9 Questions to Ask Before Going Freelance

I've lost count of the number of articles I've seen recommending that folks have on freelance work to brand ends come across during the current economic crisis. From keeping the wolf away from the door to working on top of a full-time job, I've seen freelancing cited as a panacea. It'south peculiarly promoted to anyone working in a relatively creative field — not just writers and designers, simply videographers and coders are being told that freelance is the way to go. I even spotted at article last calendar month suggesting that sales reps should see if they could pick upwardly a few bucks on a freelance footing.

In general, I call up freelancing is a great option — just I also know that it isn't for everyone. If you're considering taking the freelance route, there are a few questions you lot need to be able to respond in the affirmative.

1. Can you come across those deadlines?

Freelancing is very deadline-oriented. A client tin can't tell yous when or where to work, simply he can certainly tell you when your project needs to be done. That sounds like it wouldn't be such a big deal, but retrieve of it this style: if you're taking on freelance projects only to continue money coming in while yous chase for something permanent, you lot can get into a little problem if you actually notice a new task. Will you actually have enough fourth dimension to complete your projects after you've put in your time at your brand new day task?

2. Are you lot willing to give up your free time?

If your freelancing hours are limited to after work, you may find yourself devoting all of your free fourth dimension to your new projects. While that may not sound all bad, it tin be a one style ticket to burnout unless you are very careful nigh your time management. After all, at least a little social interaction is necessary to keep most people happy.

3. Can you find enough work?

Don't get me wrong — there's enough of freelance work out at that place these days, especially since many companies are turning to freelancers to cover their staffing needs after layoffs. But finding that piece of work is a whole different matter. How much time tin you lot afford to spend on checking job boards? Assuming you're planning to freelance for more than only a few projects, you'll want to put some marketing in place — a website with your portfolio and that sort of thing — but even basic marketing and job hunting can take up a lot of time.

4. Do y'all have a portfolio in identify?

Nearly freelancers rely on their portfolios, rather than resumes to get them hired. A prospective customer wants to be able to take a quick await at your work — whether it'south a press release, a web application or a video — and decide on the spot whether he wants to work with yous. That ways you need to take a solid portfolio in place. Truthful, y'all tin find freelancing opportunities without a portfolio, merely y'all're pretty much guaranteed to brand only a fraction of what you lot might otherwise.

5. Are you going to brand enough to meet your needs?

Freelancing isn't exactly a fast route to riches. In club to make enough to cover your needs, whether replacing a total-fourth dimension job or covering unexpected expenses, you probably accept an exact amount y'all need to exist making in mind. When you consider the hours you have available to work, that number may not interpret into a practical hourly rate — at to the lowest degree for a starting freelancer.

6. Tin can you wait for your money?

The grand majority of clients do non pay their freelancers upon completion of a projection. Instead, you lot'll be looking at payment within a calendar month of an arbitrary date (assuming y'all aren't working with a big visitor that requires sixty or 90 days to pay invoices). That arbitrary date tin can be from the bespeak of invoicing to the point of publication, depending on who you're working with. Freelancing isn't really the ideal pick if you demand the coin past this weekend.

7. Are you able to go to bat for yourself?

If y'all're used to working with a manager or supervisor, freelancing tin can come as a bit of a shock. Non only do y'all demand to exit looking for your own work, but you likewise have to set timelines on your ain and have care of invoicing and other paperwork. You can acquire how to do all of these things, of grade, but the learning bend isn't exactly shallow.

8. Is freelancing going to interfere with your commitments?

Well-nigh clients wait to be able to communicate with freelancers during normal business hours. That tin can mean taking a call at your solar day task: that sort of situation is practically begging for an eventual problem. With some effort, you tin work around these problems, simply information technology can mean trouble that isn't really worth it for the amount of coin y'all're bringing in.

9. Can yous be flexible?

You might go a rush project that has to be done by the end of the day tomorrow — which means pulling an all-nighter tonight. You might get a week without getting a new project in. Freelancing requires a lot of flexibility, especially when you're first starting out and are still working on building a name for yourself.

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Source: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/9-questions-to-ask-before-going-freelance.html

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