A Career in Freelancing

A career in freelancing is something many will consider at some point in their lives. It offers certain risks but also many benefits that someone may decide are worth taking those risks for. But what is freelancing? And how does an aspiring freelancer get started?

Freelancers are self-employed – they don’t work for a particular company or client. They seek out work themselves, offering their services to clients on a short-term basis, usually charging daily or hourly rates. Generally, they will work several jobs at once, although some freelance contracts are more restrictive in this regard than others. While freelancers can work in almost any industry freelancing is especially common in creative fields such as photography or graphic design.

Benefits of freelancing

The main benefit people seek from freelancing is the autonomy it provides them as a worker. It allows you to be your own boss, set your own schedule, decide your own workplace, and to chose what projects you want to work on. You can pick and choose who to work with- it’s a lot easier to drop a difficult client when you’re the one who gets the final say. It can also offer more variety – you choose what projects you work on which allows more room to pick projects that excite and interest you. This ability to seek out projects on your own as well as the things you learn from running your own business also gives you more opportunity to broaden your skillset considerably more than you would at most jobs.

Working from home – or wherever you choose – is a big part of the appeal of freelancing. Cutting out the commute, annoying co-workers, and having control over your environment, are all things that are easy to understand appeal. Have you been enjoying the pyjamas-all-day working from home lifestyle over the pandemic? Indulge full-time now. Would you like to work in a favourite library or a café? Take your laptop and set it up there. This also extends your work style. If you’re someone, for example, who is a night owl and struggles to keep up with a regular 9-to-5 routine, set your routine to match your natural sleep schedule. Wake up well rested at noon and go to bed at 2 am rather than forcing yourself out of bed on five hours of sleep.

A Career in Freelancing

Drawbacks of freelancing

Everything has its bad side. In return for the increased freedom and control, there are positive aspects of normal employment that must be sacrificed. The number one example of this is financial stability. With most jobs, you know when your next pay cheque is and how much it will be. With freelancing dry spells and periods of financial unpredictability are to be expected. It’s a competitive market and finding clients is the hardest part of the job. Constantly having to think ahead and plan your finances around these dry spells can be stressful. You also sacrifice employee benefits – paid sick leave, for example, doesn’t exist for a freelancer. It is necessary to have an emergency fund for times of illness because if you don’t work you don’t get paid.

This touches on another downside of freelancing – it’s all on you. You tun your business, you take care of your routine, taxes, finances, advertising, finding clients, billing and collecting, all of it. Not everyone has the decision-making and organisational skills necessary.

Finally, an overlooked part of freelancing is loneliness. Co-workers can be a huge part of your life, even developing into friendships on some occasions. Freelancing means you must build your own support network rather than receiving one ready-made.

Becoming a freelancer:

If you’ve read this far and decided that freelancing sounds right for you, you must be starting to wonder how to get started. To begin you must define for yourself and potential clients what your service is. What skills do you have? how are they going to help a client? Come up with a brief summary that will help you market your skills.

Secondly, find the right demographic to advertise to. Who would benefit from your services? What industries are they in? what common characteristics do they share? You need to be active in seeking out clients. Freelance job posting sites, pre-existing connections and marketing are all good ways to get your work out there.

Next, set your prices. Striking the balance between not scaring clients away by overcharging while also charging enough for your needs is tricky but necessary. The instinct of many starting out is to undercharge but it’s important not to undervalue your skills. There are sites that can help you figure out what your prices should be roughly, and if you decide they’re not right for you you can always change them later. Trial and error are important.

A career in freelancing: Creating your portfolio should come next. This is to show clients what you can do by showcasing a range of your best work. Show them what you can do and make them interested in gaining your skills.

You also need to nail your proposal. When you find a project that you think you would be suited for, write a proposal highlighting your abilities and how you can meet the client’s needs. It should be brief and as specific as possible to each client.

It is also important for a freelancer to make and maintain good connections. Don’t think of your clients as just a single job; try to think of them as a potential working relationship that may help you in the future. Communicate, build trust, and, of course, complete your work to the highest standard to ensure you retain that connection.

A career in freelancing is a fast-growing field. It is competitive but can also be intensely rewarding. Whether you are looking into it as a replacement for your current job or to supplement income alongside it, freelancing might provide the opportunities you are looking for.

Disclaimer: The view of the author does not necessarily represent the views of Halal Incorp