When I began doing freelancing there were a lot of things I wish I knew. Freelancing was always something people talked about but there isn't a guide on how to go about it when you're starting out. Below is a list of 7 things to do when you become a Freelancer.
1. Create a Website
There are legitimate reasons as to why many small businesses or freelancers shy away from building their own website. From costs ranging from domain name registration, hosting fees, and security, having a website can be expensive. Since Social Media is free it's easy to see why some freelancers might default to just being on Social Media sites.
2. Document Your Projects
One thing I regret not doing early on when going into freelance was documenting the behind the scenes of my projects. I love the series How I Work from Lifehacker because it showcases the tools and processes that many creatives and business people go through.
3. Focus on Evergreen Content
In addition to documenting your projects, I would recommend focusing on creating evergreen content. Creating content that is evergreen means it focuses on things that will always be relevant. Content such as advice, "How To" articles, Tutorials, and tips. This will be content that you can share and never gets old. Things like news, reviews or dated content do not fall into this category.
4. Find a Mentor and Network
Many of the tips that are referenced on this list I had to learn by myself and through research. However, I would have like to have had a mentor to show me the ropes of this freelance world. Networking provides another way in which your business can get clients. Word of mouth has always been something that can help when you're starting a business.
5. Invest in a CRM
Another resource I wish I knew about when I started freelancing was using a Customer Relationship Management or CRM. CRMs are helpful in that they keep your contracts, invoices, and email correspondeses with clients in one place. Among some of the good CRMs available for freelancers are:
Also, some CRMs help to keep your business accountable by tracking how much income you are bringing into your business.
6. Have a Social Media Presence
I like to think of Social Media as free advertising. Primarily because most of the attention are on these sites. Some good Social Media sites to be on are:
- Youtube
7. Setup a Daily Schedule
It took a while for me to adjust to the setting my own schedule as a freelancer. Coming from working at a 9 to 5pm, I found the schedule of being a freelancer to be a wake-up call. As a freelancer/entrepreneur you're in charge of marketing, production, and selling. Having a schedule helps in making sure you're giving all these tasks the time they deserve.
Summary: 7 Things to do When you Become a Freelancer
In conclusion, I think it's beneficial to have a plan in place for how you're conducting business. Whether that plan includes the tips listed above or other tips, I hope these seven things will help if you're starting out as a freelancer. To recap, the seven from this list were:
- Create a Website
- Document Your Projects
- Focus on Evergreen Content
- Find a Mentor
- Invest in a CRM
- Have a Social Media Presence
- Setup a Daily Schedule
If you have any suggestions for tips that have helped you as a freelancer I would love to hear them.
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