How To Successfully Become A Freelancer?

Becoming a freelancer has become more and more popular. Many of us know at least one person who is completely financing their life with freelancing. Also, there are more and more articles about freelancing. But how can you successfully become a freelancer?

Do you have a great idea for a service that could help others? Or perhaps you like creating unique products others have shown interest in buying? In both cases, starting a business or becoming a freelancer might have popped into your mind. Do you have what it takes to become a freelancer?

In this article, you can get an idea of how to become a freelancer.

Escape the 9-5 office job

As mentioned, becoming a freelancer has developed into a very popular way to work. One of the reasons is obvious; by being a freelancer, you gain a lot of freedom. You can choose your own working hours, and you only answer to yourself. Also, once you have made a name for yourself, you can choose who you wish to work with.

Many people prefer having a greater sense of say and control over their own work – becoming a freelancer is the ultimate way of doing so. Not to mention, you also get to work with something you enjoy, which is evidently one of the greatest driving forces for both success and overall happiness for all of us.

There is nothing worse than having to commit to a job you aren’t passionate about. In our current time, this is even more important, as work has become more than just a way for us to pay our bills; to many, it offers a sense of identity. This makes sense, as a large majority of our adult lives is centred around the work we do.

There are numerous clear positives of working as a freelancer. Still, nothing is perfect, so what are the things that need to be taken into consideration when starting freelancing?

While you do gain a greater sense of freedom when choosing the freelancer life, you, on the other hand, also give up your general sense of stability (especially in the beginning). This can be a very difficult adjustment for most people – if you are used to having a regular job with a monthly salary and company benefits, being left to your own devices can seem not only anticlimactic but financially damaging and ego-shattering.

However, do not let this deter you from following your passion. After all, life is about more than financial stability and economic growth. Some people are not satisfied by the sense of stability – they crave something more, something meaningful, and something they can pour their entire self into and watch blossom.

How to start?

Other than mentally preparing yourself for this life change, there are some other things you need to do before you start freelancing. It is a good idea to do some research on the market you want to break into. Especially if you are planning to offer a service, it is always recommended to scope out the competition.

In this way, you can find out whether others are doing something similar. You will be pleased to know that there are plenty of different ways to do so. You can start fast or slow, depending on your temper. At Financial Times, you can read more about what it takes to go freelance, as there are many, many both positive and negative aspects you need to consider before you choose to take the leap out of comfortability and into the unknown.

Get all the necessary gear.

Many freelancers forget this vital step as it seems unnecessary – but this is also one of the areas where people end up shooting themselves in the foot. Consider what kind of service or product you are offering and plan your purchases accordingly.

Are you creating something from scratch? Then you might need to find a 3D printer or a laboratory that can help make your visions come to life. If you are going to create content, you might either need a camera, a laptop, or a tablet.

You also might need certain software or hardware that can undertake certain demanding IT tasks. If you are unfamiliar with the world of IT, finding the best software can be a bit dull. In these cases, you can check out saasgenius.com. There you can find all the best software that you need to start your business.

In the beginning, you only need all the necessary basic equipment. Once the money starts flowing in, you can always invest more in your tools and get fun extra gadgets that can help make life (and your work) easier and more enjoyable.

However, this should never be an initial priority – always get the bare necessities covered first. After all, the world of freelancing is not as stable as the world of corporate jobs, so even if there is a heavy flow of money in the beginning, this tendency cannot be expected to continue indefinitely.

Take care of your finances, set up a spending budget and save some of the money you get in each month so you are able to support yourself long-term. Allow your ideas to flourish and your freelancing running. Everything else will follow naturally.

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Recommended reading

If you enjoyed this post and have time to spare why not check out these related posts and dive deeper down the rabbit hole that is remote work.

• As More Types of Work Go Online, More Workers Are Going Nomadic
• Why Blue Light Glasses Are A Must For Digital Nomads
• How To Find Tech Vacancies in South Africa
• How To Build Relationships With Remote Workers
• 8 Tips to Help You Make It Through Your First Year as a Freelancer

Tags: Freelance , Remote Work, Digital Nomad , Guest Post