So, you made the big jump from working for a salary to going out there on your own. In most cases, people will have leads for the first assignment already lined up, The challenge comes when looking at the 3rd and 4th assignment after that. How do you stand out in a freelance market that seems to get a little bit more crowded each day?
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And how do you make sure that what makes you highly attractive to hire in the first place (usually the knowledge you build up working for a boss) remains in place 2 or 3 years into being a freelancer?
Here are some top tips to make sure you can be on top of your game from the moment you go at it alone until the day you decide to join the common flock again of wage slaves (which hopefully is never!).
Be Everyone’s Friend
Networking is one of the key ways to attract new business. The mindset is really to assume that everyone you encounter is another small cog in the bigger machine. Be friendly, be helpful, be open.
The person you are talking to right now might not be able to give you any business, but chances are this person knows someone who can. Be the first one to join industry or related events, and when you are there, talk to people, a lot.
Never Stop Learning
Take out an hour at least a day to stay abreast of news from your industry. Read, read a lot. Working in a team usually gets you continuous positive pressure to keep up-to-date. Working on your own creates an Achilles heel in this area.
Make sure you read the regular industry sources, keep up with a few blogs from industry experts. Make it a point to keep up with certifications and try to learn something new every month. There are plenty of resources online that help you keep on top of your game.
Be Prepared
Always be prepared to an obsessive degree. As a freelancer, most assignments come with a way of working that you won’t get to decide or input on. So make sure you are a deft hand at any tool that is a requirement for a job. Think of communication tools (Skype, Hangout, Zoom, Teams, Slack), think of specific word and spreadsheet processing software (Microsoft versus Google suite) and think of any project management software (Asana, Basecamp, Trello, Jira).
You will need to be a master in all or at least be able to adapt quickly. Talking about preparation, also make sure you think globally in terms of getting paid. If your assignment is for a European company and you are based in the UK, you might want to open a Euro bank account to avoid excessive transfer and conversion fees.
Be Like Vaynerchuk
It won’t hurt if you make a name for yourself in the industry. Social media offers a great platform to propel yourself to industry fame if you have the right thing to say and do so in a smart way. LinkedIn and writing content pieces (for your own blog or as a guest blogger for industry resources) is a great way to gain exposure. It also ups your hourly/daily rate.
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