{"id":25098,"date":"2020-07-21T10:52:42","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T10:52:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transfergo.wpengine.com\/work-freelance-7-tips-get-started\/"},"modified":"2024-10-29T20:47:18","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T20:47:18","slug":"work-freelance-7-tips-get-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/work-freelance-7-tips-get-started","title":{"rendered":"How to work freelance: 7 tips to get started"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For many of us, working freelance is the dream. Providing flexible working hours and full control of your earnings, it certainly comes with many perks and rewards. And if you\u2019re stuck in a full-time job you dislike and you crave a more flexible way of living, you might be itching to figure out how to work freelance. It’s certainly an exciting way of working.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But take heed<\/span>\u2014<\/span>freelancing can have its downsides. The lack of security can throw even the most ardent worker into turmoil, while the non-existence of holiday and sick pay can be massively unsettling for anyone. And a pension? Pah. That\u2019s something you\u2019ll have to organise and pay into yourself. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you\u2019re still convinced that the pros outweigh the cons and you\u2019re keen to give it a go, congratulations! You\u2019re officially on your way to working freelance. Here are some tips for getting started\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t dive in\u2014gently does it <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As touched on above, job security as a freelancer can be a little iffy to say the least<\/span>\u2014even those at the height of their careers can be dropped without warning. It\u2019s therefore a wise idea to play it safe to begin with. If you\u2019re already working full-time, consider building up your contacts and doing bits on the side before taking the full leap. This will likely involve a lot of work but by doing so, you\u2019ll be building up your portfolio, making an extra bit of cash and getting a general feel for the market you’ll be entering. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create a website and an online platform<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A bit of an obvious tip, but building a website is critical when navigating how to work freelance. It doesn\u2019t have to be anything super-fancy\u2014a basic homepage with your contact details and links to your work will suffice. Oh, and an About You page can do wonders for making your brand and business more personable. If you can afford it, it\u2019s worth seeking the help of a graphic designer to help you with this. But if you\u2019re on a bit of a budget, Squarespace<\/a> and Wix<\/a> are handy free website-building tools. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embrace self-promotion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Self-promotion makes many of us squirm, but you\u2019ll need to get used to the idea if you want to work freelance. For people to hire you, they need to a) know about you and b) trust you. So if you do a bit of work that gets positive feedback, shout about it. Thankfully, with us living in a world that\u2019s predominantly online, promoting yourself is becoming a lot easier and less invasive.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating social media streams and following potential clients is a great way to get their attention for free. But if you\u2019re working on a more local level, there\u2019s nothing more effective than attending good ol\u2019 networking events armed with your business cards.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider specialising in something<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If there are many strings to your bow, it can be tempting to go all out and market yourself as a copywriter-come-graphic designer with SEO skills and a penchant for keynote speaking. But actually, this could be more damaging and detrimental to your career. Instead, research your industry to see if there\u2019s a niche you\u2019d like to focus on. By positioning yourself in a certain way, you\u2019ll be more \u2018sellable\u2019 to those looking for that exact service. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treat every situation as a valuable lesson<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re first starting out freelance, everything can seem like a bit of a minefield. From determining pricing to figuring out how long things actually take and how much you can do, there\u2019s a lot to get your head around. But be open to the experience. Treat everything as a lesson. Allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them. And whilst we definitely don\u2019t advocate working for free, you might choose to charge low for your first project with a client to prove your mettle. And then if they\u2019re happy with the work, you\u2019re in a better position to negotiate a higher fee next time. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set yourself clear boundaries and perimeters <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, there\u2019s quite a lot that goes into this section. Firstly, it acknowledges the general assumption that when you\u2019re working freelance, you should be happy for any bit of work to come your way and devour every opportunity with gratitude. But this is not a healthy way to work and 9 times out of 10 it will leave you feeling frazzled. So once you\u2019ve figured out how much work you can realistically get through in a given week without fainting, stick to those hours as a guideline. And if a new client approaches you but you’re at maximum capacity, let them know. Sometimes you might lose the work, but often it can have the reverse effect by making you appear more lucrative and in demand. Often the client will be happy to wait a little longer until you have the time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, this section is a careful reminder to switch off from time to time. Don\u2019t make yourself available on evenings, weekends and holidays for client enquiries. Because if you do, it\u2019ll only manage their expectations into thinking you\u2019re available 24\/7. And that\u2019s really no way to live. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third and foremost, be upfront with your client about the work you\u2019ll be doing before you actually do it. Be clear about the deliverables and the price tags attached. That way, it avoids any niggles and push-backs and sets clear expectations from the off.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hire an accountant (or wisen up on tax returns)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, for the fun bit (depending on how you look at it). Working freelance can sometimes mean the sky\u2019s the limit when it comes to your income. Essentially you choose how much work you do and how much you\u2019ll charge for doing it, invoicing your clients at the end of every month or project. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, it is until your client base grows and the deadline for 31st January looms. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We therefore recommend getting clued up on the ins and outs of being self-employed from a tax return point of view. And if you can afford it, hiring an accountant is the fastest and most reliable way to do this. They\u2019ll also be able to recommend whether working as a sole trader or setting yourself up as a director of a limited company is the best thing for your circumstances. More importantly, they’ll keep a record of all your invoices and expenses so you don’t have to. It definitely takes the pressure off a bit\u2014and heaven knows there’s lots of that when you’re a freelancer.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

______________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And whilst you\u2019re here, why not send some transfers<\/a>? If you want to send money from home (or anywhere), we\u2019re here to help. Sign up<\/a> today for easy online money transfers<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For many of us, working freelance is the dream. Providing flexible working hours and full control of your earnings, it certainly comes with many perks and rewards. And if you\u2019re stuck in a full-time job you dislike and you crave a more flexible way of living, you might be itching to figure out how to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":25099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1498,1500],"tags":[],"business_case_studies_tags":[],"class_list":["post-25098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-business-tips"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/freelancing.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25098\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25098"},{"taxonomy":"business_case_studies_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/business_case_studies_tags?post=25098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}