The Freelance industry is one of the biggest and most powerful industries in the world. With a sprawling presence online, there are millions of clients and freelancers that seek collaborations with one another for mutual benefit. However, in order to make big in this industry, you cannot solely rely on determination and luck.
Every industry functions on sets of principles, but there are many tricks that can ease the entire process of survival. If you wish to battle out competition head-on, you will have to acquaint yourself with these tips and tricks.
Now you may be wondering about those tricks and tips; well, we have shortlisted ten most important tips which will immensely help you from losing out to the freelance industry. If you employ these tips while handling freelance engagements, you might end up saving a lot of time and resources.
So, without further ado, here are ten ways you can avoid losing out to the freelance industry:
1. Start with a schedule
Many freelancers end up failing in the freelance industry because of lack of direction and organization. The first step towards organization is creating a schedule.
In order to create an effective schedule, you will have to consider a number of elements such as the volume of work, your other commitments, priority, physical capabilities, and what not.
For example, many people suffer from acute eyesight problems and cannot work for continuous hours before a computer, and thus, they will have to create a systematic schedule to provide adequate relaxation time to eyes.
You need not work throughout the day—too much work will spoil your quality and will end up causing you frustration and lack of work. Make a flexible but well-planned schedule to ensure greater quality in your output.
2. Take your time
There is a myth about freelancers—that they are workaholic and do not have time for themselves. This is absolutely bogus.
Freelancing need not be pressurizing. The amount of time invested in assignments depends largely upon the nature of assignments, deadline and personal commitments of the freelancer.
When you work as a freelancer, you must not let pressure guide you. Always take some time out to relax your mind and body. The more relaxed and focussed your head is, the better quality of work you produce and the happier your client will be.
3. Say No when you must
There is no obligation on you to do the work you do not want. The point is this: you cannot always cherry-pick your assignments, but if there are assignments which you won’t be able to handle, you must say ‘no’ to them.
Clients will keep on giving you work unless you ask them to stop. They are not aware of your work schedule, and therefore, it is your responsibility to convey them the areas you are most comfortable in.
At times people think that since you work from home, you have all the time in your hands. Be very clear and tell them that you don’t—as simple as that!
4. An Afternoon vacation
This tip is an extension to the tip number 2, but it needs to be separately dealt with for greater emphasis.
An afternoon vacation is essential because we often tend to lose control over the work environment during the afternoon time. You have been working since morning and you need some time to relax.
It is better that you take a break in the afternoon so that you are all fired up to finish off all your assignments by evening.
5. Hire people to do the work which you hate
This is one tip which applies to both freelancers and clients.
If you work as a freelancer, you can hire a third person to whom you can allot those work assignments you might not be able to deliver with quality. Pay a specified sum to these people and take a sigh of relief.
In case you are a client, you should consider hiring a virtual assistant for works you hate such as getting recruits or doing other HR-related works.
The advantage of having a virtual assistant is that it causes a much-needed distribution of workload—this way more assignments will be delivered or candidates will be recruited and what not.
To the freelance industry, it does not matter who does the work; what matters is the deliverance of quality.
6. Find or make a place solely for working
A workspace is extremely important. The idea is to direct the focus of your mind towards work, and a setting reserved for working will contribute immensely.
Work from the couch or desk, whatever that suits your frame of mind and helps you relax while working. The workspace should be such that when you get there you know you have business to finish.
7. Work outside the house
A change in environment will boost your concentration and relax you. Working in the same environment affects focus and makes you more vulnerable to boredom and procrastination. It is, therefore, recommended you pack all your stuff and take them outdoors once in a while.
You can work in a café, park or a library—whatever your choice may be, you should know where you will be most comfortable at. Spend a few hours there and you will notice how your mood and manner of working improve.
Do this exercise once or twice a week for good results.
8. Processing
When you work as a freelancer, you might expect work at any hour of the day. Thus, it becomes all the more important to keep yourself updated.
Organization is the key to a successful career in freelancing. Keep a tab on your emails—check them at least thrice a day. Maintain spread sheets regularly, fill orders at least once a day, maintain a record of whatever assignments you have done, and what not.
Correspondence and management of work are important, and clients expect these to be imbibed in the freelancer they hire. If you, as a freelancer, fail to give their work importance, you will lose out.
9. Getting dressed up actually works
This tip might be a little strange to many people, but it does wonders. We often end up working in whatever clothes we have—we recommend you some changes.
Dressing up, not necessarily in formals, helps in building up a proper mood for work. It may seem ineffective but it helps. It has a psychological impact, making you think you are actually working in a professional environment.
If you do not like the idea of dressing up, we offer an alternative. Always shower before working. Many freelancers start working the first thing in the morning—do not do that. Instead, shower and relax a bit before getting on to work.
10. When you are done, you are done
This last tip is about being sure of what you are doing. You will hate the feeling of incompleteness and dissatisfaction if the work produced at the end of the day is not up-to-the-mark.
Before you start working, make sure you have a general layout as to how you are going to handle the task. If you have a guideline, you will be more practical in your working approach.
The feeling at the end of the day should be that you are done with the work and there is nothing more to be done.
