The Dos And Don'ts Of Successful Freelancing

So you have been considering freelancing as a career?
So what is freelancing? What’s a freelancer
What is online freelance work?
So to define freelancing, Freelancing is using the skills you expertise in and your knowledge to deliver product or services or freelance projects to a client for a particular amount of money. This is what is freelance work

Freelance careers  are  sought after career for many professionals and students. Maybe as an additional side income or a gateway to financial freedom there are several reasons why people might opt for freelancing.
Whether you are a college student, a professional looking for a flexible job with greater variety, or want to follow a passion, freelance is a great option with tremendous benefits. Paid freelancers provide numerous services such as admin support, content marketing, content management, animation, app development, and many other services. For those wondering how to be  freelancer or how to freelance, here’s your go-to guideline on what you should do and what you should avoid.  

First, let’s look at a few skills required for freelance online work 

To expertise in freelancing, most skills would be the same as any other job in the market, but the primary skill is self-motivation. Freelancers would agree that a high level of self-motivation is necessary to submit quality work and, in turn, be successful. 

Some employers also require industry-specific skills, so it is vital for freelancers to continually grow and upskill to do better than their competitors. Successful freelancing guidelines will tell you that communication plays a big role in freelancing, especially for the initial part of procuring business.

Bonus Read: How to Start Freelancing as a Side Hustle

How Can You Online Freelancing?

First, you need to choose a profession that is in demand and is something you are good at. Build an impressive online presence and market yourself as the best in that field. Curate the best of your work for your portfolio to stand out in the competition. Create personalised project proposals according to the client's industry, work, and objectives. Make the most of your opportunities by choosing the right project for your skillset, which also resonates with your passion and motivation to work.

Dos and Don'ts of Freelancing

What is a freelance job? Freelancing can be tricky at times, and even as an experienced freelancer, you may often find yourself in situations that you haven't faced before. Different clients and projects expose you to new challenges each time. The way you respond to these situations plays a big part in your freelancing career.We'll look into the list of the do's and don’ts in your freelancing career, which can give you a heads up on some of such situations.  

Do’s of Freelancing

Always communicate your excitement to work with your client. Make sure your client knows that you value the opportunity to work with them and share your excitement for the same . Communication is key to developing any relationship. It builds trust and authority.

Find your niche, it is crucial to find your niche where you excel so clients know that you specialise in a particular skill and offer services in that field of expertise. Your name should be almost synonymous to the skill or service you offer so that as soon as the client thinks of that skill or service your name pops into their head.

Learn the skill you want to specialise in and market yourself, learn before you earn, become an expert of the skill you want to offer and market yourself strategically in a compelling manner so people follow you and reach out to you for the services you offer.

Find freelancing websites to get work, freelancer websites could be a great starter kit in order to get established in the industry and have a set of clients who count on you. They are the best way to get easy access to clients and work with them in order to build your portfolio.

Create a portfolio of your work to showcase , document everything, save everything and create an amazing portfolio to showcase to potential new clients displaying your level of professionalism, expertise and experience.

Network! Network! Network! Networking is the best way to expand your circle and get good clients and relevant work. You can get many contacts simply through networking. Make sure you attend events, conferences happening in your industry and network with as many people as you can.

Take constant feedback from your clients, when you have done the work, what kind of work you have done , what's its quality, where do you need to improve , what is lacking, what can be advanced are all the important questions you need to ask yourself in order to improve.

Pay your taxes on time, paying taxes on time will save you a lot of hassle in the later stage. So do make sure your taxes are proper

Be punctual, time management is what will dictate whether you will be able to deliver on time or not. So being punctual in your work is needed in order to deliver on time.

Understand the client’s need and work accordingly, understand what the client wants and make strategies accordingly

Be transparent in your dealings with the client, be truthful and don't let anything slide away in the background if it's important to be known. This you need to do to become a freelancer

Provide a fair payment estimate for each project. Clients appreciate you taking your time to come up with an estimate if you come across unknown work.

Ask your client if they have a set budget for a particular task, and then provide a relevant estimate of what your charges would be like.

Be proactive and meet the client in person if possible; this helps your cause, and you give the client a reason to approach you for further projects. 

Presentation matters in freelancing, and despite this job not requiring you to necessarily work from an office environment, it is highly recommended to be dressed formally for meetings and conferences. 

Do the kind of work that you would actually like doing! It is logical to think that you will be successful as a freelancer if you did what you like, which is one of the key benefits of freelancing. 

Keep your skills up to date and remain relevant to the industry. While not every client looks for industry-specific qualifications, hiring a freelancer for a particular task depends on the freelancer's line of work and the client's requirements at that particular time. 

Effective communication is a skill of great importance in freelancing. Freelancers must maintain a clear line of communication, which needs to be constant and should be extended until project completion to retain clients. 

Apart from these pointers, as a freelancer, you need to be adaptable to a great degree. Clients' needs and expectations may change from time to time, and it is expected of the freelancers to handle such situations.

Don'ts of Freelancing

• Don’t fleece your clients. The rate you quote depends on the type of service you offer, your experience, the value you provide, and project duration. Consider each of these factors carefully and decide upon a rate that satisfies yourself and makes equal sense to your potential clients. 
• To be a successful freelancer, you need to understand that you don't always have to work on big, long-term projects.  
• Don’t be stuck on one idea and don’t think that your thought process is the ultimate goal. While working with clients, you need to consider their goals. 
• Do not be overconfident about your skills, regardless of your experience. 
• Do not begin work for a client when you are unsure about whether they can pay you.  
• Don’t be unprofessional and unorganised; use a systematic approach to your freelance work. Find out the best CRM and project management software for small businesses, implement the same, and maintain a track record of your work. 
• Don't be desperate, don't be desperate for getting work, wait and the right work will come to you. Patience is essential in the freelancing world if you are not patient and coming off as desperate the other person can very well sense it and would be unwilling to work with you for any project
• Don't promote what you can't deliver, in order to crack the deal some people resort to promoting what they don't know only to get the job which is unethical and should be avoided at all costs. Never promise what you know you can't pull off as the consequences could be severe for non delivery.
• Don't make false promises, don't promise something which you know you certainly can't do. Making false promises would tarnish your credibility which is the basic currency to securing freelancing work.
• Don't hide any detail, do not hide any detail to manipulate the client to work with you or for ulterior motives. Your reputation can make you or break you and bad publicity would definitely dampen your sparkle
• Don't work for free, you have spent so much time and energy to learn the skills that you now possess. Don't work for free and let those go to waste. Value yourself to be valued.
• Don't get overworked , if you overwork it will leave you exhausted, uninspired , unproductive which will ruin your output and consistency take rest when required. 
• Don’t lie , never lie because you won't be ever trusted again. So make sure you speak the truth even at the loss of a client because if you lie you will lose them anyway but if you tell the truth they might consider.
• Don't give up your day job yet, before thinking about quitting your job consider all the dynamics and the risks associated. Be well aware and prepare yourself for the same. Don't be in a hurry to quit, first establish a good clientele and when confident think about going into the freelancing business full time.
• Don't lie about your working hours, be honest about the time you put in to deliver your services, don't be dishonest and charge extra. Maintain a code of ethics in your business for great success.
• Don't accept every offer, A new freelancer may take any offer that comes their way, even if it is extremely low. Be aware of the market prices for your work so you don't get taken advantage of.
• Make sure you don't get sidetracked, Keep a consistent freelance gig to ensure that you can maintain consistent working hours despite the flexible work arrangements. Every time you feel bored, set a break time so you don't watch Youtube videos and scroll through your newsfeed.
• Make sure you don't become too dependent on one client. A freelance gig can be lost at any time, just like a real job. There is a possibility that a client will go out of business or decide to hire an in-house employee to finish your work or you can also hire a freelancer like you. As a freelancer, you can't predict when you'll lose a project, so don't become too dependent on one client. Promote your business constantly so you won't be hit hard when the unexpected occurs.

Additional tips for freelance workers and doing online freelance job:

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There are many freelancer jobs online these all you need to do to retain your clients

1. Maintain ongoing relationships with clients.

In the past, freelancers were often considered short-term or temporary employees, hired for a one-time project or to fill a gap until a company could find full-time or part-time staff.Today, more companies than ever before are relying on independent contractors to help them manage their ongoing operations.

2. Don't limit yourself to local businesses

In order to support themselves, many college graduates and laid-off employees turn to remote freelancing. 

You may be more qualified for the job than someone who is geographically closer to the company despite having to compete with a national pool of applicants. When you work freelance, you won't be disadvantaged by your location.

3. Rejection is a part of the job.

New business means constantly networking and pitching your services, but not everyone will be ready to work with you at any given time. Keep pounding the pavement despite rejection; don't view it as a failure.You might be able to work with some of the people you met again if their business budgets increase or their needs change. Keep searching for clients who are a good fit for what you offer, even if they don't.

4. Communicate with clients and partners in a proactive manner.

Freelancing means you work for yourself, but you must ensure your clients are satisfied. Setting realistic deadlines and communicating proactively are important parts of that process. In the event of a problem or delay, inform the client as soon as possible. In case someone isn't responding about a particular project and you need their response to move forward, follow up and let them know it's important. Don't wait for someone to contact you.

5.Feedback and constructive criticism should be welcomed.

If the employer wants something different from your project, be open to feedback and willing to make changes. It can be challenging to receive critical feedback, but it's important to understand the client's perspective and expectations. As you work with a client, you can adjust to meet their needs.

Clients hire you for your expertise, so if their feedback doesn't match what you know works, gently offer your insights.Tell them you understand their feedback and are willing to implement it, but that in your experience an alternative might be better. By doing this, you will be able to give them a choice as well as explain your reasoning. The decision to do things their way remains theirs, and you should abide by their instructions - they're the ones paying your bills, after all.

6.When done correctly, freelancing can be lucrative and rewarding

Freelancers face unique challenges, but they also have great opportunities. You will have to do a bit more work when it comes to generating leads, satisfying clients, collecting payments, and managing your taxes, but freelancing offers independence. Some freelancers go on to build successful businesses with their services, sometimes even expanding into agencies and hiring other professionals. Consider the tips above when starting out if you want to freelancing - you'll be glad you did.

7.Take advantage of freedom's flexibility

You can pursue the work you love, diversify your career, and set your own working hours by freelancing.As a result, having a flexible job can be one of the best ways to accommodate your family schedule and illness, especially if your health condition makes it difficult for you to work as a traditional employee..

Work outside on sunny days or even take time off if you know you can make up the time and complete your work on time. This leads us to our final don't:

Conclusion

This brief guide will help you start with your freelance career. Freelancing is a rewarding and beneficial method of breaking from the 9 to 6 and taking charge of your time. With focus, determination, and smart work, freelancing can be a great career opportunity. There are some of the freelance ideas of do’s and don'ts.

Just remember these do's and don'ts of freelancing and whatever happens stay cool and patient. 

So freelance vs self employed which one is better? What are your freelancing dos and don’ts?