how to be successful as a freelancer
So, you're here to find out how you become a successful freelancer?
I got you.
Let's bring it back to the beginning.
Start from where you are
Don't overwhelm yourself thinking you have to have all the latest social media tools or professional software when you're just beginning.
That comes with time and with experience.
It's OK to use a free online tool to sign contracts.
It's OK to not have a beautifully designed rate sheet to send to clients.
And it's OK to track your income, expenses, and taxes on a Google Sheet (spoiler: this is what I use!).
It's more than OK... it's how you begin.
If you wait until you have all these extra things in place BEFORE starting, you'll never start.
Evolve as you grow
The way you do things when you're first starting out is NOT how you'll continue doing things forever.
A great rule of thumb: When your current processes/platforms/programs/workflows/tools start not working anymore, shift them.
Are your Google Sheets getting too hard to keep up with? Invest in Quickbooks or similar accounting software.
Are your poorly thought-out packages not cutting it anymore when clients need your services? Time to update them and get really clear on what you do and who you're serving.
Is not having the right software to sign contracts becoming a nuisance? Invest in a tool like HelloSign or Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Find support early on
This was a mistake I made that I WILL NOT LET YOU MAKE.
No support starting out = you flailing around like a fish out of water.
Imagine you got a new job in a brand new industry that's unfamiliar to you. You walk in on your first day and instead of getting some sort of training or manual to read, they sit you down and tell you to start working.
WTF DO YOU DO?
You don't even know where to begin because you don't know what you don't know.
That's kind of how I see jumping into freelancing.
You're going to struggle really hard if you don't have support.
Whether that's from someone who's been through it or teaches others how to navigate the new waters, it's crucial to have someone to lean on when you want to be successful as a new freelancer.