Freelancing as a Career Option - Neha Kashyup
Freelancing as a Career Option - Neha Kashyup
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.
Freelancing as a Career Option Neha Kashyup - To learn more about this author, visit Amber Wright's Website.
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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.
Freelancing as a Career Option Neha Kashyup - To learn more about this author, visit Amber Wright's Website.
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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