Let’s be honest. 2020 was a year that brought tremendous changes to the work scope of freelancers out there, both good and bad. Some might have got plenty of opportunities for their work, but, for some, it might have been the other way around. For those who took a few steps back in 2020 and who intend to take their first step in the freelancing world, 2021 is going to be a year of possibilities when you follow the right steps. Now, get set to be a freelancer who is successful, personally and professionally.
Find out the 7 effective ways to become a freelancer and make 2021 the best ever year for you.
1. Understand your Goal
Assess yourself! Ask yourself about your purpose and understand the purpose of your freelance business. As you step on to your new goal of making the most out of your business in 2021, make yourself sure about answers to some questions like,
- Firstly, What is the purpose of my business?
- Am I on track with my business?
- Do I have to take up a new structure for my business?
- What things do I need to improve my business?
2. Develop your skills
As a freelancer, you need to level up your skills to thrive in the field and also to top the list of freelancers out there in your niche. Improving your knowledge in your field of work requires focus and also dedication. Now, there are countless ways you can evolve yourself. One of the best ways is to go through online courses in your area of work. There are many online course platforms available like Udemy, Thinkfic etc that provide you with online training.
3. Build a routine
Following a routine is crucial if you want to become a successful freelancer.
- Set a working time schedule for you; i.e. how many hours and how many days in a week you would like to work.
- Organize your work according to the schedule and work professionally.
- Set a time to reply to emails and other activities. You don’t want to get interrupted between your work.
4. Find your target audience
Identify the type of audience you would like to provide services for. They may be in a specific industry or different industries. Don’t wait for your clients to come to you. Put yourself in front of your target audience.
- Expose yourself through listing platforms. Zenys is a platform for freelancers to exhibit their job and past works to get them customer inquiries.
- Market your profession through social media or other digital platforms.
- Build a network.
Another important thing to follow is to put yourself in multiple shoes. Freelancing is a job that can sometimes turn you down when you might have months you will find hard to make a buck. So look for multiple income sources at a time. This is how freelancing works!
5. Build relationships with your clients
Clients are your business! Develop good relationships with your clients so that you can increase the chances of repeat business and referrals.
- Communicate with your clients to strengthen the bond with them and build trust.
- Make sure to keep up with all the commitments made with your clients. Never leave them hanging. Use a business management software for freelancers like Zenys so that you can be on track with your clients and your projects.
- Most importantly, provide your clients with good quality work.
6. Get Organized
You don’t want to get your mind all messed up with the administrative burden. Make it simple and easy to manage. Streamline your business using a business management tool like Zenys and keep track of your clients and projects easily. With a tool like Zenys you can,
- Simplify client management by storing client information, tracking their journey, creating follow ups and doing many more. Manage your projects by keeping track of them .
- Create tasks and meetings for your customers to never miss out on any important activities or commitments made.
- Send invoices to your customers with branding.
7. Track your income and expenses
Stay on course with your finances. This is something every freelancer should follow with top priority to know how your business is doing. There are many ways to make the process of tracking your collections and expenses easy. The best way to simplify this process is by using a software platform .
Zenys is one of the tools you can use to track your payments and expenses along with managing your business. Analyze how much profit you make in a project and improve your freelance business accordingly. Zenys also helps you in taking track of invoices to keep everything in order.
That’s it! Turn 2021 to a year of opportunities. We are only half way through. You still have time to make this year the best year to improve or kick start your freelance career. Follow these steps and make the most out of your freelance business. Wish you good luck!