I would especially recommend freelancing for people who are in their early 20s. This is one of the best things you can do to develop a strong set of skills, achieve financial independence and get a better idea of what you want to achieve in your life.
But the beauty of being your own boss and creating your own schedule is that it will never comes easy. Before getting started you should be aware of the following:
1. Successful Freelancing Takes Time
Don’t expect money to fall from the sky as you jump into this lifestyle. Freelancing has very specific requirements such as great time-management, client networking and financial planning (just to name a few). So even if you are very good at your creative field, you will quickly see that you have to acquire additional skills to be successful. Learning how to balance your new roles will take time.
I recommend that you give yourself at least three months before you anticipate earning any income from your efforts. If you can make a living very fast, that’s great, but keep your goals realistic and plan ahead based on the assumption of being a great freelancer.
2. Rejection Will Surely Come
When you’re constantly putting yourself out there as a freelancer, not everyone is going to accept what you’re offering. And that’s fine! Take this opportunity to build your resilience, bounce back, and move on to the next customer. Your services won’t be suitable for everyone, but that doesn’t mean what you’re offering isn’t valuable. The right customers will come!
3. Hurry Up to Build Your Plumbing and Rосesses
Before launching your freelance services, you’ll want to reorganize all of your pipelines and processes. You may need to draw up an agreement for your customers to sign or create an intake form to collect their information. Whatever may be involved in your progress, organize those in advance to avoid any strees down the road and give your customers a smoother experience.
4. You Are A Lousy Boss
Few people realize how much work freelancers do every day. So if you are looking for a quick bus… you can also brush up your resume and look for a job because freelancing is a lot of things, but it is not easy. Being your own boss can be hard enough, and you may not always do the following:
Go for vacation
Take time off
When to have Your lunch
Know when to stop working
Know what day of the week it is
Tell You how much money you are making
Be told how much money you can spend
These are all issues that freelancers can deal with when they move from being an employee to being their own boss. It’s really important to set your own boundaries and create rules that work for you.
5. Stress Will Be Smiling At You
If you jump into this freelancing, a famous freelancer killer called Mr. Stress. He is known to make his way into your life slowly and without notice. His mission includes making you jumpy, anxious and make an awesome chairskate.
He likes to constantly remind you that the rent is due.
To defend yourself from Mr. Stress, you must first recognize his existence. Then, rearrange your hedge to live off several months’ worth of money, a good back up plan only for when things don’t go right, and for many others.
6. Money Management Is Important
Find out how much money you have to spend each month. Then, figure out how many projects you need to complete before you can get paid. There are plenty of free apps available to help you track your finances, but I recommend sticking to old-fashioned tools or an Excel spreadsheet.
After all, keeping track of what you buy isn’t the most important thing. What you should pay attention to is the unexpected:
Unregistered or delayed invoices
lack of customers
hardware failure
family emergency
The list goes on and on. So get ready for the unexpected and give yourself a cushion while managing your spending.
7. How Much to Charge Based On The Quantity Of Your Work
The following is a big decision for any freelancer: How much money should I charge for my work? Should I charge per hour, per project, perhaps for each facility? The answer to this question depends on the answer to another question: How many projects do you plan to do in a year?
Either you are aiming to do a lot of projects to build your portfolio or are you trying to establish a more distinctive brand? Answer that and you’ll know that there should be thousands at the end of your quote.
8. First Of All, Don’t Give Up On Your Day Job
If possible, try to strike a balance between your regular job and freelancing. Your results will obviously be skewed, yet you will get a glimpse of what kind of self-employment is. Work during the weekend or on your own less time and you’ll see if you can make it full time.
When you have a better understanding of what freelancing is all about and feel you are more than that, go ahead and take decisive action. Don’t burn any bridges, because the unexpected is just around the corner.
This is my list of 8 things everyone should know before starting freelancing. While this may not sound like a dream job, it can be. Once you have covered these points, you will find that your life becomes much easier.
