Many people start freelancing in order to find free time and earn additional income, which will be somewhat more stable than what they get when they play live blackjack here or there. However, not everyone objectively evaluates the prospects for this type of activity. In many areas (not just programming), you can achieve complete financial stability by working remotely.
Freelance is a remote (free) format of work, which implies the absence in the office and the connection to the employer. This type of work organization has its own disadvantages and advantages.
In this article, we will look at tips for beginner freelancers, as well as describe all the pitfalls of freelancing.
Advantages of Working Outside the Office
Working outside the office can be organized not only by programmers. Not necessarily being with the head in the team is also relevant for designers, copywriters, SMM specialists, SEO specialists, developers, layout designers. Any content can be created in free conditions with constant access to the Internet.
Benefits of Freelancing:
- Unlimited amounts of income (there is always an opportunity to increase the level of income by increasing the volume of work or getting more profitable orders with an increase in professionalism);
- The ability to regulate working hours while at home (so you can devote more time to your family or household chores);
- Reduction of expenses on the way to work and back, on clothes for the office / workplace, on meals in canteens or cafes during working hours;
- Career growth (there are always prospects for getting more profitable orders not only from individuals, but also from large companies).
But besides the obvious advantages, there are several disadvantages.
What You Need to Consider If You Want to Work on Freelance
Consider the following aspects when choosing such a work format:
- You must be competitive to develop a stable load;
- Your income depends on the time spent on projects (when you are on vacation, you do not earn, unlike office work);
- You have to look for customers yourself and at first it will be difficult to do (it will take time to develop a base of regular customers).
10 Rules for a Novice Freelancer
This kind of work is not suitable for everyone, but for many it remains the best choice with much greater career opportunities than in office work. The rules for a beginner freelancer include the following points:
- You should never rush – customers evaluate the work “with a cold head”, slowly and carefully checking all the details.
- Do not perform volumes of work without prepayment (at the first stages of cooperation with the customer, until it becomes permanent).
- Determine the amount of payment and approve immediately, based on all the details.
- Do not mess with careless, narcissistic customers – they will take a lot of your time.
- All details (deadline, payment, technical assignment) must be approved by e-mail or SMS (telephone conversation is not suitable).
- Start working with freelance exchanges, but acquire customers outside of these portals.
- Meet the deadline by 120% – your reputation in the eyes of the customer depends on it.
- Work for results to gain the trust of your customers.
- Develop a schedule and stick to it! With a free schedule, it is tempting to postpone the project until the evening, skipping the deadline.
- Check the work before submitting it for compliance with the TOR (this is especially true for copywriters).