Perhaps you are already a freelancer and fit already into a category of type of freelancers or maybe you are considering making a move into the freelancing world and wondering what type of freelancer you could become.
There are 5 different types of Freelancers so let’s explore the different categories out there.
Independent Contractors
This group accounts for the biggest number of independent workers out there (40%), and they are probably what you have in mind when you think of the term freelancer. Independent contractors are hired on a project-to-project basis.
Moonlighters
As the name explains, Moonlighters are those who after their traditional (9 to 5) job, work on a project (normally at night). A more stable income is the advantage.
Diversified Workers
These workers are the “octopi” of the bunch. While moonlighters tend to reserve their freelancing efforts to the night, diversified workers do a little bit of everything throughout the day.
Temporary Workers
Growing with increasing rapidity, these freelancers are hired on a temporary basis (normally full-time) to work for a certain organization; independent consultants being the most obvious example in this category.
Freelance Business
Owners Last but not least, this category is reserved to business owners who have up to 5 employees in their company, that both, hire freelancers but also are considered freelancers. themselves.
How to become successful freelancer:
1. Put together a business plan
Start by writing what you are good at, what your main skills are and what you are passionate about doing. Your skills will be your product. Here are 5 key factors to establish before you run as a freelancer:
Define a value proposition
Make a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the skills you are about to offer to the market. Based on the market, the demand for your skills, the number of competitors and the SWOT analysis you have to come up with a distinctive offer to your clients. This is called “value proposition”. What makes you different? Is it the unique skill? The pricing? Your business model? Or maybe the distribution system that you are planning to use.
Target your market
Clearly understand who your market is. You need to understand the type, size and location of your target company or market. You must have a clear understanding of who you have to approach and who will have potentially higher rates of conversion to become a customer. As you are freelancing you will have to split your time between performing jobs and looking for new prospects. Finding the appropriate balance is a challenge. But once you know who most likely requires your services you can be efficient in targeting your marketing effort and spend more time in execution.
Select your distribution system
Traditionally freelancers would have to do a lot of networking to develop the market and generate potential leads. Attending association meetings, industry events or professional seminars is an effective way to become known. Today, online marketing has dramatically changed the rules of the game. Building your own web site is a great idea. However, other new distribution systems have appeared for freelancing purposes. Online talent marketplaces make it easier for any freelancer to advertise their services with almost no geographical limitation.
Get yourself the right administrative tools
Now that you have turned your freelancing activity into a business make sure that you have the appropriate tools to run smoothly. You will need a basic accounting system (you might want to try out Freshbooks) and an email software that will allow you to build your subscribers’ base and send newsletters regularly. You might want to check out constant contact, mailchimp, aweber or any other opt in email marketing tool.
2. Market Yourself
Getting noticed is for sure the hardest step; you may feel stuck in the vicious cycle of “how will I get hired without experience?” and “how will I get experience without getting hired?” but being a savvy and effective freelancer has everything to do with self-promotion and smart planning. It is important to know who you are, what you are offering, and how are you going to let everyone know. Start by figuring out who your clients are going to be, from there on you can start building a niche to find them and for letting them find you. Moreover, start building your network inside out. That means, start by offering your services to friends, acquaintances, and peers; word-of-mouth is essential!
3. Master Time Management
As a freelancer, multi-tasking different projects every day, you have to make sure that you are very organized and efficient in the use of your limited time. Time management is especially important for freelancers. Millions of professionals have chosen to run their career as freelancers for different reasons whether in search of work-life balance, flexibility or a sense of entrepreneurship. The reality is that the life balance comes from the possibility of arranging their schedule at their convenience not from working less hours. So how can you ensure that you have flexibility and time to enjoy other dimensions of life outside of work? The answer is Time Management. Here are seven tips that will help you: