If you are becoming disillusioned with the daily grind of a 9 to 5 job, being your own boss can be tempting. Ideally, it would give you the
balance of having a home life and work life, with the bonus of not having to be accountable to anyone other than yourself. However, it isn’t always that easy. After all, if it were, everyone would be doing it.
As a freelancer when the work comes in, there’s no one else to help you out if you’re finding it difficult to meet a deadline. If you’re ill or you’re tired, you still need to fulfil your commitments to your client or risk losing your money and your reputation. There is no one else to delegate to, or paid sick leave. Quite simply, if you’re not working, you aren’t earning.
However, that aside, it can be gratifying if you have the right tools and the right qualities. Here, we look at just a few of the things that every freelancer needs to be successful.
A hardworking mentality
As we said above – if you aren’t working, you aren’t earning. To begin with, at the very least, you need to put in all the time and effort in that you can. You can’t just rely on doing the work for your current clients; you have to be out there marketing your business and attracting new custom.
The right tools
There is no point in setting up a freelance business if you don’t have the right equipment. Of course, what you need is wholly dependent on the industry that you are in, but pretty much every business needs a decent computer, a high-speed, reliable internet connection, and suitable web security – Troypoint can point you in the right direction for installing a VPN to keep you and your data safe.
Organization Skills
You have to be organized when you are a freelancer – there is no way around it. If you aren’t, things will spiral out of control very quickly, and it can be tough to get back on track. Keep all of your records and accounts up to date, make sure you keep to schedules and monitor your emails.
Professionalism
When you are a freelancer, you have complete control over how you work. If you want to work from bed in your pajamas, that’s fine, but it is also important to remain professional, especially when you are dealing with clients. Consider the tone in which you answer emails and phone calls, even if you are dealing with a problematic client, make sure you meet deadlines and being well presented in face to face meetings or video calls.
Determination
You are responsible for your business, so if you aren’t determined to make it work, it won’t work. You have to put the hours in, the money in, and make sure that you are always working to the very best of your ability. You also need to make sure that you are prepared to be flexible and adaptable and continuously evaluate your business to see what is working well and what might need improving.