Turning your freelance work from a side hustle into your full time profession can actually help in maximizing your income.
When you become a profit earning individual, you are more in control of your career, your taxes are streamlined and in the future, you can even levy on your experience and give freelance masterclasses!
Some Freelancers you can look up to for ideas
Jonathan Cook
In case you are an old hustler and like being a buff of the history of the freelancing industry, you might have heard about Jonathan Cook (we love the cricketer too, but this is the British writer and scholar).
He is a freelance writer and journalist who essentially keeps up with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and writes for several newspapers, including the Guardian.
Kathy Edens
She has accomplished an amazing feat in ghost writing non-fiction. Her net worth from all the platforms she is listed on is over $300k!
She is one of the best content and marketing strategists in the U.S and she helps brands reach their target audiences.
Paul Hunkin
Paul has been working with software development for over ten years. He shares expertise in maintaining high-performance data systems, complex web applications and 3D rendering engines.
He is based in New Zealand but has been acclaimed for working with several international tech names including Google and NASA.
4 common things in freelancers who built a successful career
The Niche
Undoubtedly, all of these people are industry experts. But what helped them get started is the subject they were keen to specialise in. This means that if you are good at something you ought to hone your skills and slowly create packages you can monetize.
Instead of giving your client the advantage of getting as much as they need, you need to draft service models that can earn you the deserved value for your knowledge and experience.
On-boarding the right clients
Successful freelancers always make it a priority to take in brands or companies as clients rather than certain individuals looking for your services. There is nothing particularly wrong in working with personal requirements. However, taking in companies as clients is equivalent to being employed by them, especially when it comes to popular ones in the market.
This attracts more clients because more people will know about you through a big name rather than an individual person.
Investments
Invest in your own career with time as well as capital. Calculate your profits, however little and set aside no more than 20% of it for personal savings. Rest goes back into the business.
The best way to expand your business is to expand your skill set. This does not mean you have to undo or redo your niche. Check out all rounder crash courses and programs that will help you manage and excel in your career as a solo-preneur.
Seal the deal
We mean it. Prioritize contracts and be professional. It is important to define the terms and objectives of your services when on-boarding a client.
This helps set their expectations, give you a clear view of the project, increases security for both parties and assists in quality assurance.
You can find contract formats online and edit them as per your requirements.
What you need to get started
Let’s cut to the chase. This is not easy and won’t happen overnight. But you’ve got to start somewhere. That’s when this checklist comes handy.
All freelancers swear by these:
i. Professional invoicing
ii. Compact CRM interface
iii. Seamless networking and advertising tools
iv. Effortless time management
Sign up now and get access to much more than these features, free for the first 30 days of trial!