How to be a freelancer | Advantages and disadvantages

If you have ever wondered how to be a freelancer let me tell you that you are starting to think outside the box, and in this article we will help you get a more complete idea about it.

Know not only what is a freelancer, but also what it takes to complete your profile, and how to get started in this world.

Written by

Redaction Team
July 16, 2021
Entrepreneurship, Remote Work

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What is a freelancer?

A freelancer refers to an individual who is self-employed.

That is to say, that does not have an employment relationship, and is able to exercise their functions to benefit more than one client, which must hire their professional services.

There is a difference between a freelancer and an entrepreneur, and this is that, in general, the former tends to work on his own, and in a personal capacity, almost never from the perspective of a company or having business partners.

Apart from what we explained above, it is also worth noting that the vast majority of jobs taken within this modality are of the project type.

That is, they hire people for a specific task that does not have a long duration.

The areas of work in which a freelancer can perform are really too many, usually they usually offer their services for projects that are carried purely online (as is the case of graphic design, programming, and even the translation of texts, or the management of social networks, among others).

However, the freelancer modality is also available for those who need to perform their skills in person.

In this sense, it is more common to find projects of event organization, tutoring, sales, photography, among others.

For many it is the best way to escape the ties that are created when you must meet a daily office schedule, or are tied to a fixed amount of income, since the pay under this modality can be so attractive, but a little difficult to get.

How to be a freelancer

If you are wondering how to become a freelancer, you should know that everything will depend on gathering a series of aspects that will help you to create this profile in you.

While most of this way of earning a living is based on being good in the sector where you operate, you should also take into account the following:

Professional Training

Although we all know that being a freelancer has the advantage that you can start without any work experience in any company, it is necessary to have knowledge in a specific professional area.

Of course, this is not completely indispensable, but it will always be more attractive for a person who has a technical degree, or a university degree, including specializations and master’s degrees.

However, in most cases it is enough to have certifications of courses and diplomas that prove your knowledge in the field.

Sales and self-promotion skills

Among what it takes to be a freelancer is the fact that you must have a great ability to promote yourself personally, so that you are always in constant search of new job opportunities, and thus not remain stagnant.

Besides, it is also important to know how to elaborate offers that are attractive to the potential clients you meet along the way.

And keep in mind that, in most cases, the art of negotiation will define getting the job for the benefit of both parties involved, as you impose, but also dispose.

You can even build up your website like Soyturedactor.com.

It is necessary to have an attractive portfolio

In order to support your sales efforts, you need to be able to demonstrate to all your potential customers that you can really offer them the solution to their needs.

And, for this, there is nothing better than having a good portfolio of products and services.

A portfolio of this kind is nothing more than a catalog in which you will show all the work you have ever done, either for other clients or simply projects you have developed as samples (i.e., it is not necessary that it has been done on demand).

How to start freelancing?

Within how to start working as a freelancer is the fact that, the first thing you should consider, is what service you are going to offer to your potential clients.

Once you have defined this, you can then begin to get ideas on how to put together a portfolio that supports the solutions you hope to sell.

In this process of starting to create an online image and reputation many also go through the process of defining their own personal brand, giving importance to the creation of a logo or signature, and, in this way, start opening profiles on social networks.

Once you are at the moment of opening the profiles through which potential clients will know about you, it is always important to correctly detail all your information, or at least all the important information.

If possible, including pictures of whatever you want to promote.

All this is of utmost importance to start working as a freelancer, since many companies, before going to the browser to search on sites dedicated to this type of fleeting contracts, take into account the profiles of people in social networks and what they say they can do.

Once you have a presence on social networks you can also create a profile on platforms for freelance work, bearing in mind that the best ones are always considered Upwork, Freelancer and Workana.

But they are not the only ones, and the more you appear in more, the higher the probability of finding projects.

Keep in mind that this is a process in which you learn to really be your own boss, to go for what you want, and to give your work the value it deserves.

It’s not an easy road, but it is certainly becoming more and more passable.

Frequently Asked Questions about How to be a Freelancer

How can I do Freelance work?

There are Freelancer websites such as Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.

Some other options is to contact companies that might need some freelance work and sell your services.

Or as mentioned, build up your prescence like a Freelance Writer https://soyturedactor.com/redactor-freelance/.

How can I become freelancer with no experience?

You can aim less known companies that might also need some support in some freelance areas such as digital marketing or software engineering and offer your services.

There might some companies that might pay well or you might start with a low payment, it will depend in your negotiation skills.

What kind of freelance work can I do?

Here are some examples of freelance work that you can do: