How To Freelance Well!
Freelancers can provide many benefits to their clients, only
if they know how to freelance well.
For both established or a new business; using freelance talent
is valuable, cost-effective resource in many circumstances such
as..
1.When client is faced with situation that would benefit from an
outsider's perspective.
2.When client's vision is fuzzy as to what needs to be done and
in what order of priority.
3.When client's needs are seasonal or they need help with a
one-time project.
4.When client's talents can be more effectively used in other
parts of the business.
5.When client needs expertise needed to grow quickly without
diverting scarce resources from daily tasks.
Understand the perspective of the client to provide these
advantages, and you are sure to establish your freelance career
successfully. Follow the below four steps about how to freelance
well from start to finish and you should have a happy client and
a check in your hands.
Step-1. Find The Right Freelance Job
As a freelance professional with unique skills and expertise,
you can find the right freelance job from a number of sources.
The optimal solution is to find jobs through referrals -- from
your previous clients, another freelancer, or industry contact.
If this isn't possible, spread the word through local
associations or freel
ance networks for referrals.
The Internet is a good source for online
freelance jobs. However, most of these freelanc
e sites work in a reverse auction manner; that is, you bid
on the jobs. The bad part about bidding is that it drives the
prices way down, so you may not earn well, but it is one way to
get started. Visit Freelanc
eToday to find 100's of freelance jobs in several categories
posted on most popular sites.
Step-2. Place Your Freelance Bid
Before you place your freelance bid, you need to know:
What price
to bid and How to write a winning proposal
As you attempt to create an attractive, profitable, and
competitive bid price, there are certain specific questions that
you should ask yourself. These include:
1. Have you done similar work in the past? If so, simply base
your bid on the amount you've received previously.
2. What is the going rate for such a project with large firms,
professional organizations, or colleagues in the same industry?
3. How long will the project take you? Use your standard hourly
rate, and calculate how long it will take you to finish the
project. Multiply the time by the rate to come up with a total
estimated project amount.
No matter how you come up with your price, if the employer has
left an estimated budget, make sure to use this as a guideline
to determine your price for the project.
Step-3. Manage Your Freelance Projects
Track Time For several reasons, it is important to use
the time log accurately. First and foremost, your client might
expect you to break down your hours for him so they are aware of
where their money is going. Secondly, in order to increase your
productivity, examining where your time is being spent is
essential. After freelancing for a while you will be able to
figure out how much to bid on projects easily from experience.
Open Up A Docket A docket is a huge envelope or sleeve to
keep all papers together. Nothing looks worse than going to a
meeting with a client and forgetting essential paperwork. In
order to escape this possibility, I suggest using a docket for
each individual project.
New Customer? If this client is working with you for the
first time you should start an information sheet on him or her.
You might not think that this is important, but if this client
ends up being a dead beat, you will be glad to have his or her
address and phone number. After you have completed this form,
place it in your docket.
Schedule Stages Of A Job Start every job with a piece of
paper. List steps that need to be involved in order finish
production. Otherwise, you might get stuck with having to go
backwards three steps in order to go forwards again. Sometimes
stages of a project will need to be reworked because you didn't
take the time to write down your game plan. Try not to let this
happen to you.
Contract Protect yourself against problem clients by
writing a contract.
Step-4. Provide Your Freelance Professional Service
Get complete background information Ask the client to
provide the resources and information needed that will allow you
(the freelancer) to hit the ground running.
Be clear on details What are the start and finish dates?
When and how should you contact the client? At what key points
the client want to be involved?
Establish interim checkpoints This ensures the project
stays on target and allows your client to monitor its progress.
Discuss schedules Make sure the client is accessible when
needed. Be timely in submitting work for approval.
Money-Matters Keep your bid price in sight at all times.
Follow these suggestions about how to freelance well to
maximize your freelance career success.