What, When and How about Freelancing
What is freelancing?
Freelancing works as self-employed / professional for many employers without formal agreements or contracts for long periods of time. A freelancer can work part time or full time and at any time-frame he wants. Because, basically there are no fixed working hours such as working hours. This will give freelancers freedom in working hours and place / work environment.
When did you start freelancing?
There really won't be a set time to start freelancing, but it's all about personal decisions about when she will quit her job and start freelancing. However, there are always a few points that will help to decide whether to start freelancing or not.
You can start freelancing at any time:
- You feel like you can work on a project yourself
- You have all the skills and tools needed to get started
- You have good communication skills to communicate with clients fluently
- You have a good portfolio to showcase your work
- You feel like you can find potential clients who will be interested in working with you
What does it take (How) to start freelancing?
- Build a personal portfolio / website to showcase your past work
- Ensure you have good communication skills both oral and written (English in particular)
- Decide and define the skills or services you will provide. Be specific on your skill set and don't include everything you know but include only the few that are best for you.
- Identify your ideal client and know everything about them.
- Determine your pricing structure, don't be vague about this when talking to clients
- Determine your system / payment method and inform clients about it
- Prepare all documents in advance (good proposals, contracts, invoices)
Things to watch out for in freelancing:
- Encourage Yourself and Be Kind
- Likable, Passionate and Enthusiastic
- Referable, never let a client be unhappy with you or your work
- Design a portfolio that you think your client wants to see
- Focus on the client, his needs, his expectations, and Be Flexible
- Always gather complete client information and maintain multiple databases of the clients you have worked with
Pros and Cons of freelancing
Pros
- Work when you want
- Work from home or wherever you want
- Be your own boss
- Choose only the projects you want to work on
- Learn as you go along, and learn what you want
- Work on a variety of projects, not just one
- Reduce your expenses
- No dress code
- Own your personal life
Cons
- You may not always know when your next paycheck will come
- You have to keep looking for clients
- You have to master more than one skill
- No insurance, no job security, no retirement plans
- Working alone can make you very lonely
- Fatigue creativity is a major problem when working alone
- you need self-discipline and self-motivation
- If your office is at home it will be very easy to end up working all the time
- And, for sure, you friends may feel free to call and chat anytime, because they think you don't work
Dos and Don'ts of Freelancing
Dos
- Keep client satisfaction at top priority
- Always prepare a process or workflow diagram for the project and inform the client about it
- Always make all terms and conditions about the project clear in advance (terms of payment, amount payable, deliverables, deadlines, revisions and change, post project support)
- Be honest, reliable and self guided
- After the project is done, ask for a few lines from your happy clients as testimonials, that's what will help you land your next project
Don't
- Don't miss the deadline
- Don't be late in replying to clients' emails, messages, IM, and phone calls
- Don't constantly remind clients about money and payments, keep things simple and clear in advance
- Don't run away when explaining things to clients
- Don't give away know the client that you can do it all when you can't
Platform / Website for freelancing:
- www.freelancer.com
- www.freelancer.co.uk
- www.odesk.com
- www.elance.com
- www.99designs.com
- www.peopleperhour.com
- www.fiverr.com
- www.jobs.smashingmagazine.com
- www.guru.com
- www.twago.com
Platform / Website for freelancing Acquired by freelancer.com
- www.limeexchange.com
- www.rentacoder.com
- www.scriptlance.com
- www.project4hire.com
- www.getacoder.com
- www.joomlancers.com
- www.krop.com
- www.programmermeetdesigner.com
Profile / Portfolio / Reviews on freelance platform
What is the client in you looking for to deliver on a project?
- Reliability
- Quality of work
- Fast response
- Clear communication
- Understand the requirements
- Self-guided / self motivated
- Respect deadlines
- Good work history
- Excellent past review
- Within budget
How to write a successful proposal that wins a freelance project?
A project proposal is the first and almost the only thing that will make the client decide whether to give you the project or not. So writing a good, intuitive project proposal is paramount. Here are a few points to consider before submitting a bid and writing a successful proposal.
Write a bid proposal:
- Write down your understanding of the project (let the client be sure you understand their needs)
- Address the client's requirements for the project and recommend your solution if needed
- Tell him about the benefits he will get from you and your solution
- Project costs (let it match suggested solutions and don't scare the client with your prices)
- Skills and previous work similar to the ideal project
- Ask any questions you think will help in understanding the project
Points to consider when Building a Gig:
- Don't bid on every project, this can make clients feel cheesy about you
- Always read project details and understand them fully beforehand
- Avoid written templates or proposals
- Customized proposals should be written for every project
- Try not to be underbid or overbid
- Set a framework time wisely, stating too long or too short a time frame won't help
- Check client history
- Don't forget to proofread your offer
Sample proposal:
Hi name, I have checked your project description and requirements and I am interested in taking your project. According to my understanding, it would be best to develop your website in some framework such as wordpress or joomla which will give you complete control and ability to add or edit content and pages. I am a professional web designer / developer with over 6 years of amazing experience in web designing and development. My strongest professional strengths are Web Design, Wordpress, Joomla, Bootstrap and Brand Design. I am sure that I will do your job very well. I hope you like my job. I can be available for your project up to 30 hours a week. Please see my previous work here. Hope you like this. riseofaryan.com/portfolio-webdesign.php Best Regards, Shabbir Essa
Payment agent / options are available to us
- Paypal Moneybookers / skrill
- Payoneer
- Western Union
- Wire Money Transfer / Bank Transfer
Thank you very much for your patience!
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