If you haven’t read part 1 of this article, you can jump back to it after you complete the part 2. As mentioned, I have been in freelancing for nearly 2 years now and I have enjoyed being in control of my own time and schedule. There are always pros and cons in every job, it is up to you to make the best out of it. Still want to be a freelancer? Let me help you to be successful with the tips below:
Have different Social Media accounts If you are managing social media for your clients, it is smarter not to mix with your own. To keep your professional image, I would strongly recommend that you have a separate social media account. One for work purposes and one for your social life. Reason? Simple. Never mix work with pleasure. It is the same for corporate workspace, even much more crucial for freelancer because you now represent your own brand. Yes, your name and reputation is your brand. Unless you’re like me, I only have one social media account which is my professional account because I like my life private not online.
Be specific on your services Be clear what you can do and cannot do. Don’t bend over too far just to clinch a deal because if you can’t fulfil in the end, your reputation is on the line. You can always say a certain task is not your forte and if the client is willing to give you a try, it is on him. Don’t be a jack of all trades, you might end up handling way too much for a specific client and without realising you are taken advantage of.
Have a large display If you can afford it, having a large display made my life a lot easier and of course, less straining on my eyes. It has something to do with my habits of having multiple windows, browsers and applications open. Anyone who takes a peep at my desktop will be in a shock, thinking I’m working in a multi-billion company. Haha!
Have two laptops I love working designs and graphics on my MacBook Air, however, sometimes the iOS is not friendly to some of my clients’ software applications. Hence, I have a second Lenovo laptop to make sure that I can work on that too. Having two laptops also meant that I will always have backups and if one crash, I can always work on the other.
Install different web browsers Another time saver so I can multitask at the same time. Sometimes, I have two different clients that require me to log into two different Gmail accounts and if you are using only one web browser, you’ll need to keep logging in and out which is not productive so I’ll open one Gmail account in Chrome and another one on IE. Using two laptops means I have access to open 8 different Gmail accounts at a single time, which means 8 different google drives, google plus accounts etc. the same goes for Facebook and Twitter accounts that I help my clients to manage.
Have a secure password tracker Clients who require you to log into their system or chatroom will require you to set up your own account and that means passwords. Don’t risk their security and yours by having the same passwords for all the accounts. What you can do is to have a secure password tracker that locks your password into an encrypted code. There are a lot of apps and software that offers this, usually the paid ones are the more secure ones out there. When you completed a project, please make sure you wipe out all the information pertaining to the client. Don’t store anything. It is their property rights once they paid you.
Pay It Forward Perhaps one of the most important advice I can give you as a successful freelancer is to pay it forward. Helping other freelancers to kick start their work will not only open more doors of opportunities for yourself but you might just learn a new thing or two from them as well. Paying it forward gives me the greatest satisfaction when I see another fellow freelancer succeed.
That concludes this 2 part articles! Do you think the hacks are useful or do you have one of your own? Share with us in the comments below! If you are thinking of being a freelancer or have been a freelancer for a period without success, I welcome you to drop me an email at kally@MiddleMe.net for a chat.
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