Going from full time employment to freelance is quite a jump. Being your own boss, working your own hours from home and calling the shots are all the advantages of being a freelance web designer. When I made the jump a couple of years ago there were few things I wish I’d known beforehand that would of made the transition a bit smoother.
Do this stuff before you quit your full time job
It’s not enough to just have an online portfolio
Your site not only needs to show your best work but it also needs to perform well as a marketing tool and (eventually) rank well in Google. Make sure your ‘Call to Action’ is clear so that prospective clients can quickly find out how to contact you. If your writing skills aren’t up to much enlist the help of a copy writer to get you started – a good one will be able to help out with search engine optimised text too.
Get social
It’s all about contacts so setup a Facebook page, Twitter account and a linkedIn profile. Spend as much time on the content of these social tools as you would on your site and gradually build up a nice batch of ‘followers’, ‘Likers’ and erm… ‘Connections’. If your a designer – make friends with a good developer and if your a developer – make friends with a good designer.
Save up some cash
Most people say it’s a good idea to save up at least 3 months worth of your full time works salary before making the leap. This is good advice as it can take a while to get a healthy flow of work in the door. There are also times of slow business so try to always remember that and have a backup plan when it happens. The fear of not being able to pay the rent or mortgage will probably bring out the best in you and bring out the salesman that you never knew existed.
Invest in good hardware and software
You spend long hours in front of the screen as a freelancer so invest in a good setup. Buy your software, register it and keep it safe. It’s a good idea to think about a robust backup procedure too as losing work will cost you money. An external hardrive and some hefty online space would be a good idea.
Accounting
Don’t think that you’ll be able to type up an invoice after each job and send it by email as it’s a nightmare trying to do it manually. There are plenty of online services that mange the whole process for you and some can even integrate with your bank account. It might be easier to open up a separate bank account for your freelance business to make thing less complicated. As soon as you start freelancing you will also need to phone up the HMRC to let them know.
Pricing
There are different thoughts on this but my approach was to work out an average hourly rate but charge per day. There is no harm in setting a minimum half day charge but don’t bother charging small amounts for hourly jobs as there are no jobs that take an hour. Always take a deposit for starting a job that will take you more than a few days too. this will help with cash flow and also sort out the time wasters. Don’t be worried that you might put the client off by asking for a deposit as serious clients will be happy to do it.
Hosting
In the past I’ve made the mistake of registering domains and setting up hosting for clients that didn’t know how to go about the process. This means that you then get registered as the owner of the domain and are accountable for the costs in the future. It’s fine if you can still invoice that client but it’s a hassle to chase up. I found it’s better to set yourself up a reseller hosting account which allows you kind of have your own mini hosting company. You pay a set fee for this so there is an opportunity to make a little extra cash
When you’ve left your full time job and your on your own
Get social again
Make friends with other just like you and ask for tips. People that have been freelancing for a while always have some gems of advice. Keep your eyes open for local meetups or events too so that you meet face to face.
Sell
I found this difficult. When clients asked what services I offered I sometime made the mistake of listing technical skills and reeling off abbreviations that they didn’t understand and the reply was “So do you build websites?”. Explain what you do in a way that will help to secure the work. I found that being transparent with your process and making timelines i.e. giving the clients firm dates of when to expect things really helped.
Getting briefed and meeting the client
It’s always better to try and meet the client and gain an understanding of the brief and requirements face to face. Prepare a questionnaire template that you re-use per job and be thorough with your questioning on that first meetup. Don’t leave any stone unturned. Follow up your meeting with an email highlighting what you discussed so that you both have a record.
Working hours
I still haven’t figured this one out and I find myself working all hours. It’s not healthy I’m sure so if anyone is reading this that has a good system please comment below… PLEASE!!!
Getting paid
Some clients pay quick and some don’t – that’s life. Before you go banging on doors and demanding your money for overdue invoices it’s always worth a friendly email or telephone call. Your freelance career is based on relationships and word of mouth so don’t go losing friends and getting a bad name.
Finally…
Don’t forget what it’s all about. Learn to spot bad jobs when they come up and remind yourself that you are as good as your last job and every job you do should be a portfolio piece. Now off to Starbucks with you.
Great list! as a freelancer, i would suggest the same!
thanks for nice post Mark
I’ve been freelancing as an SEO Specialist and Internet Marketer.. All I can say is there’s money if you know where to look for it.
Keep you clients happy so that you will have long-term business relationships.
There is no possible way to work normal hours when youre self employed. Work hard when you got work and make the most the time when you havent got work to relax or work hard at expanding your skill set.
@Iris – Thanks very much
@Nick I reckon that’s about right – and good advice. Thanks.