, so always reserve time for urgent edits, additional work, and preparing a portfolio case. Consider it part of the project and factor such time into your work plan. You do have it, don’t you?
Don’t forget to rest. Freelancers especially need a quality vacation. The main thing is to warn customers in advance.
There’s a really lean line between perseverance and difficult work.Be attentive to yourself.
8. Find partners
Outsourcing does not cruel that you just got to do everything alone.Delegate and outsource non-core tasks: email newsletters, translations of articles or development of a personal website .
Think about mutually beneficial partnerships with specialists from other fields of activity. You’ll do what you are doing best and outsource the rest.For example, if you are a designer and work with interfaces, it’s a good idea to share your illustrations or branding with others. Such cooperation will certainly not be smooth, but it will be beneficial in the long run.
9. Keep your portfolio up to date
Everyone knows how difficult it is to force yourself to update a portfolio, especially when there are a lot of client tasks at work. But you can’t overlook how critical it is to your brand and commerce.Your ideal clients may not write to you just because they haven’t had a chance to see your best recent work! After each project, set aside time to prepare a presentation and promo.
Another very important tip: remove from your portfolio any projects that are not similar to what you want to do and do not reflect your strengths. For illustration, let’s say you position yourself as a item originator, but you’ve got medium quality blurbs in your portfolio.This may confuse your client or, conversely, you will be ordered to design the same posters.
You will never know how many offers you missed out on because of your outdated or sloppy portfolio.
10. Work smarter
Few designers find it important to structure their workflow. We are creatives, right? But building a successful freelance business without paying attention to your own workflows and documents is next to impossible.
Your ability to complete tasks quickly and efficiently is directly related to income.
If the client is not satisfied with the final result, he does not care how much time you worked on the design or how many options were thrown into the basket. And in the event that you illuminate his issue rapidly and effectively, he will unquestionably appreciate it.
Within the work of the architect, there are a expansive number of operations that can mechanized or performed concurring to a layout.Take, for example, the job of a user interface designer: you can use UI kits, rapid prototyping tools, and custom components. There’s no have to be make purge craftsmanship sheets each time, squandering your time and client’s cash.
By optimizing your work, you’ll total more errands within the same sum of time. This will lead to an increment in salary indeed without changing the hourly rate. Or you can finally devote more time to yourself and your portfolio.
11. Develop universal skills (soft skills)
Final but not slightest, the most excellent thing you’ll do for yourself and your commerce is to be a decent individual.Many good professionals turn out to be arrogant snobs who are difficult to deal with. Regularly it is your individual qualities that are of definitive significance within the choice.
Dua for studying. At your doorstep.