Far from being the career choice of those looking to shirk work, it's tough and demanding. Freelancers are effectively they're very own small business and, as such, have all the worries and responsibilities that a small business owner has.
Consequently you need more than just a little experience in your chosen field and some talent to succeed as a freelancer, you'll need to be on top of your game in a number of areas.
Largely what you'll need to run your freelancing business will change along with your freelancing discipline. That said, there's some things that every freelancer should have, regardless of whether they're a copywriter, designer or web developer.
Here's nine of the most important…
1. Project management software
Disorganisation can bring condemnation, damaging relationships with clients, so it's therefore wise to take whatever steps you can to get some structure in your working life.
Project management software is a useful asset on this front, as it offers a tidy environment where you can group projects, set reminders and generally keep track of what needs doing. Trello, Remember The Milk and Basecamp are amongst the market leaders, so if you're not using them already, check them out.
2. Collaboration tools
Clients tend to be keen on collaboration and keeping an eye on what you're doing, so to placate them and keep in their good books every freelancer should look into using some collaborative tools.
Google Drive offers a mutual collaboration platform, where documents can be shared and worked on in real-time, whilst Skype offers a free way to communicate with fellow users. Elsewhere, Dropbox offers an online platform where you can store and share anything integral to your project. All are useful tools on the collaboration front.
3. Business cards
Business cards are a contentious issue in the freelance community, I've met freelancers who use them regularly and equally, freelancers who use them scarcely.
Regardless, they should really be something that's kept on you at all times, as you never know what business opportunities might appear. They're generally inexpensive to produce and fit easily into a pocket, so by printing some up you're really losing nothing whilst potentially gaining quite a bit.
4. A way to take payments on the go
As a freelancer you're financially self-reliant, lacking the guarantees associated with working in-house such as a weekly or monthly paycheque. You're therefore going to want to capitalize on payment opportunities as soon as they pop up.
Setting up a way to collect card payments is one way do this, a reliable card reader potentially meaning the difference between getting paid today or getting paid a month from now. There's a mass on the market, some that integrate with an iPhone or Android such as The Square Card Reader, so if you're without one have a snoop around and see what's best for you.
5. A website
A website offers the freelancer a platform to showcase their body of work and demonstrate their capabilities to prospective employers. They're also cheap and easy to set up nowadays, thanks to the likes of WordPress.
Created well, a website can exude authority and assert a professional looking image for your freelance business. Note 'Created well' though, as a poorly created website can do your image more harm than good.
Elsewhere, it's also worthwhile registering a domain name, as it generally costs little and can help create a better impression when sending emails to prospective clients.
6. A social media presence
Along with your own website, you're going to want some sort of social media presence.
Twitter, Facebook and Google+ can all be used as a vehicle from which to market your website and drum up new business, especially if you're amongst the more creative type of freelancer. A bit of an art aficionado, I've bought countless paintings and prints via Twitter, showing that there's plenty of money to be made.
Elsewhere, it can prove useful in cultivating contacts and establishing new ideas....Just focus on using it for business and don't get too caught up in retweeting pictures of LOLcats!
7. An anchor client
The freelancers work cycle has a tendency to be cyclical, periods of feast followed by famine.
That's why it's important to establish a least one anchor client, someone who has the capability to provide a steady stream of work for you on a regular basis. Your freelance business shouldn't depend upon this one client and you should always look to have a diverse collection, but, that said, long-term relationships are invaluable.
8. Some accounting software
Integral to running a healthy freelancing business is good bookkeeping.
To the uninitiated this was once a difficult process, best left in the hands of an accountant. It's something that's now infinitely easier though thanks to the advent of accounting software. Generally cheap and easy to use, downloading it is something every freelancer should look into, as it can give you a much clearer picture of your finances.
9. Legal nous
Apologies to end on a rather sour note, but there's a lot of unscrupulous operators out there looking to take advantage of the freelance community. I'm still chasing up payments from my freelance days.
This is why it's important have some legal knowledge, coming either in the shape of your own book smarts or via the expertise of a professional attorney. This legal nous can help ensure that your client agreements are fair; adequately protecting your interests and helping to ensure you get paid when a client disappears. Some legal knowledge pays off, quite literally.
Author Bio:
Mark James is an in-house Writer for online accountants Crunch and limited company formation agents, GoLimited. He specialises in freelancing and small business.
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