Freelancing is something learned and developed over time. Gather contacts is a long process and there are no right or wrong ways to achieve the same end, but there are guiding strategies that can helping you achieve your goals more quickly and prudently.

1| DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE

This is the most important point. Before starting your journey, you need to choose the area you love, this will be your motivation and will awake the desire to learn more and more.

This principle applies to any area, making money should not be the main objective, but the consequence of doing what the love.

2| SET THE BUSINESS AREA

Set your product or service, and most importantly, what it has to offer that market lack’s, that highlights from all the rest. Explore the weaknesses of the market, added value offers and whenever possible enter the market to improve the lives of others.

3| DEFINE YOUR STRATEGY

Whenever you start something, it’s essential to plan carefully every step. How will you get your work known, your market’s position or how you’ll deliver your product are key points that should be well thought out at first.

Planning defines how you will get there and achieve your goal, but more important is to know how you’re going to do every step of the process.

Define a business plan:

• What is the purpose of your product / service?
• What will make it stand out from your competition?
• What is the target audience or niche market you want to reach?
• What is the expected time to recover the investment?
• Establish the short, medium and long term goals.
• How many customers do you expect to have within one year?
• What turnover do you expect to have within one year?
• What partnerships can you make to leverage your business?
• Will you need to hire people?
• What materials are needed to start the business?
• Is there an initial investment?

From time to time, take a look and remember what were your goals and if it is carrying.

Remember the mantra PDCA

(Plan, Do, Check, Adjust)

4| STUDY ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AREA

Study as much about your area of your activity, that will generate new ideas for your business. Read about it on a daily basis is critical, not only to gain study habits, as will facilitate the way you communicate with your potential customers.

5| ESTABLISH PARTNERSHIPS

A few years ago, the competition was smaller, the media and distribution channels were fewer and the competition was within the local or country. Today with globalization competition is substantially higher and so it is more difficult to achieve success.

The importance of establishing partnerships is crucial to promote your product / service, and create market share.

To succeed, you need to establish a contacts network. In addition to increasing your visibility you’ll also increase the knowledge and information exchange, expanding your business opportunities.

Share your site or your social network profiles, exchange ideas with other professionals or look for events that allow you to find new opportunities for your career. Get in contact with other freelancers in your business area, often a freelancer receive several offers of work and can’t answer all, often having to pass on the job.

Make yourself known, participate in forums, blogs, discussion groups, events, etc.

To create my blog I’ve chosen the wordpress platform, which does not require to have a hosting plan, manage updates and most important, doesn’t require for me to care about technical details. This platform also provides a lot of content from which I can learn about Internet, social and blog marketing.

Read more about: Launch Your Freelance Career

You can chose different blogging platform’s, that offer a huge network of professionals, connected by the most recent technologies, which create and share with the community, a vast collection of learning / training content. Offers not only a vast collection of Social Media and Online Marketing knowledge resources but also a collection of online marketing tools to “empower” your business, so that, you can with a minimum effort start, manage and jump start your business from home.

The Getresponse has some great features that might help you run your business, is a “out of the box” solution, already set up for your online Marketing campaign, without the need of hire a professional for develop, code, design and planning. So anyone without proper training in Marketing, can start his/her campaign and start developing business.

Find more about: Getresponse

Let people remember your name, as growing your network increases your reputation

6| LEGAL PROCEDURES AND TAXES

You must know all legal procedures related to your business, avoid at all cost problems either with the customer or with the tax legislation.

7| WORKPLACE AND EQUIPMENT

To keep in business with success, ensure you meet all deadlines and don’t fail your commitments. It’s not always easy, especially if you tend to find distractions at home. It’s therefore important to find a place to work. If you don’t like to work at home or alone, you have at your disposition coworking solutions. There are several COWORK affordable spaces and you can still enjoy the environment and infrastructure. These places usually offer internet connection, desk, chair, air conditioning, meeting rooms and in some cases, business address. It’s a great option for those who do not like being alone and want to have a more professional space to meet with customers. Getting along with others is essential either in person as virtually.

The vast majority chooses the home office, if that is the case find a specific home area to be the work place, but it is important to change the place once in a while, breaking routines increases inspiration and motivation. Other conditions such as lighting, silence or a comfortable chair should be considered when choosing the workplace. The organization of the workplace is critical to acquiring disciplines and self-motivation.

To be continued…