The Modern Freelance Worker
Life Before Freelancing
When I first quit my job as a full-time Product Specialist at
one of the World's leading XML software companies, all my
friends and family thought I was insane. I was making a lot more
money than most people and I didn't work any harder than them.
In fact, in my second year of employment, I was making more than
either of my parents who had both worked their entire lives in
cushy government jobs. So why did I quit? Someone told me about
freelancing my talents on online job "marketplaces".
Steps to Making a Real Living with Freelance Work
1. Create a business plan.
2. Market yourself like a real business.
3. Expect promotional expenses.
4. Work specific hours and turn off all distractions.
5. Complete all projects to the best of your ability within a
reasonable time frame.
Online Tools to Promote Your Freelance Career
Use freelance services that are specific to your profession such
as PostBidWin.com for
creative/graphic design jobs or InteractiveVoices.com
for voice actors. Stay away from the big freelancing sites like
elance and guru. You will only get lost in a sea of freelance
workers where the ratio of jobs to designers is downright
depressing.
Some of the newer services are offering marketing solutions for
your profile or portfolio to drive traffic to your personal
website. Take advantage of these services before their true
value is discovered and the prices sky-rocket.
Putting It All Together
These tips, along with a solid Portfolio of your sample work
will build a strong foundation for your freelance career to
flourish. I've gone from working 8 hours a day plus a 1 hour
commute to less than 4 hours a day. And now I make almost twice
what I did when I worked full-time. Try It.