Proven Tips for Freelancers to Succeed in the Gig Economy

Thinking about starting your career as a freelancer?

Great, it is the right time.

With over 20 million freelancers working independently in India, it can be said the freelancing market is on a boom. But like any career option freelancing also requires, time, dedication, consistency, hard work and some tips for freelancers to ease out their work. If you want to become a successful freelancer you need to have a full-fledged plan. Now, this might be scary at the beginning but as you walk through the path of freelancing you will find how fulfilling freelancing is.

However, there are a few tips or advice which might help freelance beginners to get their work done easily. Want to know them here in this blog you will get to know some of the best tips for success as a freelancer. But before that let’s know why choosing a freelancing career is beneficial for you.

Advantages of Freelancing

1. Work Freedom

Having the freedom to work is one of the major reasons why more and more people are choosing freelancing as a career. In freelancing, you get to decide on which projects do you want to work on or what kind of people you want to work with. All the terms and conditions of working are drawn by you and are accepted by the clients.

2. Remote Work

Since the global pandemic, the working scenario has changed a lot, people like to work from the comfort of their homes. With freelance work you get this benefit automatically, you can work with a client on the other corner of the world sitting from your home. You can do virtual meetings, and webinars to connect with people and avoid travelling for hours to work for even more hours, like in a regular job.

3. Limitless Earning Potential

Usually, in a 9-5 job you are paid according to your fixed salary package. However, if you choose a freelancing career, you will be the one deciding your package. You can charge for your services according to your workload, year of experience, etc. And if you are good at your work you can easily make a six-figure income for yourself from freelancing.

4. Better Work-Life Balance

In freelance work, you get the chance to live your life on your terms. You get to select how many hours a day you want to work and when to take breaks and relax. This not only eases your mind but improves your mental and physical health.

Also Read: Freelancing Meaning, History, Pros & Cons of Freelance Jobs

7 Superb Tips for Freelancers

Now, that you know why choosing a freelancing career is a great choice in today’s time; lets know about some of the freelancing tips which will help you in succeed as a freelancer.

Know Your Worth

As a freelancer, you need to know what your worth is before you start charging your clients. This is a critical step in any business plan, but it’s essential for freelancers. You can’t charge less than your worth, or you will lose money and get nowhere fast.

To calculate the value of your work, you need to put yourself in the shoes of your ideal client. What does this person want? How much do they have to pay for it? You will also want to think about how long it will take you to create this product or service and how much time you expect to spend on each project. It is one of the good tips for freelancers to keep track of other costs related to their work and get paid for what your worth. Once you get answers to the questions you need to:

• Estimate how much time you would take to do the job if you were working remotely.
• After coming up with all the figures, add them together and multiply by some profit margin (usually 50%).
• The amount you get will be the estimate of what you will charge from the customer.

Always Create a Contract

This is one of the best freelancing tips anyone can give you, it’s about creating a work contract. While you may think you can handle a project without a contract, it is always best to have one.

A contract is a legally binding agreement that specifies what one will and will not do for someone in exchange for money. It can be a verbal or written document, and it’s important to have one if they are working with clients or on freelance projects.

A contract should be simple, but it should also be written. The more specific information in the contract, the better. The contract must include these things:

• Contact and Bank details of both the freelancer and the client. So, that communication and payments can be done easily.
• Project details, including every task that needs to be done, number of free re-edits by freelancers, time required etc.
• Payment amount of the overall project work on which both parties have agreed to receive and pay after completion.
• Ownership rights, Legal bindings, and NDA should be mentioned clearly.

Always Take Deposit Upfront

When it comes to freelancing, one of the biggest challenges is whether or not one will get paid. In the beginning, this can be quite problematic — after all, how can one know if someone will be able to pay their bills or not?

Well, there are several things that one can do to help make sure that their business will succeed. One of the most important aspects of being a successful freelancer is getting paid on time. That way, no freelancer will have any trouble repaying clients who pay early or request refunds if they don’t like what they’re getting from their freelancer.

The best tips for freelancers to ensure that their clients pay promptly are by:

• Maintaining a great professional presence.
• Provide testimonials, reviews and customer feedback from previous projects.
• Setting up automatic payments through PayPal or another payment processor of their choice.
• Another way to help ensure that the clients pay on time is by using Google Drive for invoices and other documents — this will automatically generate an invoice for each project that’s due within a certain timeframe (such as 30 days).

Get Low-Down on Taxes

The tax code is a maze of rules and regulations that can be confusing. The government is constantly updating the tax code, which means that freelancers must stay up-to-date on what changes their clients may be looking for in their contracts when drafting their proposals.

Many entrepreneurs don’t realize they need to pay taxes on their business profits when they file taxes as independent contractors or freelancers. The good news is that there’s an easy way to avoid this: pay as an employee, not a contractor.

The Income tax department also considers freelancers independent contractors and therefore not eligible for health insurance and retirement benefits. So, it’s important to communicate with clients about how they will handle these things if they become an issue.

To make sure that you don’t miss any tax benefits always remember to:

• Ensure that clients are paying TDS against you PAN to the income tax department. This figure holds relevance while calculating your income tax at the end of the financial year.
• Deduct your expenses like office expenses, client meeting expenses, and depreciation on work equipment.
• Take benefit of Form 80C and other deductions.

Maintain A Schedule

To succeed in your freelance work, one must stay on track with their work. Scheduling is important because it will allow a person to plan their day and set goals for themselves. When a person has a good routine, it becomes easier to stick to it and maintain a regular schedule.

Time management is an essential skill in freelance life. Having a regular schedule to plan the work and delegate tasks to others is important. Here are the tips for freelancers on how they can manage their schedule:

• Having a reliable calendar app on the phone or computer is a good way to keep track of time. You can also set reminders for yourself through email or text messages.
• You should always use tools that help you stay organized and on top of the work needed. If they working remotely, make sure you have a good internet connection to check emails, access files and stay connected with co-workers via Slack or another communication tool (such as Skype).
• Maintain as much contact as possible with clients when dealing with them. Create a good connection with them so that they believe they can trust the individual with their information.

Use Technology and Tools to Your Advantage

Technology is changing the way we work. The Internet has allowed freelancers to work from anywhere in the world and connect with clients looking for work. Freelancers can communicate with their clients and set up video conferencing or webinars whenever it makes sense for the project.

This new technology can be a great way to build a person’s brand and attract more clients, but one needs to know how to use it effectively so that it doesn’t distract them from getting their business done. This is one of the important tips for freelancers to apply technology and tools.

This is how investing in technology is the best way to succeed as a freelancer in today’s time.

• You can learn new skills, but can also market yourself better as a freelancer.
• Technological tools help looking for new opportunities.
• It will make you more efficient and effective, and help you build a successful freelancing career.

Narrow Down Your Niche to Find Potential Clients

This is one of the best tips for freelancers. A person may feel that their job is to find clients, well it’s not. First, the person needs to understand that they are not a salesperson and should never try to sell themselves as such.

Second, to succeed as a freelancer, one needs to understand how much work is involved in finding new clients. This involves finding new clients through social media marketing, SEO, PPC ads and email marketing campaigns while maintaining an active presence on all platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Once you have gained enough knowledge and skills in your niche

• You need to find someone who could be interested in what you have to offer.
•  After that, send them a note asking if they need any assistance with their project.
• And if they react favourably, schedule a meeting at their workplace or preferred location so both sides can meet in person before deciding whether to hire them.

Freelancers operate in a diverse array of fields, leveraging their expertise and skills to meet the specific needs of clients. Here are some common fields in which freelancers often thrive:

1. Writing and Content Creation:

   – Blogging

   – Copywriting

   – Content marketing

   – Technical writing

   – Creative writing

2. Graphic Design and Multimedia:

   – Graphic design

   – Illustration

   – Video editing

   – Animation

   – Photography

3. Programming and Web Development:

   – Web development

   – Mobile app development

   – Software development

   – Database Administration

   – IT Consulting

4. Digital Marketing:

   – Social media management

   – Search engine optimization (SEO)

   – Email marketing

   – Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

   – Analytics and data analysis

5. Creative Arts:

   – Music Composition

   – Fine arts

   – Fashion design

   – Interior design

   – Performing arts

6. Marketing and Public Relations:

   – Public relations

   – Branding

   – Event planning

   – Market research

7. Education and Training:

   – Online tutoring

   – Course development

   – Instructional design

   – E-learning content creation

These fields represent just a glimpse of the diverse opportunities available to freelancers. The beauty of freelancing lies in its ability to accommodate a wide range of skills and talents, allowing individuals to pursue their passions while meeting the specific needs of clients in a dynamic and ever-changing market.

Chegg Subject Matter Expert

Choosing the freelancing service that fits just right with your skills and interest takes time. But what if you could find one such opportunity which you can start anytime? Becoming Chegg Subject Matter Expert is one such freelancing opportunity that anyone with knowledge of their interested subject can apply for.

You can choose from more than 20 subjects to answer the questions for students and get paid for each correct answer. It is one of the highly recommended tips for freelancers to become a Chegg Expert, the reasons being:

• You can start working from the comfort of your home.
• You can easily make 20-30k per month just by answering questions posted by students on platform.
• Work according to your schedule and decide the number of hours you want to give.
• A chance to interact with national and international students.

Different Ways to Find Freelance Work Clients

Networking

The first and foremost way to start your career is to surround yourself with like-minded people or people who are ahead in their careers. If you want to find clients for freelance work join groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter related to your niche. Usually, people who need freelancers post regarding the opportunities that might help you and them both.

Directly Marketing

The mouth of words always gets you somewhere good, when you just starting as a freelancer you might not be able to put ads for your services. But you can do is tell people about your skills, and how you can help them achieve their goals. Direct marketing is one of the traditional and most effective ways of getting clients.

Visit the Websites

Keep your eyes on websites like Google Jobs, Naukri.com, and LinkedIn jobs and stay updated with the latest opportunities and postings related to your niche. Turn on the notifications for such websites, so that you get the information immediately.

Suggested Read:
20 Best Freelancing Sites in India
Best Freelance Marketplaces and Platform in 2023

Start Your Freelance Work Today!

Starting as a freelancer can be tough during the initial stage, but once you get your first pay-check from doing what you truly love; it will be all worth it, but when one is good at what they do, they will find some way to make it work.

And if you follow the tips for freelancers mentioned then it will become much easier for you to find the right clients, get paid on time, save taxes and ultimately to become a pro freelancer in your niche. So, don’t wait to start your freelancing career without any doubt.

Dive into our Freelancing guide, to learn strategies to find full-time/ part-time freelance projects to generate more income.

Frequently Asked Questions