After two years of working as a freelancer on Scriptlance.com and successfully completing over 100 projects, I’ve been able to settle on a number of very important values and keys to succeed as a freelancer. Although they are not true secrets but they are very important things to always bear in mind while working as a freelancer.
Here are my top 6 secrets to succeed as a freelancer:
- Communication is KEY:
- As most of the work we do as freelancer is with people we don’t meet, it’s very important to keep a very good level of open communication with them. I believe this is the most important value to consider, and here some quick tips for using it effectively:
- Use Email efficiently by having a separate email account for work , and make sure to check it regularly( I keep my Gmail account always open while I work).
- Be sure to respond to clients emails as fast as possible ( I consider a 12-24 hours the maximum acceptable range for that, as beyond that client will start to wonder!)
- Always be clear, accurate, and try to limit the use of abbreviations that the client might not be aware of.
- Use illustrations and attachments to clarify what you mean to clients, whenever applicable.
- Having other ways of communication like, Skype, Chat or other instant messaging services makes it easier for clients to reach you anytime.
- As most of the work we do as freelancer is with people we don’t meet, it’s very important to keep a very good level of open communication with them. I believe this is the most important value to consider, and here some quick tips for using it effectively:
- Make sure you understand your client’s needs before you start working on a project. By asking for examples he likes, or sketches to clarify his needs you save a lot of time and effort
- Be Honest, precise and clear and never try to cheat your clients even if they don’t have the ability or skill to discover that. They will find out later on and you will lose a lot!
- Don’t always say” Yes”. I believe there are times when you have to disagree with your clients, and try to prove to them that their idea might not be the best way to achieve their goals.
- Manage your time and don’t take too many projects that you can fulfill in time, and yes I have sometimes refused to take on new projects that I could not commit to their deadlines but kept their clients who appreciated my honesty.
- Prepare a nice online portfolio with your best works to show to your clients, as this increases your chances of getting more work. Here is my portfolio if you would like to see it.
So, have you worked as a freelancer before?
Do you agree with my points above or do you have some other important things to consider?
Please, share you thoughts and ideas below.
Hi, this is Nicole from vWorker (formerly known as Rentacoder).
If I may add, working at a service that provides maximum protections is a successful move as well. vWorker protects your money with escrowing on all job types. We also offer arbitration on all projects free of charge and we test your deliverables to make sure they meet requirements so that you can get paid.
You can click here to see how vWorker compares to all the major services including Scriptlance: http://www.vWorker.com/RentACoder/DotNet/misc/CompetitorInformation/WhyRentACoder_ForSellers.aspx (http://bit.ly/csghq4)
If you have any questions, please let me know. You can also call in to talk to a facilitator 7 days a week, or email us.
Nicole
vWorker.com
I think you make an excellent point when you say not to accept every single job you get offered. I call this the “Bruce Willis School of Employment”–you know, cuz Bruce Willis accepts basically every acting job he gets offered? Anyway, a good post–thanks.