Steps to Follow Before Becoming a Full Time Freelancer
There are many reasons why people are comfortable freelancing.
Following are some of the advantages of freelancing:
- They can choose when to work and where to work. Additionally, they do not have bosses overseeing their work. Freelancers can be on holiday and yet be working.
- Then,there are others who may not be physically in a position to travel to work every day. Some others are homemakers, and they choose to be close to their children while they are growing up, or they may tend to their aged parents.
- Freelancing,or gig work, got a shot in the arm thanks to broadband Internet. It allows businesses to communicate with on-demand (freelance) employees through video calls and Skype or Viber. Businesses, meanwhile, also need not dole out perks such as food and travel allowances, provident funds, etc. to freelancers. They also save on infrastructural costs when freelancers take up projects.Enterprises can also supervise their work, making it a win-win situation for both parties.
Steps to take into consideration before taking up freelancing
But, it is not advisable for professionals to dive into freelancing before gaining some exposure while working full-time for a few organizations. When they feel they have learned enough about the blended economy,they can dip their toes into gig work to understand how freelancing works. So,they must not leave their jobs while testing waters in the field of freelancing. If they are confident that they have it in them to go it alone,they can become full time freelancers.
It is a must for freelancers to advertise themselves in various places by posting their profiles on social media channels and meeting prospective employers. It need not be stressed that freelancers must give it their best shot to come up with an attractive profile.They can get tips from designers, advertisers, and other freelance professionals. Their profiles should highlight their core competencies,experience, and projects they have worked on successfully. If freelancers have received accolades or praises from people for the work they had put in at their workplaces, they should make it a point to include them in their profile,besides their work portfolios.
After becoming freelancers, they should further hone up their skills to be in tune with the latest technologies if they are in the IT or telecom fields. They should also be ready to acquire any new skill that would make them stand out.
After that, they bid for project sand start getting work. But before that, they should decide on pricing. It can’t be the same for all freelancers. Pay varies as per the skills freelancers possess, the size of the project they are handling, and also the type of project. At the outset, their rates should be reasonable. They should wait until they carve a niche for themselves if they want higher payments. The payment model should also be appealing to the clients of freelancers.
What are the different methods of pricing for freelancers?
Some gig workers charge by the hour. But here, they must ensure that they manage their time judiciously (they could use online tools which would help them) and submit their work as per the schedule mutually agreed to by the client and freelancer. The problem with this method may be that freelancers may complete a project much earlier than agreed upon. Alternately, if a freelancer finishes the project beyond schedule, the client may feel short-changed.
If on-demand workers charge per project, it may incentivize them to work quickly.Here, if the client feels that the work quality was compromised, the freelancer should revisit the project and rework on it. It would result in the freelancer working on the same project rather than on a new one she or he would have worked on. It may also happen that the client would be packing a lot of work on a single project.
If freelancers work on conversion or a result basis, they would be paid on commission as per the business yardsticks, or performance basis, that is related to the work completed.
It is finally up to them as to which method would work. They should research on the particular projects before they decide the pricing model.
Freelancer scan begin negotiating with their clients on the payment they deserve only after they establish themselves.
Since freelancers are aware of their line of work and the way they go about it, they must choose the model for payment.
