Lets Go Freelance

Welcome to the wonderful world of freelance. Is it right for you? It all depends on your skill level, the demand for people like you, and where you look to get opportunities to work.Freelance work is awesome if you have considerable experience.Some types of jobs you can do at home
and/or over the internet include:

Tutor (internet tutor), Fitness Consultant/intructor (over the net with videos and messaging), Web Designer, Ghost Writer, Dietician Consultant, Artists, Musicians, Blog Writerer, Private Affiliate, Travel Agent (from home), Insurance Broker(agent), Mystery Shopping(my next topic so stay tuned), Private Investor...
There are so many opportunities available online but the trouble starts when you are trying to look for potential customers and clients.

Here Are Some Tips to Help you Find Work

1)Post Classifieds. Yellow Pages, Local Magazines and News Paper, Craigslist, Kijiji,Classifieds.ca, Classifiedsforfree.com...

2)Build an online personal website for your business

3)Build a Portfolio for your work. Web Designers can't get away from this. People want to see what you have done to know if you are worth the money and are legit.

4)Get yourself noticed on Socializing Networks. Myspace, Facebook, Reunion, Orkut, Bebo...

5)Harness the Power of Word to Mouth. Offer insentives to happy clients to tell their friends and family about you.

7)Bid for jobs on freelance networks. Try the links below:




8)Get some decent looking business cards and carry them with you. You never know when you will get an opportunity to make a new client.

9)Always take the opportunity to develop and showcase your skills. There are many contests, fairs, workshops, and conventions; take the opportunity to particiate. Learn from others in your field. You want to be able to stay current and relevant.

10)Negotiate. Depending on how much work you have to do, you may be forced to concede to the bidding of some customers. Try to be flexible; and when you can't bend, offer your clients plenty of alternatives or recommendations.

11) Be fair and honest with your pricing. If a customer is only one google search away from finding someone better, faster and cheaper then you, then you have a big problem. People don't like feeling like they've been cheated. The best customers are repeat customers and they are also your gateway to new clientel. Always be honest with your pricing. Break everything down for your clients, so they know extacty what they are getting from you. It's too easy to loose a customer to someone cheaper. It helps if the customer knows that they are paying for quality with you.

12)I Already mentioned in #11; you need to stay competitive. Find out what the competition has that you don't have, and see if you can get it. Recognize any asset you have that your competition doesn't have and try to market it.

13)Meet and exceed expectations whenever possible. There is nothing worse than a freelancer that can't keep up with deadlines. Try not to overload and put too much work on your plate. Always keep your promises. If you say that you will be ready in 1 week then make sure you are prepared and ready to go in 1 week. Even being a day or 2 early can't hurt if you did quality work and didn't cut corners just to finish early. Customers also appreciate it when you do a little extra for free. It's always a good idea to find suttle ways to let them know that they got a little extra from you so that they don't have unrealistic expectations everytime they go to you. You don't want to be cocky or act like you are doing them a big favor (as if you are being charitable). But let them know that you value their business and you appreciate the job they entrusted to you.

14)This one ties into #13 but I wanted to make my list as long as possible ;P. Be organized. I tried my luck at freelance work and it definately isn't my cup of tea. I have a day planner but it's pretty much useless to me because I rarely write anything down and when i do, I never check it. You will get more work done when you are organized. The less you have to remember off the top of your head the more likely you will be able to fullfill #13.

15)Have Fun. That's the best way to stay self-motivated. Freelance work can be pretty lonely. Especially when you don't have to leave your home to get stuff done. If you are always home, try to find ways to take your job out of the house. Cell phones, laptops, WiFi and portable wireless internet modems are amazing tools to use if you are "on the go" or if you want to get out of the house.

Some people don't enjoy freelance primarily because they don't have as much human contact as they would like. Freelance work is great because you are your own boss and you get to work when you choose to work. Some people need to have a fire lit under their bottoms now and then. Keep in mind that freelance work may only be a good part-time/spare-time money making opportunity rather a full-time career for most.