The following article is originally published in
FREELANCER.COM. I though this could be useful for people who are willing to enter into this field.
Tips for New Freelancers
Freelance contracting is becoming increasingly popular in today’s
society, and with good reason. With economic crises and unstable job
markets worldwide, it makes sense to use your skills and talents to
build a business of your own. Freelancing offers many advantages for
motivated individuals, including such perks as setting your own hours
and days off. On the other hand, there are a number of ways things can
go very wrong. It’s important to know the risks and how to avoid them.
There are also a number of things you can do to increase the odds of
your success.
First of all, using
Freelancer.com to search
for and obtain work in your field(s) is, of course, a step in the right
direction. By providing the marketplace for service providers and
prospective employers around the globe, we reduce the time and costs
involved in soliciting work for your business.
There are
several things new freelancers should consider carefully, from the
beginning of the bidding process to delivering the final product. By
using the tools
Freelancer.com provides wisely, service providers can
protect their interests and build a reputation for themselves quickly.
No matter what type of project, always look at the employer’s profile
and feedback (if any exists). While the profile information may be
sketchy and there’s no guarantee of accuracy, experienced service buyers
often provide enough profile information to let a freelancer know who
he or she is dealing with. Likewise, the lack of profile information may
indicate either a new service buyer or one with something to hide.
Feedback, if available, is indispensable in providing an overview of how
an employer has dealt with past contractors. It pays to know as much as
possible about an employer before you consider entering into a
contract.
Once you’ve decided to bid on a project, follow the
steps outlined in our article titled “
10 Tips for Writing an Effective Proposal”. Using these guidelines will help increase your chances of
being hired. During the bidding process, use the Project Clarification
Board as necessary to be sure you and the employer both understand
exactly what will be provided, when and how much pay you expect.
Before accepting a project award, be sure to go over the project
details again carefully. If there are possible issues, contact the
employer to resolve these before you commit to the project. Better to
pass up a job than to accept it with too many unknowns.
Depending on the size of the project, you may want to work out milestone
payments as portions of the project are completed. Most employers will
agree to this on larger projects. It’s also not unusual for freelancers
to ask for an up-front payment on large-scale projects, but many
employers will be hesitant to do this for contractors without feedback.
Remember that there are risks on both sides of a freelance contract.
Freelancers and employers alike should consider using
Freelancer.com's
Milestone Payment service, for the protection of both parties.
Finally,
gaining positive feedback is one way to build your reputation
quickly. Most employers will be happy to provide good feedback for a
service provider after a successful project, but it’s important to
remember that you must be paid through
Freelancer.com in order to
receive feedback.
Good luck and happy freelancing!
