5 Tips for Successful Freelancing

Quick Disclaimer: These tips are targeted at service providers and skilled professionals. 

Create business processes and business procedures and be able to communicate them to clients. 

Business processes are a collection of linked tasks done to deliver your services. Business procedures define "how" you intend to carry out these tasks. When creating your business processes and procedures there are some important question to ask yourself. 

  • "What services am I offering?" 
  • "What would a client expect from me when delivering these services?" 
  • "What would I need from the client to deliver these services?" 
  • "How long would it take to complete these services?" 

After you have created your business processes and procedures you should have a clear timeline of how each project will be carried out. From my experience clients give better reviews when they also have this clarity. I would suggest communicating your processes and procedures before starting any project.  

When done properly your client should be assured they’ve found the right person for the job. It should also improve your productivity as you'll know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. 

 

Be strategic about pricing, spending and money in general. 

Pricing can be very confusing for freelancers. Putting a value on your time and skills is just not natural. My suggestion for beginners is to set your pricing similar to competitors and peers. After completing your first few projects you should adjust your pricing based on your researched hourly rate.  

The biggest mistake everyone makes is overspending in the attempt to grow their business faster. The reality is businesses with long-term plans for growth are more successful. Simply put: You don't need the top the range PC, Camera and Printer. Get equipment that solves a problem you currently have. This same logic can be applied to paid marketing. 

A very important part of any business is payment collection. My suggestion is to request a deposit before starting the project and at some point before your final work is turned in, request the balance payment. This should not be a problem if communicated to the client before starting the project. If possible you can collect payments up-front. Don't count on the getting payments after the project is completed. If you were to take a project with this agreement, it should be for a good opportunity to grow your business. 

 

Put in the work!!! 

This is probably the most self-explanatory tip. As the saying goes: 

"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." 

The more time spent on improving your skills and delivery, the better your work and reputation becomes. References are an unspoken but massive part of all freelance businesses. 

 

Create a personal brand and have an online presence. 

Personal branding is the act of intentionally positioning yourself as a brand or business. For freelancers your personal brand should be developed considering: "who you are" and "who your clients want to work with". You have to make a conscious effort of developing your brand over time. 

The best place to display your personal brand is online. There are many ways of getting an online presence: 

  • Creating a website
  • Creating a google business profile
  • Facebook profile
  • LinkedIn profile
  • Twitter profile
  • Instagram profile 
  • etc.

Sites like Jobvine Freelance, Bark and Snupit are also good alternatives. The goal is to find what gets the best results for you and then continuously improving your brand on that platform. 

 

Remember Marketing is everything. 

The last and possibly most important tip is to have a marketing strategy. An organic marketing strategy will generate traffic naturally over time. Paid marketing will generate traffic instantly but needs careful planning to get a ROI.  

Networking is another organic way of marketing your business. It’s always great to be in the same places your potential clients are. This could be social events, corporate events, conferences and even restaurants or cafes. A quick casual conversation might lead to a long-term client. 

 

That concludes my 5 tips for Successful Freelancing. HAPPY FREELANCING!!!