Freelance work from home stirs up a variety of feelings and thoughts. In our 5th part of the Work at Home Job Series, we are going explore freelance jobs. What do you picture in your mind when you think of freelance jobs? Do you envision Sean O’Connell in the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty traveling the world to take photos of exotic locations? Or the opposite, you picture a freelance writer who can’t pay the rent. They work for all day for pennies. I hope this post will help make it a clearer picture and one you might find a good fit for you.
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The Basics of Freelance Work from Home
Freelance lies in a gray area between being self-employed and being an independent contractor. A freelancer is usually self-employed, working in a temporary to ongoing capacity with one or more employers (or clients). The freelancer approaches a potential employer/client with a portfolio that includes samples of past work.
The most common type of freelance job are creative industries: writing, editing, software design, website design, and graphic art to name a few. And, the internet has been a game changer, for world of freelance helping to expand into other services like virtual assisting, translation, bookkeeping, project management, consulting, and more.
The Good and the Bad in Freelancing
Freelance work from home allows you to work around your schedule. You get to decide how many projects from employers/clients you want to take on. If you don’t like working a client, you can choose not work with them in future projects and seek out a new client.
Depending on the services you decide to offer and work to get those first clients, you begin getting referrals thus increasing your clientele and income without marketing! You also, have opportunities to set your fees. The more experience you get the more you’re worth.
The most challenging part of freelance work from home is getting started. You must a certain level of motivation to push through the steps it takes to create consistent income. It will be necessary to search for the best opportunities.
Another drawback is this wonderful tool called the internet. It lets not just you, but allows people all over the world to compete for the same jobs. With a much lower cost of living, freelancers from those places drive pay down considerably. But this isn’t the case, there are companies that have come rely of freelancers who reside in the U.S. or one of the other English speaking nations.
Getting Started in Freelance Work
Getting started doing freelance work from home you have to get your ducks in a row. Evaluate what services you have experience to offer or have a strong desire to learn. Make sure it’s something you enjoy doing; otherwise, you burn out fast.
Next, set up a plan to clearly state what service you will freelance, what skills you have or how you plan to learn them, and how you plan to find employers/clients. A clear plan will help you stay on focus and organized.
Get a separate checking account and register with the state as a business. Registering as a LLC will ensure you against business liabilities. It, also, looks more professional to potential clients.
It’s also good to check into liability insurance. Decide how you will keep track of your earnings. As contracted employee you will need to keep track of money coming and going out. Check with an accountant about tax right offs for your business.
Set up a professional website to show off your portfolio and services you offer. You can include a blog and newsletter signup to use to market your services. Link it up with social media channels you can market your services and build an audience. At last, all these can potentially help land more freelance work from home.
In conclusion, I realize some of these steps can take time and you’re probably in a hurry to get the money coming in. There is nothing wrong with starting your search for your first ‘gigs’ while you get these important pieces in place. And, just remember if you want to really make the best of freelance work from home, you’ll want to have these things in place as soon as possible.
What’s your dream freelance job? Comment below!
Here are some resources of where to start looking for freelance work:
- Five freelance job sites that actually pay well
- 71 Great Websites to Find Freelance Jobs
- The 15 Best Freelance Websites to Find Jobs
- 55 Top Companies Hiring for Freelance Jobs
- How to Make It as a Freelance Entrepreneur
Don’t miss the rest of this series:
- 4 Types of Work at Home Jobs (Part One)
- The In’s and Out’s of Work at Home Task Jobs (Part Two)
- Work at Home Contract Jobs Facts You Should Know (Part Three)
- Real Work at Home Jobs with Benefits (Part Four)
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