START-UP ADVICE

MAKE IT
FREELANCE
“FREELANCERS NEED TO CONSTANTLY
EVALUATE WHAT THE MARKET NEEDS
AND KEEP THEIR SKILLS UP TO DATE
ACCORDINGLY.”
“BUSINESSES ARE FAR MORE LIKELY TO
TRUST THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF OTHER
BUSINESSES THAN ANYTHING ELSE.”
2. Develop a personal brand
The top freelance jobs are competitive. Businesses
want to know what value you can add; whether you
can meet deadlines, how easy you are to work with.
Your personal brand is your most valuable asset
and needs careful cultivation - after all these days,
you are who Google says you are. Make sure that
your CV, your online profile and your social media
channels highlight not just your skills and experience
but showcase your portfolio. On Elance-oDesk, we
encourage all freelancers to upload examples of
previous work onto their online profiles – remember
the old cliché that a picture is worth a thousand
words.
Online workplaces also allow you to build a record
of actual work results and showcase feedback from
past projects. All of this will give you a solid, proven
reputation and help you to secure new projects.
3. Check out your competition
With more and more people choosing to freelance,
as I said above, competition can be fierce - over 8
million freelancers are signed up to Elance-oDesk
around the world. This isn’t a bad thing - your
competitors can actually be a great source of
information. Look at how they’re pitching themselves,
what work they’re doing, how much they’re charging.
By developing an understanding of your competitors
you can figure out how best to position yourself in
the freelance market.
4. Clearly identify your skills
Businesses are looking for freelancers with specific
skills, so lay these out clearly from the beginning. The
more you can narrow down your skill set to what you
are truly best at, the more successful you are likely to
be. When hiring a freelancer, businesses often have
a very specific project in mind so they are generally
looking for a niche specialist – not a ‘jack of all trades,
master of none’.
5. Create unique project pitches
With over 2 million savvy businesses on ElanceoDesk,
they can spot a “copy-and-paste” proposal a
mile off. Make sure that your pitches are targeted
specifically to the job post for which you’re applying:
show interest in the project and address its key
points and challenges. Engage with the business by
asking questions: it’s a great way to invite a two-way
dialogue and really demonstrate that you’ve put
some consideration into what the project requires.
6. Make the most of global connectivity
Web-based programmes like Google Docs, Skype
and Dropbox mean that you can connect and
work with businesses all over the world from the
comfort of your own home. Take advantage of this
and you can open a world of new opportunities. Be
aware that different businesses will favour different
communication methods, so be prepared to use
them all whether that’s phone calls, emails, Skype
chats or Google hangouts: being adaptable and
responsive to your client’s preferences is key.
7. Join the PCG
The PCG is the trade association working for the
interests of freelancers. It’s a great place to go for
advice and assistance as well as swotting up on the
rules and regulations set by the government. The
PCG is also behind National Freelancer Day which will
enter it’s sixth year in November.
8. Be a Business of One
Being a freelancer means you are not just the boss,
you’re also the finance team, the HR team and the
administrative team – and the Head of Marketing!
Luckily there are fantastic online tools available to
help you along the way. For example, check out
online accounting packages like FreeAgent and
Crunch to take the pain out of managing your money
right from the start. For marketing campaigns,
Constant Contact have some great tools to make
your life easier.
42