What is Freelancing?
Freelancer is the person who works on a contract basis for various companies as opposed to those who work for a single company full time. They are considered to be self-employed and have an ability to select and choose their task and companies they would like to work with.
As freelancers are not considered to be employees, they have freedom to work for other employers and allowed to do their tasks in their own way. They have ability to submit their work at different places. They may work part time or full time.
The common fields of freelancing are journalism and other forms of writing, computer programming, graphic design, and consulting, music, photography, video editing, event planning, publishing, copy editing, proof reading, website development and other creative services.
When freelancers work for the same employer for a long period, they are sometimes called as “permalancers” or “permanent freelancers”. They may or may not be provided benefits by their employers.
If you want to start working for yourself then freelancing is the easiest, fastest and lowest cost way to do it. Many freelancing websites are available like Guru.com and eLance.com that provide online marketplace where many companies post work and freelancers makes bid on completing the task in an open market.
Most common job profiles of Freelancing
After getting an idea about Freelancing, it is the time to know the most common job profiles of freelancing to get the success in this career.
We
b Development and Designing:
In this job profile you have to design and code the website and give it to the employer. For this you need to have the knowledge of designing and coding. Skills you need like .NET, JAVA, Dreamweaver, WordPress etc.
Freelance Writing and Copywriting:
In this job profile you have to write for various clients. This freelance writing can be anything from ghost writing to article writing for a blog or website. All you need is have a good writing skills and ability to complete article in limited time.
Graphic Designing:
Graphic designing is a different field in which you have to create graphics for printed and electronic media. You must have a professional degree and some experience to start freelancing as graphic designer.
Photography:
This is the most popular freelancing job profile. For this you must have passion for photography and some experience. Make sure you have impressive portfolio and some knowledge to edit and retouch photographs.
Data Entry Jobs:
In this job profile you have to see images and write it down into a word file and you have to complete certain pages in a day. You just have a good typing speed of at least 30 to 40 words per minute for this job profile.
Teaching and tutoring:
In this profile you have to teach and tutor online over Skype or Google Hangout. For this, just need to organize some sessions and give lectures. You should have the knowledge of your subject like math or programming language like C++, java etc.
How Freelancing is the best opportunity to make money online?
Freelancers are considered to be self-employed. They are the people who work with various employers, websites or organizations without any long term contract. The internet has great opportunity to make 
money as freelancer. Some ways to make money online through freelancing are stated below:
Identify your skill set:
Before starting working as a freelancer, you need to understand what type of service you can sell. Variety of services are there that people can do like writing content, product design, online marketing, blog management, website design, coding, consulting and many more.
You just need to view your skills as valuable resources that are worth charging and receiving pay for. Any type of skill can be change into freelancing opportunity. In order to be a successful freelancer you need to first identify your skill area.
Create your own brand:
After figure out your skill set, the next thing you need to do is to think about how will you market yourself and your work/ service? You need to create a strong brand for your service/ work that sets you apart from your competitors.
By starting a blog, being active on social media, joining a freelance jobs board like Odesk, Elance, Guru.com and contacting companies directly etc you can set you apart from others.
Build a portfolio showcasing your work and skills:
Most of the prospective clients are less interested in your specified qualification; they want to see what you have done in your past and ability to do the job. So, if you are good at what you do you should showcase your skill by building strong portfolio and positive client testimonials to get success.
Make sure you have actually created the products or the services you want to sell before launching the freelancing career.
Get high paying clients:
Once you are able to show your abilities with a strong portfolio and testimonials, then you should start seeking paying clients. It’s time to start pitching. You can start by knocking into personal network of family, friend or old co-workers.
You can also try freelance market. Several online freelance marketplaces are there like oDesk, Elance where you can offer your work / service and pitch the clients.
How Freelancing is better than working under an employer?
Many people assume that freelancing is something you do when you can’t get a good job. But can you imagine earning money without sacrificing your freedom? Not in a regular job. Right? Here the freelancing can turn this into reality. Some reasons on how freelancing is better than working under an employee are stated below:
Flexible Working hours:
As a freelancer you can work whenever you want. You can choose your working hours whether it is morning, afternoon or evening. Also freelancer have the freedom of organizing their work schedule to accommodate their best productive hours. But working in 9 to 5 job people doesn’t take advantage of their most productive and efficient hours.
Freedom of choosing work and Time:
Usually freelances don’t work on contract basis with employers or company and this gives them freedom to quit the work at any time if they don’t like working condition. They can choose with whom they want to work. But this is not possible when you work under an employer.
Work wherever you want:
When it comes to work environment you can choose the place wherever you want to work as a freelancer. You can work from your home, in a local coffee shop, in a park or while you are on a holiday. They don’t have to sit on a chair in front desk to work the whole day.
You’re your own boss:
When you work under an employer no one gives attention on what you like to do and what you do best. When you are a freelancer you have increased chances to show your creativity. You don’t have to answer to anyone except your clients and yourself.
Best websites to find a job as a Freelancer
Whether you are looking for an extra income, a new lifestyle, seeking more professional development opportunities or freedom that freelancing provides, there is no doubt that many people have explored the benefits of professional freelancing. Here are some best websites to find a job as a freelancer:
Upwork:
Upwork accommodates both short and long term projects, hourly or per- project work and expert level and entry level engagements.
Guru:
This platform allows you to showcase your past work experience and provide daily job matching feature. It connects individual clients and company to designers, developers, accountants, writers, marketers and legal specialists.
People Per hour:
Whether you are seeking or offering services related to writing, web development, designing, social media, business development etc., this platform is perfect platform for you.
99designs:
This is a perfect platform for freelance designers as it allows you to take part in design contests and connects you to the clients and help you to build up your portfolio. For designers who want to prove their talent, this platform is definitely worth checking out.
Freelancer.com:
This platform allows you to face contests with other freelancers to demonstrate your skills to prospective clients. If you are expertise in your field, this platform is a great way to demonstrate your skills and attract more clients.
Fiverr:
Fiverr is an amazing site that allows freelancers to demonstrate their various skills through gigs and help you to build up your portfolio fast. You can find more than 3 Million different types of job on fiverr.
Freelance Writing Gigs:
If you are expertise in writing, editing, blogging and publishing, Freelance Writing Gigs is the best option for you. This platform features lots of wonderful writing resources to help its users sharpen their skills.
Things to do when you don’t get paid for your work
Its hurts when it comes time to pay up and your freelance clients refuse to pay. It happens to every freelancer at some point. But what to do when you don’t get paid for your work. Follow some tips that will help you avoid getting stiffed by your client:
Examine your contract:
At the time of signing a contract, hopefully you stated the payment terms like when and how much you were get to paid and the late fee that will be charged if your client doesn’t pay you within the time. After doing this if you still find your mailbox empty then you should send the invoice to your client.
Write to the business manager:
If you don’t get any response from the client, then deal with the business manager. Tell the business manager the completion date of your project, copy of your contract, invoice and the number of days since the project has been completed and still you don’t get paid.
Pick up the phone:
Pick up the phone and contact the business manager, remind that this is the last person you sent the letter to. When you contact to the business manager, ask them if they received your email or letter. If they refused, offer email to everything you sent to them. If your payment is on the way, tell them you look forward to receive it. If they refused to pay you, find out their reason and then move to the next step.
Send a certified letter:
After sending the invoice and letter, now you send them a certified letter to let them know that you are prepared to take the battle to court. This letter can let your client know that you are about to file a lawsuit to get the money that is unpaid. Alert them if they don’t give any response by a certain date, you are going to court to file the papers.
Take them to court:
If you still don’t get any response, it’s clear that your client is not going to pay you. Now this is the time when you take your action to the court. Also you can take free advice from the lawyers on how to handle your case.
Sadly, if you are at this stage most freelancers don’t want to deal with. You should get paid for the work you have done. So the last option is to write the whole experience off and move on without taking any action.
Follow do’s and don’ts to avoid mistakes in freelancing career
Nowadays many people work as freelancers. In this field you can work as independent contractors, you don’t have to worry about getting criticized by your manager, but still there are some things you need to take care of to avoid mistakes in this career:
Do’s:
Have a complete profile:
To get the better job, you should complete your profile and fill all the necessary information in your portfolio. Also mention all the samples of your work you have done so that client can see that you are apt for the job.
Read carefully the job description before applying:
Before applying for the job you should first clearly understand the job description. After accepting the job, if you find that you are unable to do the job well you may get low feedback that will affect your creditability.
Be professional:
Whether you are an employee or a freelancer, a job is still a job so it is important to be professional in your field to get success. Just be polite, punctual and if you making aby changes in your work then inform your clients about changes, this will help you to be more professional.
Don’t
Post fake skills:
Most people post fake skills just for the sake of getting hired. Make sure to post only those skills that you actually have. If clients realized that your work is not up to the mark, you might not get paid by them.
Settle on one job
You can miss plenty of opportunities just by settling on one job, so try to apply for the other jobs too while doing your job. All you need is to balance your time well without sacrificing any work.
Do free work
Don’t do free work for any clients. You are talented and providing valuable services you should be paid for your time and effort. Just determine you work for the client who appreciate your work and want to pay for the service they need.
How to brand in the troop of freelancers
Whether you want to start your freelancing career or are seeking to take it to the next level, branding yourself is absolutely important to get noticed and stand out from the crowd. Here are some ways to brand yourself as a freelancer and enjoy the freedom and financial benefits that comes with it.
Get social:
To be the best freelancer in the market today you’ll need to create an online presence and social media is the best option to create awareness. Make sure to create a professional Facebook page as well as Twitter account for your freelancing business. Try to polish your LinkedIn profile too, to give it a freelance focused look.
Update your resume:
To get more freelance clients, you will need to update your resume to highlight the work you have done as a freelancer. Also make sure to put the samples of your current work so that clients can decide what you can do for them and afterwards hire you.
Set up your website:
When it comes to get potential leads, you can find them anywhere in the world. But if you want to secure them as future clients you’ll need to showcase them the samples of your work. For this, you should have a website that highlights your skills and services. If you are on budget, various CMS are available that can help you to build your website.
Find your referrals:
To brand yourself and get more potential clients you need to find your referrals and recommendations from former clients you have worked with. Encourage them to write testimonials for your website, a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile or Like on your Facebook page. These referrals will help to prove you as an expert in your field.
Conclusion
After going through this report, it can be safely suggested that Freelancing have proved to be of immense help when it comes down to make a successful career as a freelancer.
If freelancers use Freelancing report in a proper and a specified manner, you can be sure for one thing that success will be at their tips in a certain span of time, but the results may vary depending on the mode of usage of individuals.
You also received certain very helpful information that would be of great help if used in an authentic manner.
Resources
- https://www.brightknowledge.org/knowledge-bank/media/careers-in- media/what-is-freelancing
- http://moneyconnexion.com/freelance-jobs-on-top-10-best-freelance- htm
- http://www.wikihow.com/Earn-Money-As-a-Freelancer
- http://fablefeed.com/general/reasons-why-freelancing-jobs-are-better/
- https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245953
- http://advertising.about.com/od/freelancing/a/notgettingpaid.htm
- http://gyantastic.com/dos-and-donts-of-freelancing/
- http://www.careerealism.com/freelancer-brand-yourself/
