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Freelancing as a Career Option - Neha Kashyup

Written by: Amber Wright

Article Overview: A good freelancer must be a forward-thinking, self-motivated leader who is comfortable taking initiative in unfamiliar environments. Freelancers should be able to make new relationships easily and spot potential clients wherever they go. For those of you who want to take the plunge, here are some tips for starting and growing your business:

Freelancing as a Career Option - Neha Kashyup

Freelancing can be a great way to start your own business in a cost-effective and experimental manner. Branching out on your own can help you spread your product, service or brand on a case-by-case basis without having to generate high start-up capital and taking risks that can be financially and emotionally overwhelming.

Besides enabling you to become your own boss and create a personalized schedule, freelancing can also be very profitable. Freelancers can increase the charges for their services at a greater rate based on their own criteria such as number of projects and acquired skills instead of length of service to a company. Variety is another benefit of freelancing, giving those who strike out on their own a greater range of experiences and, at times, a stronger resume.

Breaking out on your own does have its pitfalls, however. Besides the uncertainty of where the next project will come from, there’s the lack of employee benefits and the need to be constantly prepared with backup funds for slower business times like the holidays.

A good freelancer must be a forward-thinking, self-motivated leader who is comfortable taking initiative in unfamiliar environments. Freelancers should be able to make new relationships easily and spot potential clients wherever they go.

For those of you who want to take the plunge, here are some tips for starting and growing your business:

Know your goal: A freelancer must be sure of his or her purpose. Do you want to freelance because you need more time or money? Are you too independent for the traditional office environment? Having a clear goal and reason in mind will keep you motivated and also attuned to your working style.

Have your finances and legal needs prepared: Most experts recommend having a year’s worth of living expenses covered before beginning your business. Also, expect delays in check clearances and having to buy extra supplies for certain clients. Furthermore be sure you have adjusted your taxes and licensing to match self-employment requirements. IRS.gov is a great place to learn about your legal needs.

Keep the future of your business in mind: It is important to continue marketing your business as you go along. Consider setting aside time every week to market your business. Email and online newsletters of your activities are a great way to do this, as is keeping up a fresh image and submitting advertisements to publications, attending local events and supporting professional organizations related to your field. Also, make sure that you build bridges with the right clients with whom you can build long-term relationships with and who are willing to spread the word about your product or service.

Know when to say “No,” but keep clients in mind: In his article, “Full-time freelancing: What I Learned in 180 Days,” Cameron Moll, advices to “be cautious responding to emails outside business hours.” Making sure that you have certain unchanging rules will keep you from working under clients’ whims. Also, when picking projects in the beginning, be sure to choose them with your future goal in mind. What takes up time and energy now might not be beneficial toward your future reputation, your portfolio and future profits.

As long as you are thoroughly prepared, freelancing is a great way to see your ideas into fruition on your own terms. With the proper research and relationships, you can assure that your ideas work for you and your future.

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Article Tags: boss, business times, case basis, employee benefits, experiences, experimental manner, freelancer, freelancers, holidays, initiative, living expenses, own business, pitfalls, plunge, relationships, resume, start up capital, traditional office environment, uncertainty, unfamiliar environments



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Re: Might be Of Interest - Freelancing Appealing to More Workers - Freelancing gives you room to be free of 9 to 5 jobs. You work on your own time and leisure. The only problem is if you are not discipline you might end up doing nothing at all
Is there stability for freelancers? - [quote="ideasuniversity":2jyrley3]Freelancing gives you room to be free of 9 to 5 jobs. You work on your own time and leisure. The only problem is if you are not discipline you might end up doing nothing at all[/quote:2jyrley3] I've actually been doing some freelancing myself with private tutoring and teaching essay writing for grades 6 to 8 students. What can freelancers do to ensure they always have a steady line of work?
Re: Require Info on CAD Fed/Prov Grants for Restaurant Start-up - I know the Ontario government is starting a "Second Career" campaign, full of internship opportunities for new chefs and catering staff. It may be worth your while to research the possibilities with that. It may work itself out to be cheap labor in the form of a grant. Good luck regardless!
Re: Need some information on freelance jobs! - Great topic. Freelance jobs are everywhere. I'm a member of Elance.com, ODesk.com and GetAFreelancer.com. The amount and types of jobs and projects available are staggering. Freelancing is a great way to build up a portfolio and resume, and get your name out there. ideasuniversity also brought up a good point about posting in various forums with a link in your signature about what you do. If you target threads specific with your experience and type of work you're looking for, you should be able to pick up some clients this way. I personally get most of my freelance work through forums. The great part is that they keep coming back.
Book: Comeback Moms - Comeback Moms: How to Leave Work, Raise Children, and Restart your Career even If you Haven't Had a Job in Years Monica Samuels and J. C. Conklin 2006 Jacket: Millions of educated, professional women are quitting their jobs to stay home and raise their children. That would never be you, right? You worked hard for your degree and even harder to get to this point in your career. Quitting now, even for a few years, would kill your career, right? That's what Monica Samuels thought when she found out she was pregnant... Over 60 percent of professional women who leave work to raise children want to get back into the workforce someday. If you even think you might want to go back to work, be it in one year or twenty, you need to lay the groundwork now for a successful reentry or your options will be limited. 1. Quitting: When is the best time to cut the cord 2. Feathering the nest: How to financially prepare before you quit 3. Departure strategies: leaving the office 4. Money and Power: Constructing a new life on the home front 5. Backlash: handling family, friends and angry strangers 6. One foot in, one foot out: How can they miss you if you don't really go away? 7. Part time: It ain't perfect, but it's doable 8. Going back: the when and how of returning to work full time 9. Career counseling: When you need a change 10. Entrepreneurs: True Stories Resources Index


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