How to Become a freelancer

Become a fulltime freelancer J

Most small establishments start today as a facet hustle first. In fact, 1 in 3 Americans is often a freelancer or temporary worker inside the post-recession era, according to research through the Human Capital Institute (HCI). The majority of contract workers are part-timers, and their ranks are growing at more than twice the rate of full-time workers, the HCI reports.

The reality is that many people who lost jobs over the recession are putting themselves back to work by pitching their ability to companies, including their past employers, as “free agents.”

Your flexibility as a free agent may be appealing to employers who need to finish the same job but don’t want to pay for things like health insurance, taxes and retirement benefits — which can be associated with full-time employees. You should use this demand to your advantage and make a freelance business to support yourself, stay current in your field and move in an unstable economy.

Here are five key attributes you’ll must be a successful freelancer.

1. Become Professional: Just because you can be working from a home office doesn’t mean you forget your own manners. The same standards of professionalism you used in the workplace apply as a self-employed specialist. Set up a work space that may be conducive to doing business and working extended hours. Make sure you are in quiet surroundings when generating calls — your clients ought not to hear the TV blaring, your child crying or pet barking while they’re considering whether to offer money to work on a project on their behalf.

2. Be Meticulous about Tracking Your Hours: It’s easy to lose track of that time period you spend on a venture when you’re not punching a period clock. Often, independent contractors experience the spending more time on a project than they'd have if they were in a regular office environment. It is up to you to make sure that you’re getting paid for the effort you’re putting in and complete projects promptly. Be sure to include project management amount of time in your bids; interaction with clients eats up lots of time.

3. Focus on a niche Specialty: You cannot be all things to all people. Focus using a specific niche customer or sector. Examine your transferable skills, find out the pain points of your own target customer, find out where those skills are in demand, and go after the business enterprise. Also, seek out work that could fulfill a passion that an individual wouldn’t have gone after using a traditional job. For example, for anyone who is a CPA who enjoys cooking, you could specialize in doing accounting work just by restaurants.

4. Build a web Portfolio: Potential customers and recruiters will look online to find information about an individual before making contact. That’s why it’s essential to have a website and online presence that displays your expertise. Establish a LinkedIn profile to help you showcase your portfolio.

5. Certainly be a Networking Machine. Don’t sit at your residence and do all of your own socializing online. Seek out local networking events and trade associations inside your field and join the chapters close to you. Keep your elevator pitch practical. When you’re out in town, whether you’re in transit to meet up with a client or running tasks, talk up your business for a banker, your local merchants, and the parent on your child’s baseball team who is an executive at a company which may use your services. Carry business cards continually. Make sure contact information can be updated and includes all places they are able to find you online.

Finding work: Many websites help freelancers build their businesses and stay sane at the same time. Here are three good sources:

Odesk: The largest number associated with freelance of work available the following.

Elance: Site connects freelancers with companies searching for help.

Freelancer: Companies and entrepreneurs utilize this online hub to post their projects and expertise in order to find good matches.

Guru: A freelancer current market that also handles payment running. The site features profiles as well as websites of 250, 000 effective freelancers.