Me 5 Years Ago
It’s been 5 years when I started working as a freelancer. Earlier, I was working in an MNC at a high position but didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoy working as a freelancer. Initially I wanted to use my spare time in a productive way so I started working as a part-time freelancer, but soon I realized that it’s far better than my day job. It took some time to make up my mind whether I want to work as a full time freelancer or just want to do it in my spare time.
I have gone through all the pros and cons of working as an employee and working as a freelancer. Though the opportunity was quite enticing but I was aware of the challenges I have to face if I quit my job. But finally I did what I always wanted, to do something on my own, to be my own boss and work per my convenience and time schedule. I quit my job and became a full time freelancer.
I know there are several people out there, like me, who are still struggling between this choice, so I thought maybe my own experience and insights will help them in making their mind.
Working Online On My Home
With the help of the internet we have a lot of options to try in the field of our education, career, entertainment, learning new skills, etc. Initially people considered working online as a means of earning extra money while working as a full time employee in a company. No one thought that this part-time earning medium would soon become so popular that people would even quit their jobs to do it full time (I am an example of this, too).
Me Working At Home
Today you will see a large number of people working as full time freelancers and working on several projects in various fields like writing, journalism, designing, programming, web designing, gaming, data entry and whatnot. There are several companies out there who are offering freelancing jobs to minimize their employee cost and to hire people across the world. By freelancing, they get a lot of candidates to choose from, and that too without bearing the cost of interviews, apportionment, employee benefits, etc.
Freelance jobs are quite lucrative and have made freelancers earn a lot more than they were earning from their regular jobs. That is the reason, for those who got the taste of it; to want to work as a freelancer forever. But like everything, it has its pros and cons. Being a freelancer means you will not have job security, no contracts (in most cases), stability or viability of the job. But you will get the flexibility to work according to your own schedule, you will be earning as much as you want by working more or less. You can set your own rules, schedule and get paid for what you are doing.
Here are few things which will help you in turning your freelance job into a full time career.
Formulate A Plan
Plan The Things That You Want To Do
You need to plan prior to making your freelance job a permanent career. Focus on the things which you have to do while following this path, such as recognizing what sort of customers you have and the ones you are focusing on, your competition, and whether you need to contract workers later on. Draft a detailed plain including the amount you might need as initial capital, make necessary arrangements, once you know your needs.
Understand Your Clients and Competition
Understanding your competition is very important, you need to know what exactly they are offering, so that you can provide better and also those services which they are not offering. Try to offer such services which are unique and will make your business a standout.
Specialize Your Skill Set
Before making that final jump into full-time freelancing, you ought to ensure that you have a detailed and specific description of the services you are going to provide. For instance, if you are starting as a freelance writer, it would be a smart thought to tell clients precisely what sort of writing you are specialized in. Is it Academic Writing, Technical Writing, or providing web content? You should build up your specific skill set to reach your targeted market.