First let me introduce myself. I’m John and I’ve been a freelancer in marketing for the better part of 12 years now. I won’t sit here and tell you that those 12 years have been a breeze. Truth is it has all been one big learning curve that I’m still climbing today. Plus I started from absolute zero knowledge of what I had to do to survive as a freelancer.


I can tell you that if you have a skill and do it well then finding freelance work and earning a decent income is easier than you think. The biggest obstacle in freelancing is actually you.


How is that? Well, you do need to be a hard worker and have a little mental toughness to succeed. By mental toughness I mean not giving up when times seem bad (it does happen). Often, lacking in just these two things is what dooms most new freelancers. These can’t be taught. You either possess them or learn to develop them on your own.


Once you learn the fundamentals of freelancing, though, you can be well on your way to starting out. The best part is that they aren’t complex. I’ll outline just the basics you need to get started freelancing through the internet.


First, Don’t quit your job just yet!


Many of those thinking of freelancing usually get stuck in the “still thinking about it” phase. Most of have jobs they may or may not like but earn a comfortable income. This almost always becomes the deciding part of whether to take the plunge or not.


The best way to get into freelancing is to try it out in addition to your job. That free time after your workday and weekends is plenty to working a part time freelancing gig. This way you can try freelancing virtually risk-free and still have an income to rely on. This is also the easiest way to tell if freelancing is the right fit for you or not.


This does have a major downside, though. You are giving up your free time and you will realize how valuable it is to you when your freelance work starts to eat it up. Therefore it is a major cost/benefit decision to weigh. There is always some sacrifice that has to be made when becoming a freelancer though.


The best option financially is to try it out in your spare time and see how it goes. It only costs that coveted free time. If you can afford to reduce your hours at your current employment and your employer is willing this may be a better option.


Where Do I Find Work?


One of the best places to immediately find freelance work is the freelance work exchange platforms in the web like www.equan.co.uk . These are websites bringing together freelancers and businesses looking to contract freelancers for a service. What they do is allow you to set up an account with your resume and search through a huge database of projects or job positions that you can apply for.


One major advantage of the FWE is that they offer many projects in a wide range of fields, but competition for projects is rather minimal. You still need to create a good resume and decent portfolio on any FWE to win these projects. Some small tricks, however, can simplify this and you’ll be working on projects in no time.


FWE’s usually require a membership fee, which can range from $15 to $75 a month which can be a very worthwhile investment, Equan on the other hand is for FREE but you can earn your fees back from projects rather quickly. Two of the largest and most reputable FWE’s are EQUAN platforms, oDesk.com, GetaFreelancer.com, Guru.com and Elance.com.


Professionalism and Hard Work


These will be your bread and butter in freelancing. The only way to grow as a freelancer is through your reputation and knowledge. That means you must do the following:


1) Do your job to the best of your ability and meet all deadlines.


2) Do not become complacent in what you do. Take on projects/positions that challenge your skills and force you to learn while you are doing them. The key, though, is to not to get in over your head. Know your limits, but stretch them a bit.


3) Always be in communication with your clients/employers. Never leave them in the dark on anything. If you make a mistake, admit it and apologize, fix it and move on. This does happen on occasion especially when first starting out.


Always Be Looking


You may hear that all freelancers suffer through slow periods, which is true to an extent. A big mistake is to be happy and comfortable working on a project only to find at the end of it there is not another one to continue on.


You must always be looking for future work, even if you already have it. Time should be set aside on a daily or weekly basis to look for projects to work on. Keeping a steady stream of work keeps that bank account happy in the end.


. . .


Of course there are many other tips and pointers to be listed but if you do the basics above, your freelance career will take off before you even know it. It will be a learning process, not only with the concepts of freelancing, but in your own career field as well. In a relatively short time you, however, can become an independent professional earning the income you want.


Good luck with it

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