Most people get into the tech freelancing area because it’s something they enjoy. They love tinkering around with computers and solving problems with systems. What’s funny about it is that you can start off winging it, but actually progress and win big. What’s more, you’re often able to get a lot of help and support along the way.
If you’re looking to become a tech freelancer, here’s what you need to do:
Look For What Really Motivates You
Freelancers don’t work for employers. They have to motivate themselves from within. All too often, many people who work for themselves get up late in the morning, put in a couple of hours of work, and then give up. That’s not enough to live on.
The trick here is to find something that gives you a reason for getting up in the morning. You want to feel inspired by the work you do. It should feel like fun, not another dreary day in the office.
If necessary, you will sometimes have to put yourself into “work mode” with a routine. This might involve going downstairs for breakfast, knocking back a cup of coffee, and getting changed into your work clothes. How you approach this is entirely up to you, but you want it to have a real psychological effect on you. You need to believe that you’re at work, not just mindlessly tapping away on your computer.
Embrace Hustle Culture
When you’re trying to get into tech freelancing, there’s no two ways about it: you have to embrace hustle culture. Clients won’t just come knocking on your door, begging for your services. You actually have to go out and find them, and win their business.
If you’re not comfortable with this, make yourself comfortable. You need to get used to the prospect of approaching people and offering them value. Not everyone will buy from you, of course, but the critical factor is to get your name out. If you don’t, you’ll stagnate, and you may find yourself going back to your old employer, cap in hand, begging for your job back,
Networking Is Key
Of course, networking relates to this closely. You’ll want to build an inner circle of well-connected people who can put you in touch with businesses who could benefit from your services. Remember, right now people with tech skills are in short supply, so there are opportunities out there, it’s just a question of finding them.
If you don’t have a large network or you’re still growing it, you can try cold calls too. No, they’re not the best way to get clients, but they can work over time, you just need to be persistent. The trick is to meet the needs of the person on the other end of the phone, there and then. Once you reassure them that you can solve their nagging problems, they are much more likely to find the budget to hire you.
Find Partners
As a tech freelancer, you don’t have to go it alone. You also want to work with partners.
Partners can be great for a number of reasons. First, having IT support of some kind allows you to offload work that you don’t have time to do to other people, without letting your clients down. What’s more, it allows you to earn commission. If you send business to an IT company or agency, they’ll pay you for the privilege.
Having support also allows you to take on bigger projects. This way, you become an orchestrator of the whole affair, again increasing the amount of money you can earn in any given period.
Master Communications
How you communicate with your clients is pivotal to the success of your solo venture. If there are problems getting briefs across, it may cost you, and they could see you as “overrated.”
To avoid this, write everything down. Get your counterparts to confirm exactly what it is that they want you to do. Don’t allow for any ambiguity.
Draw Up Payment Contracts
Always make sure that you get paid. While it might seem awkward for some people, your clients are expecting it. It’s a regular part of business.
Draw up payment terms before writing a contract. Discuss how you’ll handle payment and what each part can expect. If you’ve never written an invoice before, there are tools out there that let you do it. You can even sometimes integrate these with your personal accounting software so that it automatically updates your accounts and accounts receivables.