9 Tips to Help You Succeed as a Freelance Professional

Starting a freelancing company has the potential to be quite lucrative. You are your own boss and may work whenever and wherever you choose.

As it happens, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed freelancing to the forefront, despite the fact that it has been popular for many years. Freelancing has been a popular option for many people as the workplace becomes more dispersed.

But, let's face it, doing it alone isn't as simple as it seems.

As appealing as working for oneself may seem, switching careers may be nerve-wracking as well. Many budding freelancers ask how they may make their full-time job a thing of the past so that they can pursue a thriving freelancing career.

If you are just starting your freelance business and wondering how to have a successful career in the world of freelancing, below are some tips for you!

How to build up your freelance business, get potential clients, and become a successful freelancer.

It takes a lot of time and much effort on the part of new freelancers in order to build up and find new clients as well as to make a respectable living compared to a traditional job. The effect is that getting your first few paying customers may take many weeks or even months.

That is why we compiled a number of suggestions for freelancing that might help you build a solid basis for your future job. Here are nine freelancing suggestions for newbies to help you get started in the industry:

Tip #1. Know your niche.

The first thing that new freelancers need to do is to know what they're getting themselves into before moving on with any further steps. As a result, they'll need to do a lot of digging to figure out exactly where they belong in the market.

It's possible that some freelancers have experience in their field from previous full-time employment, but this isn't enough when you're responsible for everything on your own. As a lone entrepreneur, you must go deep into your chosen field of expertise whether you want to be a freelance writer, a freelance artist, or a general virtual assistant. In the course of your research, you should identify your potential clients, your goals as a freelancer, trending topics on the market, and the methods used by the most successful artists in your field.

When prospective clients are looking for a freelancer to work with, they are looking for someone who has worked in their field before. The search for certifications or learning experiences that can be included in your CV may also be an edge if you are interested in working in a certain field but lack formal training or experience in that field.

Tip #2. Make the choice between becoming a generalist or a specialist.

As a freelancer, you have the option of specializing in one or more areas of your profession, or you may cover a wide range of specialties under one umbrella.

Generalist Freelancers 

There are greater opportunities for generalists. Due to this, they have a greater chance of securing a job, but Upwork's 2020 estimate shows that competition is getting fiercer.

With the low demand and high supply for freelance workers, wages are only able to be average. Indeed, many businesses choose to hire the cheapest employees over the most effective ones because of this. As a generalist, it's difficult to demand higher rates unless you're really competent at what you do or have extensive experience.

Specialist Freelancers

A specialized freelancer, on the other hand, must have the credentials or expertise to back up their claim of competence. Choosing to specialize may limit your pool of potential customers or your own clients, but once you've been accepted or recruited, you'll be able to ask for a premium rate since you're a trusted expert source or contributor.

This is a freelancing tip you should think about before you begin your freelance business, regardless of the one you choose to use. That way, you'll be able to reap the benefits of their services as soon as possible and pave your way to achieve a successful freelance career.

Tip #3. Establish your digital presence by creating a website.

A website showcasing your work as a freelancer is essential to building your online presence. An online portfolio is the best way for potential customers to get a sense of what you can do.

If you're building a website on your own and don't have the funds to employ a designer, you may want to check into website templates to ensure that your final product is visually appealing.

While the entire design and feel of your website will depend on your specialty, here are some crucial components that experts strongly recommend when you build your website:

Homepage

A quick introduction with a call to action (CTA) leading to your Contact or Services page is recommended. At the bottom of the page, provide a link to your LinkedIn profile and any other social media accounts you have.

About Me

Included in this section is a brief overview of your professional background, as well as a list of any noteworthy accomplishments you've made along the way.

Services

Make a comprehensive list of the products and services you provide. The prices you charge for each service should also be included on your website.

Portfolio

Your website's content is the most important aspect. Highlight your previous achievements and show your value. No one will read any further in your website's sections if your work isn't up to par.

Contact

This part must include you contact information that prospective clients can see or fill out in a straightforward way to reach you.

For the newbies in the freelance platform, you may use your portfolio to show off samples of your work or projects accomplished while interning if you're just starting out. Also, don't forget to mention any awards or recognition you've received. Companies they've worked with are often shown prominently on the homepages of creative independent contractors. That demonstrates their status as a leading player in the business.

Finally, don't simply build a site. Instead, use simple search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to guarantee that your website is seen on search engine results pages or SERPs.

Tip #4. Set up a procedure for your freelance work.

To succeed as a freelancer, you need to develop your own discipline, regardless of how useful a freelancer tip may be. A successful freelancer must have a well-defined work process aside from high-quality work that governs all aspects of your day-to-day activities, from your creative work to your administrative tasks.

Decide on a procedure to follow for these important things:

• Making a sales pitch to prospective customers
• When and how contracts are signed.
• Onboarding
• Job orders specifics
• Invoicing and payment

Most customers will ask for a quick description of how you operate in order to get a sense of how it will be to work with you. As a bonus, it helps your customers have their questions answered and their expectations established more realistically.

As an example, a six-day deadline might be requested by freelancers who work just five hours per day and require six days to complete a job.

Tip #5. Determine the tools you need based on your budget.

Since working from home has become the norm for many freelancers, they must depend largely on software to do their tasks.

It is up to you to pay for all of your own equipment as a self-employed freelancer. Because of this, you'll need to choose and choose the equipment that best fits your needs and your budget. It's imperative that you make the most of the software you do have if you're just getting started and still cannot afford to get the best one for your niche.

Free, open-source software may perform many of the same functions as premium apps. Keeping this in mind is vital especially if you are just starting with your freelancing business. In the beginning, it may be more cost-effective to utilize a variety of free tools than to invest in a whole system.

Tip #6. Determine your freelance rates.

Your long-term career and success as a freelancer depend on knowing this important freelancing tip. For the most part, you'll be able to charge by the hour or the job, depending on your specialization. It's also possible to divide payments across several project stages or deliverables based on you and your client's perspective.

Flat Rates VS Hourly Rates

Flat rates are often preferable to hourly rates since they are more convenient for both parties since hourly pricing allows customers the option to dispute the hours indicated or query the quantity of labor required. Micromanagement is also another major concern with hourly compensation.

Always request a deposit up in advance if you're going to employ a flat rate. You are also free to choose how the client will pay you.

Usually, clients are more willing to provide lower rates for freelancer newbies. The key here to getting a higher rate is to swiftly build up a customer base so that you have the proof of work experience and references you need to demand a higher fee in negotiations.

Once you've paid your expenses, you're free to explore new areas of expertise or freelance opportunities by taking on new customers.

Tip #7. Utilize social media to market your freelance service.

Everyone who works as a freelancer has to be comfortable with promoting their services and themselves. This is when social media networks come in handy. You may showcase your abilities and connect with businesses using social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

If you're just starting out, it's imperative that you learn how to sell yourself effectively.

A skilled artist will have a wealth of information to draw upon, while a novice will only be able to show off their own creations. Many employers on job boards won't consider you for a position because of your lack of experience, therefore it's up to you to sell yourself.

The best way to be noticed is by using hashtags that are relevant to your industry to promote your work and draw attention. Consider using social media in addition to your job board and freelancing platform marketing efforts.

Tip #8. Search for the best job boards for your niche.

If there's one piece of advice you can use to jump-start your freelance business, it's to expand out and seek outside the typical platforms.

When starting out as a freelancer, most people turn to Upwork or LinkedIn for help. These are excellent resources, but you should also look for job postings from reputable companies in your field and submit your resume via their websites. This is particularly true if you are searching for long-term freelancing employment rather than one-off assignments.

In the long run, you may spend months reading freelancer suggestions and applying to general job sites instead of websites that are expressly tailored to your field.

Tip #9. Clear communication is the key.

As a solo worker and entrepreneur, you will establish your brand and small company via effective communication. In fact, it is the cornerstone of all customer relationships. No matter how competitive your prices are or how good your samples are, customers will turn elsewhere if you can't prove your value to them.

You need to be clear with your customer about project requirements, timelines, possible delays, and everything else that might affect a project in order to get things done quickly.

When you first start out as a freelancer, it might be a little overwhelming. There is a lot of trial and error involved in getting everything perfect, from your website to your tools and even your customers. To be a successful freelancer, you must, however, endure through the lows as well.

If you have an additional room in your house that you can use to concentrate on your work and services, you can easily follow all of the above recommendations.

Lumina Homes, in its aim to develop and improve its housing segments to serve and provide suitable house and lot packages to every Filipino, enhanced its home units by creating bigger spaces in their house and lot packages to accommodate the current demands of the growing remote jobs.

Home seekers can now choose from our house and lot packages that offer wider home space such as our townhouses, duplexes, and single firewall home model units.

In addition, Lumina Homes also partnered with Streamtech, a fiber internet provider, to equip and deliver stable as well as faster internet connections to its residents and future homeowners.

With Lumina Homes and Streamtech, starting a freelancing business is achievable while getting the best home ownership experience! To know more about our more than 50 communities nationwide, you can visit our website or follow our social media accounts.