International Freelancers' Day is tomorrow, September 21. According to a report issued by the
International Freelancers' Academy – the
organization behind International Freelancers' Day – 90% of freelancers
are happier than they were before they went freelance. Nearly half
say they have more time, and more than three-fourths say that
they are optimistic about their business prospects for the next 12
months.
There are challenges too. The report shows that finding
clients is rated as the biggest challenge faced by freelancers. But with a strong plan, new
freelancers can give themselves a great chance of success while reaping
the benefits of being their own boss – more free time to spend with
their family, for instance, and having more control over their income.
There
are a number of things that freelancers can do to increase their
chances of getting the best out of their new working arrangements. By
following DoNanza's five-point plan, outlined below, freelancers can set
themselves up to succeed.
Attitude
– Adopting the right attitude is key to succeeding as a freelancer.
Motivation and self-discipline are key to making the freelance life
work, so develop a five-year plan. Create specific, measurable goals
which can be ticked off as they are achieved. Creating a sense of
accomplishment helps to maintain motivation.
Back office setup
– New freelancers need to think very carefully about the tools they
will need to work on projects effectively. They'll need a backup system
such as BackBlaze, while tools such as Google Docs and Dropbox are ideal
for sharing documents and working on collaborative projects. The
billing aspect of the business shouldn't be overlooked, either –
smartphone apps such as ExpenseMagic can be used to log receipts for
expenses claims, while accounting software such as Wave is ideal for
keeping on top of invoices.
Be realistic and flexible
– There have been some significant shifts in the kinds of jobs on offer
for freelancers since DoNanza was set up in 2009, as
well as the relative rewards for these jobs. For example, demand for
translators has increased since 2011, but the average reward offered for
translation jobs declined over the same period. Freelancers should
think about which skills they can offer as a freelancer and shouldn't be
afraid to work on developing new skills to take advantage of shifts in
the marketplace.
Client relationships
– Freelancers need to work on the relationships they have with their
clients. Making sure they behave in a professional manner at all times
could make the difference between winning more projects and being cast
aside. Responding to emails promptly, following through on requests for
information and being willing to ask pointed questions when more details
are needed in order to complete a job are key considerations.
Advertising
– DoNanza's data shows that on average, every project advertised on a
public job listings board will receive 30 applications. As any time
spent on pitches that don't succeed is wasted and doesn't earn a
freelancer any money, freelancers who want to get ahead of the
competition should consider advertising their services online. One way
of doing this effectively on a budget is to use DoNanza's 1-Click
Advertising App, which lets freelancers get private job requests sent
directly to them – there's no need to worry about competitors or put in
an unrealistically low bid.
About DoNanza: With
more than 287,000 members, DoNanza is a one stop shop for freelancers
giving them access to searchable job listings and all the tools they
require to keep their business running smoothly. DoNanza also offers
freelancers a way to advertise their services online and greatly
increase their chances of winning new projects and clients.
*IFA stats taken from: http://www.internationalfreelancersday.com/2012report/
No comments:
Post a Comment