Things To Consider When Becoming A Freelancer
Being a freelancer has many benefits, from more freedom to being able to earn a higher income (as long as the clients are coming in) That said, being a freelancer can be stressful as you are responsible for your taxes, you don’t get paid for holidays, and need to purchase your own equipment, but don’t be put off by this as many freelancers will tell you it’s the best thing they ever did.
It is essential that as a freelancer, you are always trying to push yourself, develop, and believe in what you do. There are always ways you can better yourself to improve how your business operates. Below are five things to consider while being a freelancer.
Are you representing yourself as a bigger company or as an individual?
When clients come across you, do they consider you as a big company or as an individual? Depending on your requirements, sometimes it helps to be seen as a larger business than an individual. Although you are highly experienced, some companies think they need a company to represent them, not a single person. By paying to have prestige virtual addresses, you can pretend you are based in a highly successful, prestigious area, even if you aren’t. Alongside this, you could opt to have a call forwarding number that makes you appear to have a number in that area, even though it’s then forwarded to your mobile.
Quality over Quantity Matters
At first, as a freelancer, it is important to get as much revenue as possible, which helps you pay your bills. Sometimes, to do this, you may take on too many clients and not produce as good results as you are rushing the work. The same applies to already successful freelancers; you must always prioritize your quality over quantity. The better your quality, the happier the client will be and hopefully refers you to another client.
Be clear about your offerings
As a freelancer, it is vital that what you offer is easily portrayed and that clients can understand what they should be receiving. If your offerings are conflicting, clients can get confused and request more work than you initially thought, thinking they are entitled to the work and have paid for it. For example, as a photographer, make sure the client knows how many photos they will be receiving. As a graphic designer, ensure the client knows how many revisions they will get, usually this is 2 or 3, and as a website developer, remind the clients you can help them with their SEO but can’t guarantee results. You may be interested in my article on digital marketing tips to help improve your income.
Are you using an accounts package?
Yes, it is cheaper to not pay for an accounts package, but using an accounts software brings many benefits with it that pays for the time you spend sorting out your own accounts manually. An accounts package tracks all your outstanding invoices, and from the click of a button, you can chase a client for payment. Expenses are easily tracked, allowing you to store the receipts online. Your income is instantly shown so that you know how you are doing each month. And the best thing is that an accounts package helps speed up your tax return at the end of the year, saving you hours. Xero or Quickbooks is a useful software that is affordable and allows freelancers to look after their finances.
Under-promise over-deliver
As with any business, under-promise, and over-deliver! If you aren’t doing this, you are missing a trick. By over-delivering, clients are kept happy and are more likely to work with you again and refer you to other businesses. If you think you can build a website in 3 days, tell them 6. This not only gives you some extra time if something goes wrong, but it also means there is less of a delay should you need more than six days. Clients will get very impatient if they feel you are taking too long as they don’t appreciate how long some things take to do.
Above are just five things to think about as a freelancer; there are still many other ways you can improve as a business, from online courses to make sure you have a good website. Remember to always believe in yourself and continuously ask for feedback as your clients can really help you improve.
Are you a freelancer? What things have you done to improve your business and become a better freelancer? Let me know in the comment box below; I would love to hear from you.
Or shoot me an email at WuwuLyfe@gmail.com
