Freelancing had been the chosen career of millions of people worldwide. There are different kinds of freelancing and that includes graphic designers and web designers. Many people prefer to work freelance because of the advantages they can get from it. There is also more freedom in freelancing than in working in a design company. So, if you have been into freelancing for a long time, then, it is about time for you to detour for more improvement.
No one would like to merely stay on the same spot for a long time. Move forward. This 2012, aim for more success. Try to expand and improve your freelance career in order to give you more earnings. Aside from that, you could also establish your name as a designer even more. Be more successful in freelancing by doing some simple steps that will lead you to it. You might not be able to do all of the 15 tips below but you could do some of them. So, start doing it now!
1. Stick to your commitments.
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Whatever you have promised to a client, do that. Let your yes mean yes. When you say you will accept a project, then work well on it. Always give your best efforts to a project. Also, when you have agreed on something for the design, stick to that. You should also not forget to submit your design on the deadline you have agreed on. This will help you gain trust and confidence from clients.
2. Create a marketing plan.
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If you think that you have done well in terms of marketing last year, you still need to go to the higher level and still do better this year. Do more and push more. It is vital that you improve each year so that your freelance career will also expand. You would not want to stay at the same spot for a long time. So, in order to improve and grasp success, you have to create a stronger and better marketing plan.
3. Have a good work plan.
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Budget your time wisely. Make sure that you will be able to do the entire task you need to finish. Take note of deadlines and allocate certain amount of time for a certain project. Also, do not forget to give time for breaks.
4. Develop creativity.
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Every person has different ways to develop creativity. Look for ways which can make you more creative. Look for inspirations that can give you valuable ideas for your designs. Determine what makes your flare of designing aflame like listening to music, eating chocolates or anything. This can help you to work harder and achieve your goals. This can also help you show your creativity in a better way.That is why it is very important to retain your creativity all the time.
5. Know when its work time.
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Avoid distractions and avoid procrastination. When your schedule says that you have to work, then work. Do not do other things aside from working. Be sure that you will strictly follow your schedule. Focus on what you are doing because you do not have all the time to do that. Anyway, you can do other things when you are not at work anymore.
6. Always be humble.
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Humility can lead you to the next step of your ladder of success. If you remain humble despite all the achievements you did your freelancing, you will still continue climbing up. You can show humility by treating your clients well and listening to their ideas. Take some advices from other designers and ask them to criticize your work so you can improve.
7. Create an effective brand.
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Your brand is very important in order to get clients and retain clients. Make a brand that will be a mark of your online personality as a designer. Have an eye-catching logo, well-designed websites and business cards. Show your talent and creativity as a designer through your brand.
8. Learn to say no.
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If you couldn’t say no to some of your projects, it is time to do that. You have to determine if you should accept a freelance job or not. In choosing, you have to say not to some of them. Remember that if you always say yes, you will be the one to suffer because you will have tons of projects. This will result to low quality of work.
9. Maximize your website’s usage.
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If you already have a website or blog, do not waste it. Update it regularly so that you can get consistent readers and visitors. You might just focus in your freelance job that you fail to update your website. You still have to. You can also earn through it if you can maximize its usage. You can do this by ensuring that it has the right contents and you have the right online marketing strategy.
10. Offer freebies.
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Your readers would love it if you give some free stuff. You can create lists of textures, wallpapers, photoshop brushes and others. These are helpful freebies. Your visitors will certainly love it and would visit your site more often. So, do this in order to get visitors. While you are busy working on your designs, your readers are still visiting your site and getting their own downloads of your featured freebies.
11. Expand through social media.
Connect with different people around the globe through social media. Follow designers on Twitter. Look for designers in Facebook and Google +. This way, you can expand your network of designers who can be of help to you and could give you valuable resources. Use social media to promote yourself as a freelance designer. You can use deviantART, Behance or Flickr to show your works. That would really be helpful.
12. Remain professional.
This is very important. You can never succeed in your freelance career if you will not remain professional. Be professional in communicating with clients. Also show professionalism in your websites, in the way you dress, the way you speak and in everything. This is one important key to help you improve.
13. Chill out.
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After having a busy day, have some time to chill. Do this by doing your favourite hobby, eating your favourite foods, going to the mall, reading books, watching movies, outing with the family and many others. Do not be working all the time. Spend some time to away from your digital life and just relax.
14. Get some fresh air.
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Do not be staying inside your workspace all the time. Leave your home once in a while to get some fresh air. It doesn’t mean that just because you are a freelancer and you work at home that you will just enclose yourself in the four walls of your room. Spend time outside. You can even try working outside if you want to just to have some change in environment. This can help you recharge and be more energized.
15. Save earnings.
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In freelancing, nothing is really constant. There might be times where in clients are not too many. You might even earn lower than what you are earning now. So, be sure to save money for future use. It would be wise of you to do that. Do not splurge your money into anything that is actually useless. Live a frugal yet happy life.
It’s Your Turn Now
To be more successful in freelancing, you might consider doing the things above. But you might also have your own ways on how to do it. Can you tell us what you are currently doing to be more successful as a freelance graphic designer and web designer? Which one did you find truly valuable to your success? Feel free to share that to us here.
I agree that Social Media has a great advantage in marketing your website or whatever products you are promoting! It’s a great tool to communicate people in the entire globe! Thanks for sharing this!
Great tips and advice for freelancers. As a traveler I have learned this is the only job that works for me and my adventurous spirt. Only problem is that being your own boss you need to set up your own rules, goals, and guidelines. Thanks for the list of tips to keeping organized.