5 Tips To Get Started As A Freelancer

Freelancing is on the increase with more people looking to work for themselves. So here are 5 tips to help get you started as a freelancer ahead of Freelance Heroes Day.You may also like to read: How To Work From Home: https://samanthamartin.co.uk/how-to-work-from-home/ How To Go Freelance Without Going Broke: https://samanthamartin.co.uk/how-to-go-freelance-without-going-broke/ How To Stop Procrastinating: https://samanthamartin.co.uk/how-to-stop-procrastinating-right-now/ 

I know the gurus and lifestyle types will tell you that being a freelancer means that you can live the laptop lifestyle, casually doing business whilst you lounge on the beach sipping cocktails. They will tell you that you can work when and where you want. Well, let me break this to you gently. that only works when you’ve built up lots of passive income that doesn’t require too much of your time. The rest of us mere mortal freelancers have to make do with working all our and essentially exchanging our time for money. So whilst you are in this phase you need to have a set routine of the hours that you work, where you work and set clear boundaries. If you’re working from home then people will rock up during the day and drop by for a brew. This is where you have to be careful that your day doesn’t run away from you and you end up only doing a couple of hours work. Set clear working hours for yourself and enforce them on others so that your Mum doesn’t pop round for a cup of tea mid-afternoon and clients know it’s not ok to call you at 10pm. Granted now you’re freelance you can have some flexibility, but if you don’t do the work you won’t get paid so set some working hours. 

I’ve talked about the importance of having a dedicated working space before in How To Work From Home, but honestly, having that dedicated working space makes soooooooooooo much difference. Since I moved house last year and was able to have a dedicated room in the house for an office, it’s made a huge difference. It’s my room and nobody comes in unless they are invited in. It also means that I can leave the camera equipment set up, which saves me loads of time when I’m making videos. Also, I can make things in the office how I like them so that I have a better environment to work in. I also use a co-working space too for when I need a more professional office or meeting rooms. It’s also a place I can go to if I just want to escape the house and work in a different environment. If you don’t have the luxury of a spare room or an actual office, then try to create a separate working space. Even if it’s just a desk in a corner. Having that dedicated working space means that you know when you sit down there you are in work mode. Try not to have it in your bedroom as that’s for relaxing and sleeping. And don’t use your kitchen table as a desk. I know it makes a great story when you become super successful, but, your dining table if for eating your dinner off, not working on. 

Clients have this really annoying habit of hiding. They don’t come and knock on your door and ask to hire you. They hide everywhere. So you’ve got to be looking for them everywhere. Make sure you constantly have one eye open looking for new business and make sure that potential clients know where to find you. 

So as well as looking out for clients all the time, you want to make sure that everyone you know is also on the lookout for clients for you. Tell everyone and anyone that will listen what it is you do and that you are freelance. You aren’t taking a wage from someone else anymore. It’s just you and you’d kinda like to keep the roof over your head. and as if I don’t say this enough, but I shall say it again. If you are a friend or a family member of someone that is freelance/self-employed/micro biz or buddy entrepreneur, then please help spread the word of how amazing they are and that how worthy of being hired they are. Become their biggest cheerleaders. 

This is probably one of the biggest mistakes that freelancers make. Not marketing themselves. There’s a sure thing in freelancing and it’s that it will always be feast or famine. We often go along quite happily with work coming in and clients all paying on time and we don’t think about our own marketing. And then the famine will come. A client will go bust on you owing you money or they won’t need you anymore. The incoming leads may start going slow or the phone may go quiet. This is why it’s so important to never stop marketing yourself. A great way to market yourself is by demonstrating your skills in what you do. So if you’re a graphic designer then make sure you are posting great images and graphics. If you’re a copywriter then you should be posting amazing blog posts at least once a week. Just don’t be that social media marketing person that wants you to hire them or buy their course and their own social media looks like tumbleweed is running it. 

And a bonus tip here is to look for ways to create passive income for when the client works does go slow. Doing things like creating ebooks or courses that you can sell through automation is a great way to build up passive income and create multiple income streams. The safest way to freelance and protect your income is making sure it’s not all coming from the one source. It’s never good to have all your eggs in one basket. What is your top tip for getting started as a freelancer? Let me know in the comments below.