Getting Your Freelance Journey Off to the Best Start

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Freelancing has always been an appealing career option. While the vast majority of people will work a standard nine to five in an employed position, freelancing means that you work for yourself rather than someone else. You don’t have to worry about meeting strict rules and you also gain a lot more control over your career path. You decide who you’re working for, who you will work with, what projects you take on, what hours you work and where you work from. You can also often freelance making the most of a skill that you actually enjoy. But how can you get started when it comes to switching from employed to self-employed? Here are some suggestions to get you on your way!

Decide What Skills You Can Use

First, what skills can you use to freelance? Certain roles are much better suited to freelance opportunities than others. If you have a skillset that can benefit others and their businesses on a project by project basis, chances are, you can freelance. Common skills freelancers capitalise on including writing, graphic design, accounting, web design, social media management, gardening or landscape design, window cleaning, house cleaning, dog walking, branding and more.

Weigh Up the Pros and Cons

Of course, not everything is completely rosy in the land of the self employed. While you gain a lot of freedom, you do give up many of the benefits that come hand in hand with employment. You won’t have a guaranteed income, instead, this can fluctuate from month to month depending on demand, which requires more careful financial planning and, often, saving. You also don’t get paid leave, paid sick leave, paid parental leave or pay for any time you decide to take off. Again, you will need to manage this through good financial planning. Only you can determine whether the pros outweigh the cons for you and your lifestyle.

Register as Self-Employed

If you’re going to freelance, you need to make sure to officially register as self employed. This will let your local governing body know that you will be managing your own taxes and filing your own tax return at the end of each fiscal year. Make sure that you put money aside from each paycheck to cover your taxes when they are due.

Advertise Your Services

Of course, you’re going to have to advertise your services. This will let potential clients know that you exist. You can use services such as PPC advertising or Adtaxi to help with this. Posting your availability on professional social networking sites like LinkedIn can work well too.

Apply for Roles

You may be able to find roles for freelance projects or collaborations by browsing jobs boards. Popular options include LinkedIn, Indeed and others. Get in touch with companies who may benefit from your services. Often, small businesses and start ups are good potential candidates.

These are just a few starter steps towards getting your freelance journey up and running in the right direction. Hopefully, some of the advice above will help you along the way!