Thursday 1 December 2011

Start your freelance career online


http://www.flickr.com/photos/josefgrunig/



Hi there.....
Looking for tips and ideas on how to start your freelance career?
Here’s a few suggestions to help you make your transition into the freelance lifestyle a lot more easier than you think.

First, think about your career path.
Do you have a degree on the field you love, or significant working experience on it?
That’s the first and most important place to start.
Experience in your field is equally important, nowadays most hiring companies will pay close attention to contractors who have a good balance education and experience. 
Let’s say you are looking to become a project manager, working on your own time form wherever is convenient from you (home, perhaps)?
If you have a degree from a respected college or an online degree, then you have the qualifications necessary to start and now it’s time to create a successful portfolio and a client book.
Sometimes, in oder to increase your reputation you will have to work on very low-budget projects and maybe even some for free. But bear in mind, this is just a temporary measure and you should definitely place yourself in a more higher and respected place after you have enough feedback and recommendations under your wing.

You have to remember, you are your own company and your own boss, so you need to take the necessary steps to register your company: a business name, business cards, officially register your business with a tax number, and be ready to keep records of all your purchases and investments, as they are tax deductible (oh, really? can I deduct my apartments electric bill? you bet!) .
http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_foz/
Other ways to increase your exposure to potential clients will be to create and identity, you can start by opening up a blog on Wordpress or Blogger to establish credibility: write about topics concerning or related project management ideas, techniques and remember to include you list of clients in another section.
Remember the power of Social Media an register your business’ Facebook Page, Twitter and even Youtube account to generate connections with other like you and for potential clients. Remember to “plug-in” everything together to automate it.

Freelancing ToolBox: 
JOBS:  Guru, oDesk, Freelancer, Zaarly, Skillshare.
Recommended Reading: The 4-hour work week, Freakonomics, The Success Principles, Mashable.

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