This month of August marks my sixth year as a Freelancer and I tell you, It’s just unbelievable. But the good thing is, it’s for real and working online, at your home is not what many people think, that it’s a scam. And I am here as a living proof of how real Freelancing and online jobs is.

Now, in today’s episode I intend to speak about the reality and the life of being a freelancer and what makes freelancing special. I know I still have a lot of things to learn, but with the six years of experience that I’ve had, I do have a couple of things that I can share with you, especially to those who are still planning to start or to those who have just started. Why more and more people are joining in this new way of working and hopefully, at the end of this episode, those of you who are not yet convinced or not yet fully sold out to the idea of working on your own, will take action and just give freelancing a chance.

It’s only the first step

First thing you have to consider is the fact the freelancing is not easy. I’ve said it before and I say it again. It’s not easy and I don’t think there’s anything easy if you’re just starting out. You have to learn and cope and adapt and innovate. But if you will work hard and do due diligence, by God’s grace, you will never starve. For six years now, I’ve seen the great potential with freelancing. And to tell you frankly it’s really just the first step that’s the hardest and most challenging to take.

Once you’re in it, you’ll never look back at working the regular 9-5 job that gives you the minimum wage.

Build relationships

The second thing you’ll have to face when you go freelance is that the life of a freelancer has it’s own ups and downs. Sometimes you have a ton of clients and projects to work on, and at times you’ll lose some. The key thing to keep in mind when freelancing is building relationship. There is a person that you’d think or consider as a competitor, but if you know how to build relationships and network with those people, you’ll find that these competitions will even be your referral sources. I think there’s enough client and project for everyone. When you work with a client, you need to give them the best experience. It’s not good for you in the short term, you will also find that this will give you the rewards in the long term. Don’t take those little projects for granted.

Is it time to turn your solo gigs into a bigger business?

Another thing I’ve learned with freelancing is that you have to know when it’s time to turn your solo gigs into business where you will be able to take on an assistant or other workers to help you grow. You can’t do it all alone. Great people are not great because they’re a genius. They became great because they know where to focus  their time and their strength. We can’t work all the time.

Specialize

It’s good to know a lot of things. But what will really make you stand out as a freelancer is if you have a specific line or expertise that you offer. Doctors are a common example and I think it’s the one that really describes it concretely. Those who get higher pays are those who are specialists in their field. it’s an advantage if you’re able to identify early on what service you’ll specialized in. In my personal experience, I’ve been to different roles before I landed and finally decided to specialized as a podcast/audio editor. But prior to that, I was taking projects in data entry, virtual assistance, WordPress, research, database management. So it’s really difficult to highlight which of those skills I excel in.

Never stop learning.

If you want to stay ahead of the game, don’t let yourself stagnate with what you know. Keep on learning. I think one of the most important thing a freelancer will need to learn is how to market his service or skills online and offline. I’m really glad that I was able to train and work in the call center before becoming a freelancer because my sales training has been a big help. So keep on learning. There’s more resources available to you now more than ever before. Your only hindrance to acquiring more knowledge is your laziness. So if you want to earn, you first have to learn.

Educate yourself about financial/money management

The last thing I’d like to share with you about my experience is Learn to invest. I’d say that working as a freelancer is financially rewarding. You’ve probably heard of freelancer’s earning millions and it’s not far fetch for those who are skilled and are willing to go the extra mile. What you and I need to be aware though is the fact that freelancing can be very unpredictable so be sure to learn how to manage your finances. Don’t waste it. Plan for your future and learn how you can make your money work for you.

So that’s all from me today. Thank you so much for your time. I would greatly appreciate if you can leave a review on iTunes, subscribe, or share with your friends. Until next time, I hope you have a wonderful day.

God bless you.

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