Depending on the industry you’re working in, freelancing is the dream for most. The idea that you can work from a couch-desk, your bed, or even your own private home office is a fun one. The chance to work for yourself and be in control of which clients you work with? That’s a huge bonus.
The freelancer life is packed with peeks but there are still responsibilities to think about. You have to stay productive, stay organized and stay secure, so what do you need? What does any freelancer need to succeed? Let’s take a close look at the top five.
1. A secure, easy to use VPN. If you’re a freelancer and you’re working from, well, anywhere that isn’t a proper office, then you need to make sure that you are working with a secure connection. If you’re working online – which you will be – a virtual private network can protect that internet connection of yourself. It encrypts your data so that you can safely work without anyone hacking your information. When you’re dealing with information that’s sacred from your client, you need it to be protected and this is how you do that.
2. A great routine. Whether you freelance in design or you’re an exceptional writer, you need to have a rock solid routine in place for your day to go well. Freelancing offers you so much flexibility but you still need to be able to accomplish something. A daily routine keeps you right on track so you don’t have to worry about falling behind. You don’t have to be too rigid – you don’t even have to work in a desked office, but you do need to keep a good routine.
3. A good project management system. You have multiple clients (yay, you!) and you have different deadlines and deliverables to consider. So, you need to think about a project management tool that you can choose whether to bring others into or not. Colour coded spreadsheets, Trello management systems and a good and solid checklist is what you need to keep on top of all of the fantastic work you have funnelling your way.
4. A portfolio that captures it all. As a freelancer you get to be a little showy and that means putting together a portfolio that tells people that you are the one they want. Whether it’s a personal website or a polished and put together PDF, your portfolio should truly showcase what you can do. This is your hook, what you can offer to other clients and how you can keep them coming back again and again.
5. You need a community. Lastly, you need to build a solid community of workers in your industry. Freelancing can be pretty lonely without that water cooler chat. So, you need to join online communities if you can’t get into a physical one, and you need to make sure that you are sharing your knowledge and asking for help. You basically need a working village who can be by your side as you need them to be.