Become Freelance

When I tell people that I am a Freelancer, I can expect any number of reactions. The mere mention of the word raises eyebrows of inquisitiveness. Some people are fascinated, with an envious curiosity. Others are judgmental and intrigued by the lackadaisical lifestyle. Then there are those who are proud of me and who admire my strong desire for venturing out on my own. “I wish I could do that,” some say.

At least once a week, I receive an email or two from other freelancers who have somehow found me amongst the many other needles in the haystack. They ask for questions and advice on my apparent success, which is evident in the generous portfolio I have posted on my website and on several of the freelance sites that I use to highlight my skills to prospective buyers.

It is flattering, yes. It is rewarding, yes. I have worked hard to become a Freelancer and to maximize the use of my time in order to earn my way in this hard world. I respond to every inquiry with an ample amount of advice, despite the fact that many of these “newbie’s” are supposed competitors. The good news is that there is plenty of opportunity to go around, and plenty of buyers who need work. There are so many assignments that there are not enough people to do them. Well, I take that back. There are not enough skilled people to do them. There is not enough exceptional talent to meet the demand.

That may shock you. Most people believe that being a Freelancer is hard. It is hard work, yes. But it is not difficult to become a Freelancer. You just need to know where to look, how to begin and what to do. You need to do it right in order not to fail.

Thus, the idea for this web-book was conceptualized. After typing plenty of advice to new Freelancers from all over the world, it made sense for me to write a book and to show people exactly what to do. How to get started, how to find work, build rapport with clients, market yourself, manage time and deadlines, and the secrets of making a Freelance career for yourself, even if you do not yet know what you would like to do.

First, we must all get one thing very clear. Being a Freelancer is not glamorous. If you want to become a Freelancer because the idea of working at home with your laptop while watching Regis in your fuzzy slippers and pajamas sounds appealing to you, this gig is not for you. People who work for themselves must have a higher level of ambition than the average person. If you’re the type of person who calls out sick to avoid going to your job, then this might not be for you, either. You must like to work for yourself. If you didn’t have a boss to answer to, would you be able to motivate yourself to work? If not, then this will definitely not work out for you. Being a Freelancer does not mean having every day off. You may even work harder at first than you do working at your “real” job. You will put in long hours to get this up and going.

One mistake many people make is that once they decide to become a Freelancer, they suddenly quit their job and think that whatever “great idea” they have come up with will be an instant success. Don’t be a fool! Don’t quit your job quite yet until after you get your toes wet, at the very least. You have to make sure that your idea is viable or you will soon be broke and just as miserable as you are working for that company you’re with. Be smart about this decision and try it before you buy it. Start doing it on the side, part-time when you’re not at your “real” job. The job that gives you stability and a much-needed income.

There are real advantages of being your own boss that you will come to learn and enjoy. Once this thing gets going for you, you will find that new ideas and adventures will develop. There will no longer be a cap on your income – the sky is the limit. You can make as much as you want to set out and do. If you work more, you will make more. If you work less, you could still make more. But that will not be for awhile until your business gets big enough to outsource work to others or to hire a handful of people to assist you. For now, it’s just YOU and your idea.

In addition to the benefit of having no roof on your ability to make money, you will enjoy benefits of personal self-development. You will have no one to rely on except you, which can lead to much joy of independence and self-motivation. You will be the one to make the decisions. You call the shots. If a friend lands in town and you want to take a two-hour lunch break to catch up on old times, you won’t have to ask your boss if it’s okay. If you want to go out of town in a couple of months to take your girlfriend on a long weekend vacation, you won’t have to ask your boss for time off. Just remember not to abuse the privilege. You have to answer to yourself. I know my boss can be somewhat of a slave driver sometimes! I drag myself to bed some nights when a big project is due, but I can take an afternoon siesta without feeling guilty about missing work.

Don’t Get a Big Butt!

Another challenge of Freelancing is the sin of working at home. It can be easy to become lazy and socially inept. Right now you probably share stories of your life with coworkers, whereas when you work at home you will only have your dog to talk to. You will have to overcome an initial ‘weird’ feeling of loneliness. I have learned to overcome this by activating a membership to the gym and by attending networking events sometimes to get my fix of ’social’ time with people outside of my little world in the comfort of my office. There’s also the temptation of eating, sitting too long and becoming apathetic. Don’t let that happen. Allow yourself time to experience fun so that your endeavor as a Freelancer will not become a drag, just like your job is right now. I live near the ocean, so I go down there a couple of nights every week or once on the weekend to either jog or swim. It refreshes my mind and spirit, which in turn makes me more productive as a Freelancer. Allow yourself those moments, rather than falling into the common trap of workaholism.

The best way to avoid overeating and abusing your right to stay home and work is to not buy those tempting doughnuts or chips. If they’re not in your house, you can’t eat them. I also force myself to go to the gym at least three times a week by making a trade with a personal trainer. There are many trainers who may be willing to work out a service arrangement with you – whether you are a consultant, writer, web designer, photographer, marketing guru or just about any Freelance profession that would be beneficial to another fellow Freelancer. Personal trainers are also usually independent contractors, just like you. They may be amenable to service trades with you. If not, then just force yourself to go work out at least three to five days a week. Trust me; it will help your business because a healthy body means a healthy mind. Many Freelancers go in the other direction and have excuses of busyness to keep them constantly in front of the computer.

When you run into people and tell them you’re a Freelancer, you need to look good. There is a misconception that Freelancing means sitting around. If you look good, you’ll hear people say, “Wow, what are you doing these days?” You can babble on about how successful you are and how you now have the time to do those things you never had time to do before, like keep up with your workouts. People will be impressed and inspired. Set an example to them! Buyers are more likely to hire someone who looks strong, fit and attractive. The perception is that if you take care of yourself then you will take great care of their assignments, too. Be an inspiration to the world of Freelancing!

There are always pros and cons to everything, including this type of work. You’ll save money on a lot of things like gas, overhead, taxes and eating out, as do often spend they have a commute to a job. But you’ll also spend more money on things you may take for granted, like health insurance, equipment, licensing and other business expenses that you may not have considered. If you do this right, a Freelancing career will be filled with more pros than cons. You call the shots – you are the boss, the employee, the marketing department, HR, customer service, financial activities manager and everything. Well, you could always appoint your dog as the CEO if you like. They pretty much do the same thing at big companies – lie around and look good.

Define Your Dreams

So, what DO you want to do? Define your dreams and write them down on a piece of paper. Write down all of those ideas, no matter how ridiculous you or others you have told may think them to be. If you’re stumped and know you want to be your own boss, but you just don’t have any fresh ideas to consider, then don’t worry. It doesn’t mean you will be stuck working at the job you hate forever. You will begin this path of self-discovery and it is a journey that will be the most challenging, yet most rewarding journey that you have ever been on throughout your entire years of adulthood.

Make a list of things you’re good at. People must admire something that you do. Has anyone ever said, “Wow, you are a very talented writer!” or maybe you are at the top of your game as a salesman for your company. Use those talents for yourself, rather than to make someone else rich. A company I used to work for made $50 an hour by sending me out to meet with clients. I couldn’t help thinking to myself, ‘This Company made $50/hr and I only made $12. Yet, I did all the work! Why can’t I do this for myself, rather than making them fat and happy by my skills and talent?‘ It was a defining moment.

No matter what your trade, whether you are a computer technician, artist, writer, welder, consultant or chef – there is a need for you as a Freelancer. You CAN do this and you will love it. This website will show you how.