“I’m a freelancer” - to the 9-5 working world it’s the Holy Grail, no early starts on those dark winter mornings, in fact, its lie-ins galore and you can frequent your favourite coffee shop as often as you like! The Level of self-employment in the UK increased from 3.8 million in 2008 to 4.6 million in 2015 according to the Office of National Statistics. But is freelancing really the paradise that the traditional workforce perceives?
Whilst it definitely has its perks, freelancing can be tough, your income is never stable, and you need to ensure that you have a continuous stream of work so that you’re not leaving yourself short at the end of the month.
Here are our top 4 tips for successful freelancing;
Be a self-starter
Thinking of transitioning into a freelance role? Try working from home for few days a week, this will allow you to see if you manage your time efficiently and discipline yourself, just because you’re not in an office doesn’t mean that you can slack off.
Put yourself out there!
- Update your website and all social profiles on a regular basis - add new work and projects/achievements so you’re ahead of the competition.
- Attend industry events
- Join LinkedIn groups
- Participate in forums
- Make sure you are visible to recruiters. Read this to find out how.
All of the above will help you to build your client base to keep that pipeline of work constant.
Know your worth
You will have to sell your skills to potential clients, knowing how much your work is worth and who your competitors are is essential as well as understanding what makes you different to your competitors this will help when negotiating your price.
Prioritise
Your workload is yours and yours alone now. Prioritising is key and is probably the thing that makes or breaks most freelancers. You’ll need to be aware of all your projects, their deadlines and be organised enough to ensure you’re managing your time effectively.
If you’re a freelancer and interested in new contract positions check out our job search here or have a chat with one of our consultants