Building a business when you are a freelancer takes time, and it is not often something that happens overnight; however, with the right attitude and the right approach, you can build a sustainable and versatile business. This can be a business that can be run from anywhere in the world. Setting up a business is not always straightforward, and it is important that you seek professional advice and guidance where possible. In addition to getting professional advice, you need to start looking at what services you want to offer and why. So here are a few pointers on how to build a successful freelance business.
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The Services
Is there an area that you are particularly skilled in? You may be an excellent copywriter in certain niches. However, you may struggle to fulfil other niches as they are offered to you– and this is when you have to think about possibly getting other professionals on board to help you. Knowing what services your freelance business will offer (both in the beginning) and moving forwards is important. You need to know what you will be selling and offering. If you are not certain of the services to offer, then how can a client build confidence and trust in you?
Being Flexible
Timescales for jobs can change, and requests can even change at the last minute. When you are running a freelance business, it is important to be as flexible as possible. When you have a flexible approach (and when you show flexibility), you can be sure that you are reaching more people. Of course, you will have limits that you need to establish, and so will your business too in terms of flexibility) to ensure that you are not too flexible. Being more flexible and having a more flexible approach can take time, especially in those first few months of your business. During this period, it is important that you remain your vision and goals in mind – to ensure that you do not stray off track.
Having a Niche or Diversifying
When you are deciding what you will do and offer, you might want to think about what niche you might want to offer. There are lots of freelancers and (freelance businesses) that are competing for business out there, and you need to identify what is going to help you stand out from the crowd. Perhaps this is offering niche writers and other freelancers. Or, perhaps this is diversifying even further within your business.
Improving Your Skillset
When you first start out running your business, you need to invest in yourself just as much as you invest in others. Improving your skillset – building your knowledge and awareness is crucial to success. You will have areas of weakness that you have to identify. When you can identify the weak areas in your skillset, you can then start developing them. So, look at what you are good at, and also look at what areas need work. For example, are you good at communicating with others? Or, are you an excellent communicator? Additionally, assess your expertise in tasks such as how to write a summary for your research. Improving and strengthening your weakness will help you to be a stronger business owner.
Hiring Other Freelancers
As your business progresses and develops, you will most likely want to start looking at hiring other freelancers, especially if they have skills and qualities to add that you do not hold. When you are looking at getting other team members on board, you want to be sure that you are doing things correctly. Human Resources (HR) can be time-consuming, and it can be complex – and this is why you should look at getting professionals on board to assist you and guide you. Hiring full-time HR professionals can be costly, and you may find there are times when they are not needed – especially if you are offering shorter contracts. When you are building your freelance business, it would be better to look at outsourcing HR services because this will give you more flexibility.
Utilize Other Services and Professionals
When you are starting a business and even building a business, you need to remember that you are not alone in the process. There are lots of other professionals, businesses, and services that you can utilize. Utilizing other professionals and service providers will ensure that you can plug up vacant areas within your business. For example, you will be too busy working on the daily running of your business that you will find you will not have time to market and promote what you are doing. For this, you would need to reach out to marketing and advertising professionals. When you can get others on board to assist you, then you can take greater control of your business and its finances. You can use service providers on an ad-hoc basis.
Focus on Networking
Getting your business recognized and seen by your target market is important, and to achieve this, you will want to start focusing on networking. Virtual networking, as well as in-person networking, can help you build your list of contacts, and it can help you reach your target market and liaise with other business professionals/owners too. Networking can be intense – especially when you are new to the process, and it is important that you set out networking goals for each event you attend. When you have goals in mind, you can be sure that your time spent networking is both productive and efficient. Aiming to attend at least one networking event each month is essential and will help you to meet a cross-section of your target market and other business owners/service providers.
Time Management
When you are building a freelance business, you may find it difficult to manage your time. There is often so much to do and rarely enough hours in the day to complete everything that you want. When you are establishing your business, you must focus on time management. Knowing how much time you have to offer to certain areas of your business is crucial. If you do not employ time management tactics within your business, you may find that you are constantly chasing your tail, and this is, of course, no good for building a sustainable business.
Continue Reading: Carving Out a Successful Career as a Freelance Copywriter
About the Author
James Daniels is a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading and knowing about the latest gadgets and tech, whilst offering views and opinions on these topics.
