7 Secrets to Becoming a Successful Freelancer

 7 Secrets to Becoming a Successful Freelancer

A freelancer is someone who has the freedom to create their own schedule and work when they want, but they also have to take on more responsibility and accountability than someone who works in an office, which means that freelancing has its highs and its lows. It's definitely not an easy career path, but it can be rewarding in ways you never thought possible. To become a successful freelancer, follow these seven tips and advice from those who are already there.

1) Think Global, Act Local

If you want to stand out as a freelancer, local companies are going to be your bread and butter. Sure, it’s great if you’ve built up your international client base, but in order for these clients to come knocking on your door, you’ve got to establish yourself as an expert in your local industry first. And what better way than by getting involved with some community groups? Local organizations like chambers of commerce and business associations can offer you invaluable networking opportunities that will get your name out there—and once people have heard of you, they won’t forget. Not only will becoming involved with local organizations give you more work opportunities, but it will also make it easier for you to set higher rates: when people see how much time and effort you’re putting into helping others succeed, they’ll have no choice but to pay top dollar for your services.

2) Find Your Niche

Once you’re confident in your abilities and have honed your skills, it’s time to start looking for clients. A good way to begin is by identifying where your talents lie. If you’re lucky enough to be skilled at many things, consider yourself lucky! Then take advantage of them! It will make starting a freelance business much easier. For example, if you are good at cooking and interior design, perhaps opening up an interior design company will work well for you. However, if you aren’t as talented or interested in these fields, don’t force yourself into creating a business that doesn’t fit with who you are. This can lead to a stressful and unproductive work environment—not exactly what you want when trying to build something successful.

3) Hone Your Skills

The first, and perhaps most obvious, way to be an excellent freelancer is to ensure that your skills are well-honed. If you’re already established as an expert in your field, then you have one less thing to worry about. For those who are just starting out, it’s important that you understand that there will be a learning curve when it comes to being freelance—particularly if you aren’t sure which niche of expertise you want to enter into. It may seem like a good idea to start off by taking on any job that you can find, but in reality, taking on too many projects at once can only make things more difficult for yourself. It’s better to focus on honing your skillset so that you can offer clients what they need rather than spending all of your time trying to find new clients for work.

4) Get Connected

No matter what your profession, you’re going to need an active network of people around you who can offer insight and assistance. Some of these people will be clients, but many will also be other freelancers and entrepreneurs—and some may even be competitors. You don’t want to treat everyone as your competition, but it doesn’t hurt to have some ties in different industries. It’s not just about learning from them; if they run into problems, they might end up coming back to you for help. Remember: helping others is one of the best ways to learn how to do something yourself. Be kind and generous with your time, but remember that there are no free lunches—if someone asks you for advice, make sure they’re willing to reciprocate at some point down the road. The only way we all get better is by helping each other out.

5) Know What You’re Worth

You can’t charge top dollar if you don’t know your value. Before becoming a freelancer, figure out what you’re worth by checking out market rates and doing some research on how much freelance professionals in your field are charging. Once you have that information, it’s time to start lining up clients. While many freelancers find success with direct outreach—cold calling potential clients or sending an email—you may want to try getting referrals from current or former employers. If you do decide to go with cold outreach, be sure to do your homework; make sure you have a solid understanding of who you’re reaching out to and why they should hire you.

6) Don’t Get Hung Up on Dead-End Clients

If you’re building out your freelancing business, don’t be afraid to say no to clients that aren’t a good fit. Your time is valuable—and it might be better spent working with people who want to pay you for high-quality work. The best way to learn how to become successful as a freelancer is through trial and error. But one of those errors might cost you more money than it saved. It could turn into months of downtime without income. That’s why we recommend starting small. Take on only what you know you can do well and enjoy doing—and let go of anything else. And if there are any doubts about whether or not a client is right for you, trust your gut instinct: You can always politely decline their offer and move on to someone else. As an added bonus, saying no frees up your schedule so you can take on other opportunities. Just make sure that you don’t take too long to complete a project — then you won’t have enough time left in your day to fulfill all of them! Now comes your hard part: posting them online.

7) Remember Why You Got Into It in the First Place

When you're first starting out, it's so easy to forget why you got into freelancing in the first place. The grind and hustle can become such a part of your everyday life that you end up forgetting what led you down that road in the first place. If you lose sight of why freelancing appealed to you, it will be much harder for you to get yourself back on track. Remind yourself why you chose freelance work and remember what makes it special in your mind. A great way to do this is by writing it down and keeping it handy somewhere where you'll see it often (like your desk). You could even add some notes about how working as a freelancer has changed over time or how your personal goals have evolved over time. Writing these things down will help keep them top-of-mind when you need them most.