As a freelancer, continually improving and refining your skills, processes, and how you run your business is absolutely essential if you want to freelance long-term.
The first step towards improving as a freelancers is to always remember that freelancing is a business and it should be treated as such. It’s not a hobby, it’s your livelihood.
With all that in mind, here’s 3 key ways you can improve as a freelancer:
1. Network, Network, Network
This point is always talked about but there’s good reason for that: networking really is a key part of any freelancer’s business because people tend to hire who they know.
Size doesn’t always matter when it comes to the size of your freelance network. Sometimes a smaller more focused network of people and business is much more valuable than a large network that takes a lot of effort to maintain.
It’s also important to network with other freelancers in your field as well as potential clients. If you have a good connection with another freelancer they may pass on work if they are too busy, or you both may have opportuntities to collaborate.
2. Learn about & implement business processes
Whatever field you’re freelancing in, knowing the basics about business processes is absolutely crucial.
Business processes are basically a set of defined steps for handling certain situations. So for example you may have a process for “How to onboard a new client” or “How to setup a new client project”.
Having specific processes in place for dealing with these situations means you’ll know exactly what to do when they arise. Not only is this efficient, it also helps build your own confidence when dealing with clients.
If you want to learn more about how business processes can save you time, check out the freelance upgrade course.
3. Focus on building a strong portfolio
A good portfolio should contain the type of work you want to do more of. This means your portfolio should be curated. Don’t just throw everything you’ve ever worked on in there. Think carefully about the type of projects you like working on and make a point of showcasing them.
A strong curated portfolio will help you attract the right type of clients which will in turn help you grow in confidence and improve as a freelancer.
And there we have it!
That’s three ways in which you can improve as a freelancer, if you’re interested in learning more about freelancing check out these time saving freelance resources
