When you’re working in the freelance world, you’ll know that it isn’t as plain sailing as holding down a regular job. That doesn’t mean that it’s a bad thing or that it’s too hard – we all know the benefits of flexibility and being your own boss – it just means that you need to approach things in a different way. You need to go into it being fully aware of what freelance life is really like, and the kind of attitude and approach that you need to take to be able to find your success. The reason for this, is that you’re no longer just the employee. You’re also the boss, the salesperson, the finance guy, the administration support and you’re the entire marketing team too. To be all of these roles at once, takes some serious skills. So, let’s take a look at some of the things that your freelance business may need from you right now.
A Helping Hand
If you’re struggling to juggle all the new responsibility, the first thing you might want to consider, is asking for help. It will get to the point where taking on all of these roles is arduous work. So instead of suffering or deciding to quit, don’t be afraid to reach out. There’s a wealth of companies out there, like Total Calibration, that offer services in the management and organisation of your software that can help to take the pressure off you a little. Perhaps you might feel like you just need an extra pair of hands. Why not get yourself a virtual assistant or a personal assistant to help you execute some of the tasks that you don’t need to do yourself. That way you can focus on offering a good service and growing the business.
Financial Guidance
Another thing that your freelance business may need, is a bit of financial direction. When you’re running your own business, you really need to have your finger on the pulse when it comes to finances. This is something that can take time if you have never worked in this field before – especially when it comes to your taxes. Consider getting an accountant to outsource this work to. They can keep your finances on track, give you advice, and take care of the big business financial processes. Again, taking the load off you and allowing you to focus on what you do best.
A Strategic Marketing Plan
Spend dedicated time building your online personal brand. It is your biggest asset as a freelancer, allowing you to reach more people, establish creditability and build trust with your future client base. Part of building your online personal brand, means creating a proper strategy for social media. If you’re just posting sporadically and you don’t seem to be getting any kind of traction with it, there’s your answer. When you plan it all out ahead of time – and even hire someone to execute it for you – you may find that things really start to change.
A Bigger Push From You
And finally, it may just be that YOU need to give a little bit more. Think you’re already doing enough? Well, if you’re not growing at the rate that you’d like to, but you seem to be getting bored watching Netflix, then there’s definitely room to push harder. Utilise as much free time as you can to really be productive in your freelance business. When you aren’t as busy as you would like to be with client work, use that time to work on your marketing plan or make those sales calls. In those first few years of building your own empire, there is no such thing as ‘within working hours.’ All your hours could be valuable time put into your business if you are willing to go the extra mile to become great.
