How to become a freelancer | Ultimate guide

Freelancing is growing as a trend nowadays. Thanks to the new work from home culture triggered by Covid 19 impact, people have time to complete their office works and make money doing freelancing. Globally, India ranks as the 2nd largest freelance workforce after the US with over 15 million people working independently in various sectors.

Freelancing is a promising sector and it is advised that for a work life balance there is nothing better than being a freelancer.

Moreover the amount one could earn from freelancing is what drives more people into it. Most Indian freelancers earn an average of Rs. 20 lakh per annum, a report by PayPal said, adding that 23% of the 500 freelancers surveyed by them earned Rs. 60 lakh per annum on average.

Here, we have curated an ultimate guide on becoming a freelancer in India. Get ready to start your officeless life.

What is freelancing?

Essentially, a freelance job is one where a person works for themselves, rather than for a company. Even while freelancers do take on contract work for companies and organizations, they are ultimately self-employed. You often working on several jobs for multiple clients at one time.

The main part about freelancing is the flexibility of schedule. You are the boss here, and it’s completely up to you to decide when should you work how much should you earn and what should you do.

Usually, freelancers register themselves on freelancing websites.

The registration process and activities varies according to each site and this will be detailed later on. Most of these websites let you register for free while others need you to pay some money.

Must have skills needed to be a freelancer

The skills you need to do be a freelancer differs according to the work you wish to do. If you are going to do freelance website creating, then you should definitely have skills for that and you should also have the required gadgets needed for the same work.

However there are some common skills you should have to be a freelancer.

1. Self-assurance
2. Sales and negotiation skills
3. Time management
4. Management and Business skills
5. Passion to learn
6. Communication skills
7. Stress management skills
8. Persistency
9. Accounting skills
10. Marketing skills

Getting started

Never ever think of quitting your current job and being a full time freelancer right now.

Like every other work and jobs freelancing also need you to work to get better. It is possible to make a better lifestyle out of freelancing alone.

In most cases after 1 year of successful freelancing, people quit their jobs and most of them earn better money than their former jobs.

So its possible to have that dream life but don’t jump. Take it step by step and you will reach there.

It is also possible to choose a popular freelance job like web designing, app making, digital marketing and so on, and then learn skills needed for that work and start making money from it.

There are many other freelance jobs that don’t require you to have any skills. If you are looking forward to make some quick money, then this is a great option.

Where to find works

There are many freelance websites available out there where you can join free of any charges. Although some need you to pay small amount of your payment or registration fees. Check our article to get a complete list of top freelancing websites.

One thing that most online freelance sites have in common is the need to build up a portfolio over time and to develop relationships with clients in order to get the best and highest-paying jobs. Don’t expect this to happen overnight.

Manage your works

At the end of the day, Its all about having good communication skill, working skill, expertise in the field, time management. With all of these in your pocket, clients will notice you and make sure that they have you for their works. All because they believe in you and your works.

It should be noted that you should start slower. Taking care of every step you take. Be patient, because you won’t be hired on your first day itself. You have to work hard every day to get to the comfort position and once you are there, it is easy to maintain the balance.

Final point

Don’t expect money showering down from the sky as soon as you jump into this lifestyle.

Freelancing has very particular requirements like great time-management, client networking and financial planning and so on.

So even though you are pretty good in your creative field, you’ll quickly see you have to acquire additional skills to become successful. Learning how to balance your new roles will take time.

FAQ

This article considers to answer the following frequently asked questions :

1. How to become a freelancer in India?
2. What is freelancing?
3. What are the requirements to be a freelancer?
4. How to start freelancing?
5. Where should you do freelance works?
6. How to manage freelance works?