Setting a Good Foundation for Your Freelance Career
It’s important for any freelancer to have a clear idea of what his freelance career is today and what it will be in the future. Without any definite foundation, it’s harder to actually attract attention, receive inquiries for your services, and even get anything done. That’s because if you don’t take the time to answer the four questions—why, what, who, how—you’ll be forced to ask them everytime you get down to work. Which translates into wasted time and less focus on productivity.
Why? The most important question you should ask yourself is: why are you freelancing? Does contract work allow you more flexibility to offer your services to people who need them? Or is it simply a matter to make as much money as possible?
What? Next, ask yourself what you have to offer clients. That way, you know what to say whenever someone asks you what you do. And leave a more professional impression, instead of coming of as uncertain about yourself.
Who? There are actually two questions that involve who. Who are you as a freelancer? Who will you work for? Having a clear identity is a great way to distinguish yourself, and having a good idea of who you want to work for means you’ll know who to market your skills to.
How? Aside from why, asking how is also very important, because having a clear idea of how you go about your freelance career will save a lot of time. You can concentrate on getting things done, instead of having to formulate an entirely new approach every time you start a new project.
This has a lot to do with being clear about everything beforehand. Aside from keeping your client relationships smooth, it also allows you to focus on the actual tasks at hand, without wasting time thinking of what should be definite beforehand.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Great Advice, Monday Madness, On Freelancing, Useful Info
3 opinions for Setting a Good Foundation for Your Freelance Career
Laura
Sep 12, 2007 at 7:33 am
Hi Rico! This is a great list of questions that every business person should ask themselves periodically. I would even add in “when” as in when are you going to devote time to this? I talk with a lot of people who wish that they could freelance, but don’t want to give up a full-time job, hobby, etc.
Rico
Sep 12, 2007 at 8:33 am
Amen to that! :D Also, a question we should ask ourselves is when (and if) we freelance full-time?
Should Gen Xers Consider Freelancing?
May 24, 2008 at 11:31 am
[…] All I can say is that changing a company to suit the needs of a certain group is a big challenge. But I digress. Read the entire post at businessweek.com. At the very least, you could have some ammunition to convince that 30-40 year-old friend to stop punching the clock and go freelance (back up with the proper preparation of course). […]
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: