How To Go From Employee To Freelancer & Start Your Own Business

With freelancing you can have complete control over your work schedule. You have the freedom to work from anywhere, at any time, as a freelancer. However, there are many challenges you need to face when you are going from an employee to freelancer.

There are a lot of requirements you have to fulfill, like filling out the NY Biennial Statement Online. Moreover, it would help to market yourself by finding potential clients yourself. But this guide will help you by giving you excellent tips to start your own business.

1.      Define Your Service and Offering.

When you start your own business, the first thing that you need to do is define what services you will provide. For example, if you are a writer, properly mention what kind of writing you excel in. It can be academic, blogs, script or book reports, etc.

It is really important to mention our Legal Founders services and expertise when going from an employee to freelancer because you need to build credibility. You must use your skills to solve your client’s problems. When you know your skills and expertise, you can only help your prospective clients.

To start your own business, you need to write a brief description of the service. Try to explain what you can do, how you do it, and what type of business/client in as few words as possible.

2.      Find Your Target Audience.

When you are an employee, you don’t have to worry about marketing your skills. However, marketing becomes important when you start your own business and go from an employee to freelancer. 

Speaking briefly, you need to find a target audience. To market the people, you need first to understand who you want to sell. Can you start by looking at any common problem and personality trait among these clients? Do they work in a specific field?

As a new freelancer, simply being good at what you do will not guarantee that clients seek you out. It’s vital to get in front of potential customers to learn about your services. To find potential clients, you’ll need to be proactive.

Mostly we see freelancers opting for the following approaches when they are looking for their target audience. 

Many freelancing job posting platforms help freelancers to find clients. If a relevant job within their skill set is published, they can contact the person. It would be a better option to show your portfolio and a good description of yourself when trying to reach a client. 

The second approach is marketing. You can create a platform for yourself and then market it with different means. This way, more people will reach you increasing your clientele.   

The most common marketplace for freelancers is up to work and Fiver. This platform connects freelancers and clients, allowing them to collaborate on meaningful projects. Clients openly post available projects across various areas on these sites. They also pay high prices for high-quality work. You can look here to find projects to work on.

3.      Develop a Pricing Structure.

Pricing is a very critical structure. When you are an employee, you don’t need to worry about the pricing. You will get what the employer promises you. It is not the case when you start your own business. Your income will be very high someday and considerably worth it next. That’s why you have to be mindful of what you are pricing.

Set the price after clearly defining your service and your target market. You need to set the price to a level where you and your client are satisfied. The goal is to maximize your pay while avoiding losing out on potential opportunities. You can do this by analyzing your market’s competitors. How much do they charge for similar freelance work?

However, the prices will differ based on project duration, experience, project complexity, and your experience. Many other factors will influence your rates. But, allowing uncertainty about your pricing structure to prevent you from getting started is a mistake. Your rates aren’t set in stone. You can change the price in the future. However, right now start with a price that you feel is reasonable.

4.      Create A Strong Portfolio.

Developing a strong portfolio is crucial when you start your own business. Your portfolio will tell your prospective customers the quality of your work. Moreover, it will also help you build credibility by showcasing your accomplishments and previous projects. This way you can show your clients and not just tell them what you’re capable of and how valuable your knowledge is.

Your portfolio should display your best work in the field of your business. Each piece in your portfolio should clearly show what you contributed to the project and how the clients benefited from it. Some of the elements that make your portfolio strong are Case studies, testimonials, data-driven results, images, charts, work samples etc. Before including project materials from previous clients in your portfolio, ensure they have their permission.

5.      Write a Great Proposal.

When you are moving from an employee to a freelancer, you need to write a great proposal. You have to match your work experience with your capabilities.  The right proposal will either secure your job or not. That’s why you need to write such a proposal that will work for you. 

Make sure your proposal is concise. A well-written proposal should be a strong selling point for your skills. It should include a description of the company’s needs, how you can assist, and your credentials and qualifications. It is also necessary to maintain a professional and friendly demeanor. So for that you can use professional language to help you stand out.

You can create a template for organizing your proposal. But mostly freelancers customize it for each client and project. They like to put in extra effort and time. This shows their sincerity, enthusiasm, and professionalism.

6.      Create a Relationship with Your Client.

When you are an employee, you have to worry about your boss’s thinking about your work. You don’t have to worry about the firm’s clientele because there are people for that. However, you need to be extra attentive to your clients when you start your own business. It is really important to develop a positive relationship with them.

To become a successful freelancer, you have to think about your clients when providing your services. This way, you will be able to make long-term relationships with them. Moreover, you will also get new client referrals through them if you treat your clients well. 

Effective communication is vital for building strong business relationships. But how can you create healthy working relationships with your client? You can do that by providing them with excellent quality work. Solve the issues of the clients by giving them quality service. Communicate with them. This will help ensure consistency of the work. Moreover, the trust also gets stronger between you and your client with effective communication. 

Conclusion.

Moving from an employee to a freelancer and starting your own business is a huge step. There are many things spooned to take care of at the company’s beginning.

That’s why you need to be extra careful about everything you do. With the following steps, you will start strong in the freelancing business. You have control as a freelancer, and you get to make the decisions that affect your business. Clients actively seek new solutions to their problems, and your freelance services may be the answer. The most successful freelancers like to put in extra effort and time. This allows them to create good relationships with their customers. Their dedication that they put upfront also shows how sincere, enthusiastic and professional they are!