Guide to Starting Freelance Career
Working as a contractor – or freelancing as it is often termed – is both a great stepping stone to running your own business and a viable career in itself. For the uninitiated there can be numerous hurdles to overcome on the way to starting and having a successful freelancing career. As a former freelancer myself and having employed more than a few, I have observed some of these hurdles firsthand. This article discusses some of the ins and outs of both freelancing and running a small business.
What is Freelancing?
In medieval times when knights roamed the land and fighting was done on horseback with a long pole known as a lance, the mercenaries of the time were referred to as ‘free lances’.
Today freelancing typically refers to writers, designers, programmers and so on. Freelancers are people who offer their services to employers without a long term commitment to them. They often charge by the hour, day or job and are essentially one person businesses.
The business conditions necessary to freelance differ around the world, but typically include some sort of business registration and tax setup to charge for your services. The main prerequisites to becoming a freelancer however are a high level of skill in your field and drive. Once you are out on your own there is no longer the shelter of senior employees to correct your mistakes or cover your faults. Freelancers are typically very well rounded in their skills as they need to operate as a one person team.
Beyond the basic regulatory conditions, the desire to freelance and the skill level required there are a variety of details that you need to consider from branding to rates, client liason to the mechanics of accounting. This article will walk you through some of these.
Branding Yourself
One of the first things you will need to do as a freelancer is decide on a brand for yourself. It might be your name ‘John Smith Design’ or something more grand ‘Eclipse Programming Services’. Whatever it is you will need a business identity to work under and for clients to know you as.
Along with your new name you will naturally need a logo, business cards and a website. Remember that you are now a business and all your materials need to be polished and professional. It’s nice to be personal, but don’t let your hobbies, rants or photos into the picture, particularly on your website.
If you’re not a designer yourself, invest the money in someone who knows what they are doing as the difference is immeasurable and the impact of looking professional can make the crucial difference when your potential client hasn’t yet had the chance to know you by your quality of work.
When it comes to your website, make sure you get a domain name that is:
1. Easy to remember
Really long domains can be confusing, as can ones with odd acronyms or letters in them
2. Easy to spell
If you have to say your web or email address over the phone it’s always better if you don’t have to say it letter by letter with things like dashes or underscores mixed in.
3. Appropriately descriptive
A name that says something or ties in with your name or business name is best. Its easy to remember and immediately identifies you
Make no mistake, having a website and particularly a domain name is essential. Freelancing off a hotmail account just does not come across as professional or serious and impressions count.
When it comes to building your website, there are a few key pieces of information that must be on there, they are:
1. An introduction of some sort – usually just a statement is best
2. Your services, or else how will anyone know what you do?
3. Examples of your previous work
4. Contact details
You may wish to make more of your site, work on search engine optimization or make it part of your workflow process, but for the bare minimum those four items will suffice.
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