How to become a successful freelancer
Before we proceed, we should know What is freelancing or a freelancer?
Yeh! definitely we should know how to deal in and with IT industry being a good freelancer. Basically freelancer work is to provide services or attend task from clients they can be from anywhere, it can be a person and also an organization. After that this process is continuing till desired objective. This process is known as freelancing.
A freelancer is hired for a specific project, service, or task given by the client (or conventionally the
employer). A freelancer should be able to work on a variety of projects at the same time for different clients or for same client. Freelancers are experts in their respective domains and work independently.
What does it mean to be a successful freelancer In IT industry?
Success can mean many things to different people.
For some, it could be earning a lot of money so they can retire early. For others, it’s to pay off their bills-N-debts or even buy a cool new car.
Whatever it is that you want, it’s up to you to define what success is to you.
Having said that, I’d encourage you to be realistic when setting goals for your freelancing career. Because it’s easier to progress when you set multiple small goals instead of one giant goal that’s so far away.
For me, I never even thought I’d find any success as a freelancer. I just loved doing the work I did and I worked harder at it. The success was simply a side-effect of my efforts.
Basic Success for freelancer would be -
It’s not only the client’s work that needs to be done, but there are also the sales, the marketing, the general administration, the book-keeping and so many other aspects.
● Hard work
If you think that building your own business is the miracle cure for work, think again. If you’re not prepared to work hard, then the business simply not flourish.
● Communication
Freelancers and entrepreneurs are in constant communication with their clients, with
their peers and with the world around them.
You need to be able to present yourself well over the phone, in person and in writing (even if you’re not a freelance writer). You’ll need to master a host of communication tools, too (each client has his/her own preference, and each will insist that it’s the “industry standard”). That includes Skype, Trello, Basecamp, IM, VoIP, Voice Mail,
Slack and many more.
You can’t run a business without communication.
● Professionalism
You don’t need to wear a suit to work if you don’t want to. You do, however, have to be professional. If you have a client meeting, you need to dress appropriately. If you make a promise, you need to deliver. You need to conduct yourself ethically and legally.
Professionalism doesn’t die when you stop being an employee; in fact, it’s an essential part of running any business.
● Time Management and Organization
You need to be careful about time management to succeed. Clients have deadlines; if you miss those, you’ll cost them money, and they won’t want to work with you again (they may also not want to pay you for the work you’ve done).
Freelancers and entrepreneurs learn to plan their time and stick to the plan. They know what they can do in any given time frame, and they don’t overcommit. It’s easy to take all the business offers, but you’ll end up with no business at all if you can’t deliver. Learning to say “no” is part of the business owner’s life.
● Goal & Evaluation oriented
Most freelancers and entrepreneurs are superlative goal setters. They set goals for their client-facing work. They set goals for their businesses. They set goals for personal development. They also pursue these goals single-mindedly and they know that work and life are iterative processes which will demand to realized and analyzed the plans to achieve the goals they have set.