Transitioning into freelancing was one the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.  I exchanged my 9-5 for a life of freedom where I can earn and still be there for my family. I’m not limited to space and I work anywhere I want to, whenever I want to.

 

 

With a 9-5 job, I was dependent on my boss for how much I take home every month. But freelancing empowered me to determine my income. Thanks to freelancing I am my own boss. Many freelancers get to this point and coast. However, there are greater opportunities freelancing can give you when you push the bar.

Even though I’ve been really successful as a freelancer, I know there’s so much more for me. There is so much more I can achieve and want to achieve. And that should be your mindset if you want to succeed as a freelancer.

 

 

Here are 10 tips you can use to raise the bar and very a successful freelancer.

Treat freelancing like a real business

Just because you work from home doesn’t make freelancing less than a business. You need to plan, strategize and track your progress. Your freelance business is a business and you need to treat it as one. Wake up early. Do the work. Make the calls. Send the emails. Do your taxes. Invest and budget for the next month. Until you take your work seriously, no one will take you seriously.

Maintain good relationship work your clients

It’s so much easier to get your current clients to keep coming back than it is for you to get new clients. So whenever a client wants to hire your service, keep it at the back of your mind that it has be on the long term. Be polite and helpful at all times. Keeping in touch with your clients and asking of their welfare is a great way to go about it.

Put your work out there

Don’t slow down your efforts of showcasing your work. Use social media as a means of letting your audience know about your latest projects. That way you are increasing publicity. Word of mouth is a powerful means of marketing. So the more you put your work out there for people to appreciate your talent the more people will know and want to hire you.

Continuously improve your skills

There is a lot of competition and one of the best ways to stand out is to have outstanding skills. Invest in courses or programmes when you can learn about the latest techniques and develop yourself at your craft. You need to always stay on top of your game.

Pitch, pitch, pitch

I am the pitch QUEEN! I am forever sending a pitch. Waiting for clients doesn’t make the clients come knocking on your door. You have to go out there and take your business to them. Search for potential clients and pitch your services to them. Pitch from the angle of adding value or solving a problem and not with a desperate tone of “Please hire me”. Always maintain the upper hand.

 

 

Network

You’re not an island of knowledge. Attend meet-ups, masterminds or conferences if you can. Join Facebook groups and Twitter chats. Socialize and meet with people in your industry. Learn from them. Rub minds together. Share your problems. This will give you a fresh perspective in your freelancing business.

Set up systems to simplify your work

Automation is the order of the day. With automation tools you get to do more in less time. Since time is your biggest investment you need to. Find a way to save as much time as you can. Schedule your social media posts, email sequences and batch up content where you have to.

Move towards generating passive income

Raise your income through programs, packages, ebooks and courses. Passive income allows you to make money even in your sleep. It is an avenue to diversify your income and move from only being a service-based entrepreneur to a product-based entrepreneur. Let’s be realistic, you can only handle a certain number of people at a time.

Hire extra hands

If you want to be successful as a freelancer then you need to have the mindset of expansion. As more people get to know you and want to hire you, you’ll have so much work on your plate. Hire people who can join your team. That way you can accept more jobs and still be able to deliver on time with good quality intact.

Give value in your community

There are so many people looking for solution to problems that you can solve. Although it’s great to be paid as a problem-solver, it’s also good to share your expertise with people who desire to learn. Don’t ever think that this will reduce your workload or patronage. This is one of the most effective ways of showing people in your community that you’re an expert and a go to person in your niche.

 

Do you have any freelance tips to share?