Tips and Tricks for the Freelancer

One of the greatest advantages to freelancing is that the freelancer has so much more control than if he or she worked for someone else. However, in order for this control to work effectively, individuals who freelance must exercise an enormous amount of self-discipline, which can be challenging to many. While most freelancers learn as they go, learning from the mistakes of others can prevent individuals from making common and costly mistakes.

Research Your Profession

Whether you are a freelance writer, photographer, or freelance in another capacity, you can find an enormous amount of information online that can help you in your career as a freelancer. You can also network with others who are doing the same kind of work you are and learn from each other. Remember, there is no boss to guide you and you can't slip over to the next cubicle to ask questions. Even if you think you are tops in your field, you can learn a lot about the business of freelancing online.

If this is your first time as an online freelancer, you may wonder how much to charge for certain products or services. By doing online research, you can get a good idea of what the going rates are and price your products or services accordingly. You can also learn about other products and services that you can use in your freelance career. Many freelancing opportunities have online communities that you may want to join, which can also help you to develop an online presence.

Keep Careful Records

You'll probably learn a lot about record keeping as you advance in your freelance career but do keep records right from the beginning. The time may come when you discover the perfect software program to aid in record keeping but it's important to have some sort of system in place right from the beginning. You'll want to keep records of all of your expenses as well as your income and you'll want to keep client records organized. This is another area you can learn a lot about online so if you don't already have a system in place, peruse the Internet to see how other freelancers tackle record keeping.

Under Promise and Over Deliver

Get ready for the competition because as a freelancer, you'll have plenty of it. Not only will you be expected to deliver a top-notch product or service but you'll be expected to do it better or faster or cheaper than anyone else does. You'll have deadlines that will cost you customers if you don't meet, you'll have fussy customers that will be difficult to please, and you'll constantly live in the shadow of hundreds of other freelancers that do the same thing you do just waiting to snap up your clients.

Don't even attempt the technological equivalent of the age-old "flat tire" excuse by telling your clients you lost your Internet connection and couldn't complete the assignment on time. They either won't believe you or won't care, and you'll lose clients that way. Sure, Internet connections go down but professionals plan for that and don't wait until the last minute to complete assignments. Deliver your best work on time every time and you will mark yourself as a professional.