20 Quick Tips For Aspiring Freelancers The last two years have been the most exciting of my life. I made the jump to freelance work, which has given me the freedom to work when and however much I want. The transition from a regular job to freelancing was not easy, but I managed it. This post is meant to help you bypass difficulties and maximize your productivity as you start your own freelancing career.
1. Don’t give up your day job! Your day job is your most important asset when switching from regular work to freelancing. You need to be able to support yourself on this new career path, so start off slowly and work in the evenings or on your lunch breaks. If you are a student, working around your studies can be quite lucrative; you can fill in those free periods with money-making design work! 2. Put an amazing portfolio together In the freelance business, having a solid portfolio is important. While many employers will accept your résumé, your portfolio is the bit of you that stands out. It shows employers what you can do and what you have done. Make it as creative as possible. Many people worry that they have no work to show potential clients. If that is the case, try redesigning your favorite website or rebrand your favorite company and mark it as a case study. While this work has not been commissioned, it does show off your skill, which will inspire much more confidence in your client if they find out they are your first client. 3. Do not buy any new gear This is a common pitfall for many freelancers. They think they need the best equipment to do the best job. Yes, tools help, but how you use them is what matters. As tempting as it is, you do not need the latest Macbook Pro; you can do the job just as well on your four-year-old PC. Why spend money when you want to make it? Of course, some things are essential, such as Photoshop, but try to get a student version or a discount. You do not want to let money slip through your fingers when you don’t have to. 4. Build your website Building your website before looking for work is also important. The first thing potential clients will do is look at your website. Your website conveys your attitude towards your work and your personality, so make sure it reflects how you want to be seen. Choose the words on your website carefully: do you want to be seen as formal or lighthearted? Also, do you want to emphasize form over function? All of this has to be conveyed in your design. 21 | ISSUE 02 | The Role of an Advertising agency
5. Set up a new bank account Keep your personal and work accounts separate. You do not want to give out your personal bank details, nor do you want to attach a PayPal business account to your personal account. While you may be able to get by at first using your personal account, you will run into problems down the road with taxes and client payments. In any case, at least you’ll be able to keep your personal PayPal account, for which you won’t be taxed for transactions! 6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help As with all things, starting off freelancing can be tough, but the freelance community is very friendly. While no one will build your website for you, people may help you with a snippet of code or give you feedback on your design. By asking for advice, you also make friends, which in time could lead to work. 7. Go back to school While you may think you know everything, you certainly don’t. Spend some time on tutorial websites or invest in taking a course to extend your knowledge. Any skill you can add to your toolkit will be valuable later in life. Learning a completely new skill, such as video editing and conversion, might also be a good idea. The web has become much more video-centric, so having skill in the field will enable you to offer more to clients, creating more profit for you. 8. Set up a home office Make sure you are able to concentrate on work and work alone. A space dedicated to work will help you get it done more quickly. The office does not have to be a room in your home; it could be outdoors or your local coffee shop: any place that does not have too many distractions and is well lit and inspires you to work. Working outside in the fresh air can help keep you alert and sustain your concentration. 9. Get an online Skype number One of my biggest problems starting out was the huge phone bills I racked up talking to clients and team members. If you face the same problem, you could either swallow the higher phone bills or get an online Skype number. Skype works through your computer, so working while talking on the phone is easy. But you can