Freelancing is attractive in many ways. To make this journey great for your case, I decided to prepare this freelancer's guide: how to be a freelancer.
I have to start by saying you don't have to be a freelancer to be happy in your career. I want to share this guide to help people who want to do the same and to encourage them to take the first step. Because it is POSSIBLE.
Let's start our freelancer's guide, 'how to be a freelancer' with understanding what/who is a freelancer? Well, you may need to think about freelancer vs. remote worker. They are not the same thing.
Who is a freelancer?
A freelancer works free from a company unless they have their own company.
They find their own customers,
They organize their own time to work,
They need to take care of their own insurance.
As a freelancer, you need to be bossy with yourself and take responsibility for your own career on your own.
Freelancer vs. remote worker
When you work remote, you are still working for a company. You have a regular salary and a fixed time to work. You can benefit from the insurance and other advantages offered by your company. However, you need to adapt yourself to your company's expectations. It's still working for a company; the only difference is you're not in the office. You can work from wherever you want to work.
When you are a freelancer, you can make a contract with a company, but you're not exactly the employee of the company. They don't owe you insurance or many other opportunities. So what is the opportunity in freelancing? You are really free. You can work for many different companies. You have the right to accept or reject projects. You have more chances to choose in general. And as you can work on many projects, the money you can make is up to you (and your market, for sure.)
How to be a freelancer: step by step
So, if you are still interested in being a freelancer, let's dive into the steps you need to take. Here is the freelancer's guide to starting!
Define your capabilities and interests
I don't want to start by choosing a profession here. That's a topic by itself and wish you find the one that will make you happy.
What I mean here is it's good to find a focus in your job when you are a freelancer. When you are a freelancer, you can cooperate with other freelancers and companies, but you will join the project with your specific skills. Do not limit yourself to just one skill, but be rational.
Let me explain to you with an example: I am a content writer who focuses on writing blog posts. I also write press releases, website content, scripts for explainer videos. I support designers for telling stories through their designs. I don't feel limited at all, but I don't do social media content or old-fashioned blog posts - that doesn't tell stories.
In this way,
I can improve my capabilities in a specific job,
I built a network with a specific service,
I can avoid doing what I am not so interested in.
My first advice is to draw the border of your job definition as you like.
Learn about the legal issues
Each country has their own legal regulations about freelancers. You will need to do research about your best options. You may
need to be a registered freelancer,
use online freelancer platforms,
establish your private company,
and maybe another solution.
Consider the TAX and other expenses such as financial advisor, office, accounting, etc. and also your field's requirements.
Decide on your rates
Maybe it sounds easy at the beginning, but believe me, it's not. In the freelancing world, you will see a different range of rates. You'll need to consider your skills and experience to find out your value. Some freelancers choose to work by hourly rates, and others a fixed price for projects.
Find customers
This is the ever-lasting step of freelancing. So for the freelancer's guide, it's essential. This is also what many people ask how I do it. I will share my own tips with you.
Your customer candidates are looking for you on many platforms. Freelancing is all about the network. So, make sure that you create a big one.
Be active on Facebook groups
Be social on many platforms. There are Facebook groups people post to find freelancers. You can search in the group with keywords about your job regularly and tell them about your services. Don't be shy.
Spread the word
When you decide to work as a freelancer, let your own social network know about this. Tell them clearly what you do and ask if they work or know someone who works in the same sector. This can be the beginning of a big network.
Use LinkedIn
LinkedIn is where business people get social with each other and hear about each other's services and products. When you connect with people related to your own job, you will widen your network.
Be organised
When you start working on projects, you will need to organise your time and energy. Sometimes you may spend all your time working as there will not be someone to tell you when to work. This is exhausting. You may get too tired to continue this routine.
Or there is another case, many people cannot get motivated to start working as there is no one pushing to work in the morning. You will need to push yourself and be organised.
Enjoy the freedom
Freelancing will give you the freedom to live wherever you want, whenever you want, for which project you want. Once you are a full-time freelancer, take it seriously so that you will have enough projects to work on and be really free.
So who am I to tell this?
What makes me capable of writing a freelancer's guide is my own experience. I have been working as a freelancer for 7+ years. Before that, I had full-time jobs in offices, which didn't make me rich or happy. So, my journey to freelancing started as a freelance content writer. Now I have my private company and regular customers I work with.
If you have been thinking about how to be a freelancer, maybe it's time to take action.
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