My Freelancing Journey - What I learnt

I don't know why I started freelancing but it was one of my best decision in life. I think , in student life you need money and you don't have enough money to spend.

Also I read some books on business and I was desperate to start my business and start earning. Remember freelancing is not business. You are self-employed.

At that time, I have different ideas in my mind, some are good and some are below average.

One day I heard from one of my lab teacher that he has found many jobs on freelancer dot com related to WordPress.

That was the first time, I heard about a freelancing site where you can earn money.

Here are some points which I want to share with you. I will share with you some tips and tricks also in my next episode.

1. Decide your niche

If you are new to freelancing. I will suggest you to spend sometime and figure out what you want to sell. You can do graphic design, content writing, whiteboard animation or SEO. It is you who will decide.

Learning a skill shouldn't be a time consuming process. Spend 2 to 3 months and you are good to go. I didn't mean spending 2 to 3 months will make you a world class expert.

Spend sometime and use power of social media. Offer some free/cheap work and collect sample and testimonials first.

2. Be respectful to everyone

Being respectful is very important. You are working for someone , who you don't know. There is no chance , you will meet them in future. So don't get personal. And you can't judge someone on the basis of chat and comments. Chats are almost expression less so always be positive.

3. Be honest with everyone

Want to become a successful in freelancing? Honesty is the first step. Be honest with buyers / clients and yourself. Always remember your promises and deliver what you have promised.

4. Don't surprise people

Discuss about budget with your client, before starting any work. Tell them what you are expecting and get their opinion also. Don't surprise your clients at the end.

5. Set limits

All people are not same. Some people may ask for extra work without thinking that they didn't pay for it. Don't forget to decide number of revisions, you will provide to your clients. Otherwise you will spend most of the week sending revisions to buyers.

6. Always provide extra

Always provide quality work. If you are not providing what you are paid for. You will lose your clients.

Always deliver extra work. If you are paid for 1000 words article. Be generous and provide a 160 words meta description for free also.

If you are a designer, you can provide a free 3d mockup to your buyers and it will not take more than 2 minutes.

7. Super fast delivery

Always be one time. There are 2 categories of buyers.

Some buyer come to you because they are on tight deadline and they can't afford any delay.

Individuals who are very excited about their work and they can't wait to see their work. They are energetic and they expect fast delivery.

If you can't do something, just outsource it or discuss with your client ahead time, if you need time.

If you can't don't something, immediately cancel the order and don't waste time.

8. Better communication

Communication is the key to successful freelancing. Don't shy and always ask good question. Question can save time and reduce confusions.

9. Always Reply fast

Reply to your buyers as soon as possible. Don't be late. Explain everything to client if there is any problem or you need their input.

10. Use support when needed

If you working on a freelancing sites. Always use customer support. Though customer support may not be very helpful in some cases. There is possibility of delayed reply due to tons of messages, they get on daily basis. But you need to use them in case of any problem.