Who is a freelancer? -What is freelancing?
Are you a night owl by nature? Maybe you like to work late at night and sleep late in the morning. Unfortunately, in traditional 9-to-5 work, it’s not achievable.
For many working professionals, freelancing has become a modern career choice, as they prefer working on their own terms.
- What is freelancing?
- Who is a freelancer?
- Difference between Freelancer & Full Time Employee
- Why should one freelance?
- Characteristics Of Successful Freelancers
- Can one pursue freelancing as a career?
- Important skills needed to become a freelancer
- Niche in freelancing
- How can you tell if you’re prepared for freelancing?
- Freelancing Platforms
- Here’s a list of best marketplace for freelancing
- How can you start your freelance career with Refrens?
- Conclusion
What is freelancing?
In the 1800s, the term “freelance” described a medieval mercenary who would fight for the highest pay.
The name “lance” referred to a long weapon used by knights on horseback to knock their opponents off their rides.
Over time, the term came to imply “independent,” but it moved away from the battlefield to politics and, eventually, any type of work.
Freelancing is the modern way to work. In fact, it is not just a way to work but a lifestyle that is appealing to people.
Freelancing is a contract-based job in which a person uses his or her talents and experience to give services to a variety of clients rather than being hired by an organization.
Simply said, freelancing is when you use your abilities, knowledge, and experience to work with a variety of clients and take on a variety of jobs without being tied to a single company.
Moreover, the future of freelancing is bright!!! With over 560 million internet users, India has the world’s second-largest online population and by 2023 it would be over 650 million internet users. As a result, freelancing will continue to gain traction as a viable career option.
Who is a freelancer?
Freelancing is a contract-based job in which a person uses his or her talents or skills to give services to a variety of clients rather than being hired by an organization.
It’s a type of self-employment that’s comparable to running a home business. As an alternative to a home business, a freelancer can work as a contractor.
Difference between Freelancer & Full Time Employee
The difference between a freelancer and a full-time employee:
Why should one freelance?
- Be your own boss
The freedom to be your own boss is the most prevalent reason for starting out as a freelancer or entrepreneur.
No more dealing with control freaks in management or clocked in and out of the office. Also, no more scoldings for being late.
As you are the captain of your own ship & it feels fantastic.
- Your time, your way
Unless you want it to be, there is no 9 to 5. You can work between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. if that is when you feel most productive.
If your clients expect you to be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can always justify absences as “client meetings”. Who’s going to notice?
- You can work from anywhere
Freelancing enables you to choose to work from home and to relocate on a regular or semi-regular basis.
- You can choose the clients and the projects you wish to do
Freelancers and entrepreneurs select projects depending on their skills and interests.
Freelancers and businesses are not obligated to deal with creeps. They have complete control over who they wish to collaborate with.
- 100% job security
When you’re the boss, nobody can fire you.
There are ups and downs to freelancing, but in the end, you have complete control over your career and earnings if you stick with it.
Characteristics Of Successful Freelancers
- Hard Work
Having your own company is usually a lot of work. Solo freelancers and new design agency owners can only sell their own expertise. As a result, one of the most significant characteristics of a freelancer is the ability to work hard.
Communication skills
Freelancers and entrepreneurs are constant in communicating with their clients, peers, and the rest of the world. As a result, fluency in the language.
Even if you’re not a freelance writer, you’ll need to be able to present yourself well over the phone, in person, and in writing.
You’ll also need to understand a variety of communication tools. Skype, Trello, Basecamp, IM, VoIP phone system, Voice Mail, Slack, and a few or more apps fall under this category.
- Professionalism
You must maintain a professional conduct. You should dress appropriately if you have a client meeting. If you make a commitment, you must follow through. You must act in an ethical and lawful manner always.
- Persistent
In order to gain clients, you must be persistent in your marketing and sales efforts. To provide value to your clients, you must be committed to providing the finest work possible.
- Passion and skills
Passion, abilities, and achievement go hand in hand. You’ll succeed if you don’t stop yourself from improving your skills.
- Flexibility
As a freelancer, you can’t do anything you want to. You’ll get up at 6 a.m. and work until 2 a.m. on certain days because you have a promise to keep.
At times, you’ll have to do boring, repetitive tasks as part of a larger, more interesting project.
To thrive, business owners must be adaptable in their approach.
- Goal-oriented
Setting and accomplishing objectives, as well as being able to review and amend plans while developing new goals, can provide a sense of achievement and self-worth in freelancing.
Can one pursue freelancing as a career?
Yes, freelancing today is more than just a side hobby. It is a lifestyle that people choose. Full-time freelancers are their own bosses, control their own schedules, and set their own goals.
Today, people value freedom, and flexibility more than a corporate job that pays you a higher salary. While initially freelancing as a career seems to come with instability, however, once you have established a pipeline there is no looking back. With better workflow, repetitive clients, and good financial management, it is totally possible to live a life king size as a freelancer.
Thus, becoming a full-time freelancer is a simple and cost-effective method to start working from home. Today, the MNCs hire freelancers for projects, and many corporations are also changing and being more open to accepting freelancers in their work culture.
Freelancing is fun and adds higher value. Compared to a full-time job, the growth graph in freelancing is exponential.
Also, “Being your own boss is frequently a more exciting and fulfilling experience than working as part of a larger group”. Hence, once you start freelancing, that is working your own way, there is no looking back.
Important skills needed to become a freelancer
Niche in freelancing
When it comes to modern business, there’s a reason why the adage “The Riches are in the Niches” has almost become cliche.
That’s because figuring out how to find your freelance niche allows you to tap into something unique.
At first glance, it is counter-intuitive: a smaller audience should imply less alternatives, right? In many circumstances, though, the exact opposite is true.
You end up promoting yourself as an expert once you find your freelance niche and then you will be able to charge more.
Always keep in mind that any project can be successful if it combines skills and the budget of the client.
It’s a good idea to start with what you already know. Examine the industries in which you’ve worked or are presently employed. Starting with the knowledge you already have that will yield the fastest results for your freelancing profession.
You can, however, learn as you go. You may improve your expertise by reading content in your niche and keeping up with industry news. You’ll need to master industry jargon as well as your target audience’s “language”.
Now that you’ve considered the advantages and disadvantages of working as a freelancer, as well as the differences between a freelancer and a full-time employee, and even the features of freelancing and more.
Next is to find your niche, which you may now be aware of, and make a decision on which niche to pursue.
How can you tell if you’re prepared for freelancing?
Here are some serious and not-so-serious signals that it’s time to jump.
Now that you are ready to kickstart your freelancing journey, below are some freelance platforms that might assist you in creating your profile and connecting with possible clients.
Freelancing Platforms
Companies can use freelance platforms and marketplaces to hire temporary individuals for projects or positions that don’t require full-time employees.
To do so, you’ll need to create a profile on these sites, upload your resume, and then connect with potential employers.
Here’s a list of best marketplace for freelancing
You may reach worldwide freelance talent with the help of some excellent freelancing marketplaces and platforms. It benefits freelancers, corporations, and even the marketplace’s founders. Freelance platforms are ideal for freelancers since they allow them to access a wide range of tasks and new prospects.
Here’s a list of the best platforms for freelancers:
- Refrens
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Freelancer
- Guru
- People per hour
- Toptal
- Flexjobs
If you want to work as a freelancer, you can use any of the platforms listed above, as they are trustworthy and reliable. You only need to determine which option best suits your skillset and then choose the best one for you.
How can you start your freelance career with Refrens?
As a freelancer, you can advance your profession with Refrens. Every day, thousands of organizations use Refrens to discover an appropriate service provider. If their requirement fits your skills, Refrens will send them to you. 60,000 freelancers/agencies from 632 cities across India are at your disposal.
This is how you can start your freelance career with Refrens:
Some of the testimonials of the freelancers:
Conclusion
You can begin giving your services right away, especially if you have a skill. Working from home as a freelancer is an easy and cost-effective way to get started.
What are you waiting for? Be a night owl if you want to or be an early bird. There are no time bounds to freelancing. This is the freedom that comes when you choose freelancing as your modern career choice. Start your freelancing journey with Refrens and be ready to be your own boss.
