Are you a seasoned professional with a special skill set and want to give freelancing a shot?
Looking from the outside, freelancing can seem like the ideal choice for a career as it enables you to work on projects that pique your interest and choose clients that you are comfortable working with.
It gives you the freedom to explore your professional potential and diversify your portfolio.
It lets you choose your own working hours and work from the comfort of your home, taking away the stress of commuting to and from the office every day.
However, freelancing is not without its challenges.
However, a large number of people find it difficult to leave their secure and predictable full-time employment to make the leap and start freelancing.
This is because freelancing can be dangerous especially if you do not start freelancing as a career with a reputed freelancing portal that can protect your rights and interests as a worker in the freelance economy.
On the other hand, if you know what you are doing and are ready to get off to a good start, freelancing can be a completely safe and lucrative career option.
This is especially true in light of the fact that our current economic situation favors outsourcing and freelancing.
In this blog post, I am going to discuss how to turn freelancing into a career?
The Rise Of The Freelancers.
According to a report presented in the digital edition of Forbes magazine, by the year 2022, it is estimated that the number of people working as freelancers will surpass the number of people employed full-time.
The economy is changing as more and more people understand and appreciate the real benefits that come with freelancing.
In 2005, it was believed that there were 10.3 million people working as freelancers in the United States.
However, that number has grown significantly, and there are now over 70 million freelancers working in the United States alone.
In India, the situation is not so different.
Freelancing is an option that is gaining popularity not only among working professionals who want to make money online by working during their spare time but also among college students who earn an allowance while contributing to their education.
Freelancing can serve both of these purposes.
What really helps is that our economic environment is changing.
Most multi-national corporations and even small organizations are more than happy to recruit freelancers to outsource certain duties that can be completed within a fixed time frame, rather than permanent.
The employee has to go through the hassle of keeping him on his payroll as doing so incurs additional administrative and training fees.
That’s because hiring a permanent employee on their payroll requires spending both extra time and money.
This works better for businesses as they only pay for the work that needs to be done, whereas the freelancer works from their home setup and does not need equipment, a set salary, insurance, or any other facilities.
Don’t ask me to come along a regular job.
This arrangement is beneficial for everyone involved.
With regard to the freelancer, many of the positive aspects of self-employment can be overlooked.
Not only does this allow for a great deal of freedom in terms of the number of hours employed and the types of projects undertaken, but it also enables you to establish a more balanced lifestyle in which you have the freedom to pursue your passions.
There is free time and interests, without jeopardizing your career.
The demand for a full-time job is significant.
You need to spend at least eight to nine hours a day in the office, whether you have to complete many tasks or hold meetings.
For many people who work full time, full time is not usable in a productive way as there are many constraints related to their professional life which should be taken into consideration.
On the other hand, if you work as a freelancer, you can make the most of both your time and expertise.
As a result, you experience a greater sense of job satisfaction because the fruits of your labor are properly recognized, and the use of your free time is entirely up to you.
And wouldn’t that be the ideal existence for anyone?
How To Turn Freelancing Into A Career?
Here are 7 things you need to do to become a successful full-time freelancer:
1. Get Your Feet Wet.
Most people will advise you to work out a strategy before you start.
If you currently have a job, I’d recommend doing the exact opposite of what I’m going to suggest: Get your feet off a few gigs before you start thinking about how you want your freelancing career to look.
This will give you an opportunity to gain experience in the field.
There are two benefits of doing this action.
To start, it gives you the opportunity to set aside a small amount of money before making the transition to working full-time as a freelancer.
To start your career as a freelancer in a solid-state, you’ll need enough money to cover your living expenses for three to six months, in addition to start-up fees.
Second, it gives you the opportunity to test a variety of clients and jobs, as well as spot any bugs in the process, before you dedicate most of your working hours to something that doesn’t give you a good job.
2. Make A Plan.
It’s time to establish a plan after you’ve tried your hand at a variety of clients and types of work and have a general idea of what you want to focus on for your freelance career.
Writing a business plan can help you define your goals and create a rough blueprint of what you consider to be successful in your firm, even if you are not aiming to impress potential investors with it.
Figuring out how much money you make by doing comparable work at your full-time job and then translating that number into an hourly rate is the most efficient way to establish your prices.
When you’re making calculations, it’s crucial to take into account factors such as employee benefits, sick leave, and office supplies.
After determining how many hours will be needed to complete each task, you can choose to charge your clients by the hour or by the project.
3. Set Your Rates.
You will have the opportunity to set your own rates as well as make adjustments to those rates if you try your hand at freelancing while you are still employed full-time by another company.
If you are just starting out as a freelancer, it is highly likely that you will initially charge less for the services you provide.
Figuring out how much money you make by doing comparable work at your full-time job and then translating that number into an hourly rate is the most efficient way to establish your prices.
When you’re making calculations, it’s essential to take into account factors such as employee benefits, sick leave, and office supplies.
After determining how many hours will be needed to complete each task, you can choose to charge your clients by the hour or by the project.
4. Focus On Your Ideal Customer.
You will have a much clearer picture of the companies and people with whom you have the most successful working relationships fairly quickly.
Your ideal client will provide you with the optimal combination of the type of work, style of work, timetable, and compensation that you seek.
For example, you may find that you enjoy working with startups the most because you place a high value on working on cutting-edge projects and don’t want to work in 9 to 5 business days.
On the other hand, you may find that more established companies are more financially reliable, and as a result, you may be attracted to them as you fill out your client roster.
The last aspect to consider is the cultural aspect.
Everyone has different standards of behavior that they demand from their co-workers and customers.
It’s possible that you’re looking for coworkers who are nice and kind, punctual and precise, respect your boundaries in terms of time or a mix of some of these qualities.
Aware of this fact, look for businesses and points of contact that agree, and do so.
You will be amazed at how much new business you can generate by simply posting on your various social networks and letting people know that you are looking for a specific type of work.
5. Engage In Some Self-Promotion.
Gone are the days when you had to buy advertising space in a local newspaper to promote your new company.
By advertising your services on social networking sites like Facebook, Linkedin, Tumblr, and Twitter, you can now be in a position to start your career as a freelancer without any upfront financial costs.
All you need is to be trustworthy, easy to find in the workplace, and receptive to meeting new friends.
Again, the rise of social media and its widespread use has made it much easier to build relationships.
If you haven’t already, it’s also a good idea to consider joining professional organizations in your field.
This will allow you to stay abreast of the latest news and trends in your field, as well as give you access to educational programs that can help you hone your abilities.
6. Network.
Freelancers need contacts not only to acquire new work but also to instill a sense of community that office workers and contractors sometimes lack.
This is something that office workers and contractors sometimes lack.
7. Keep Your Focus On The Job.
Ultimately, the most important thing you can do to make freelancing successful is to periodically re-evaluate the goals you have set for yourself in this endeavor.
On your first try, you won’t always knock it out of the park, but that’s okay because you don’t have to.
All you have to do is keep swinging.
How To Make Freelancing A Stable Career Option?
Now that we have demonstrated that freelancing can be an option for a profession that is quite lucrative and satisfying, the question is whether it can be considered a “stable” employment option.
Absolutely; This is especially true if the freelancer in question chooses to collaborate with a reliable freelancing portal.
Freelance portals are ideal intermediaries as they provide you with a platform that enables you to find interesting projects, submit bids for them at a reasonable price, and then negotiate the terms and conditions of the contract.
Do things that are satisfactory to both you and the employer.
Furthermore, they guarantee that there will always be profitable projects available for you to choose from.
This means you don’t have to sit around and wait for customers to contact you.
Instead, you will have a platform at your disposal where you can initiate contact with customers yourself.
Simply put, these freelancing portals eliminate the need to waste time to provide you with a job that you can work on throughout the year.
They make it easy for freelancers and potential clients to negotiate.
Once you’ve accepted a job offer, you and the client can talk about payment terms, how payment will be made, and when payment will be made before starting the project.
This not only ensures that you will be able to find lucrative projects that pique your interest, but it also ensures that your payments will be processed the way you like (cash transfer, check payment, money transfer, e.t.c).
The project has been commissioned and all deadlines have been met.
This is a double guarantee for your convenience.
Freelance portals are the real reason why freelancing is seen as a safe and rewarding career option in the modern era.
These play a vital role in ensuring that freelancers always have a ready source to choose from for recurring jobs, which are essentially the same as a regular job.
Funds are released as soon as the client acknowledges that the work is done, payments are made according to the terms previously agreed upon, and a lifelong association is formed.
Now you don’t have to worry about your freelance career security and longevity!
So go ahead and who knows you may find yourself that becoming a freelancer is by far the smartest choice for your professional life.
Conclusion.
The advantages and disadvantages of freelancing are almost equal in number.
It is only for you to decide whether you are ready to take the risk that almost always comes with it.
Freelancing allows for more creative and professional autonomy, but it also introduces greater uncertainty and the potential for professional failure.
And it may not be something that is essential to you in your professional life.
However, if you are willing to sacrifice the security of specific employment in exchange for something that suits your career aspirations, you have the opportunity to establish your name and reputation as well as advance your freelance career.
