Is it really difficult to start a freelance business from scratch? Is experience a prerequisite for starting a business? This is what I will try to answer, as well as a host of other questions of interest to everyone who wants to enter the world of freelancing from scratch.
We are now living in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution - a time of rapid change in work based on automation, but we have a unique opportunity to guide the future of work where the self-employed will play a more central role than us. I can't imagine it.
Here's what Stefan Kasrel, CEO of Upwork (one of the largest freelance work platforms on the Internet) and co-chair of the World Economic Forum Council, says about the future of education and work.
In the previous article "Why are we moving to freelance?" (Syria as a model) “I talked about self-employment and why it has now become an imperative in light of the current economy and the unstable conditions in the Arab countries in general. Where did you try to answer several questions like how do I find a job? How to overcome the problem of unemployment? What is a self-employment or self-employment economy? Why is freelancing considered an alternative to traditional work?
In this article I will answer the most important question that automatically arises next, How can I start my freelance business? Or how can I start working as a freelancer without prior experience? Where I will summarize the most important tips and steps to follow to immediately start working independently and without previous experience.
1- Choose the skill you will focus on
This is the first and most important step before you begin. Of course, you have at least one skill or even a certain number of skills, but at first, do not drown in this number, choose one skill to focus on.
Still not sure which skill to work with? Well, I can give you a simple equation to help you with that:
The skill I would choose = What I like to do + What I can do skillfully + What others are willing to pay
2- Focus on and develop this skill continuously
Have you chosen your skill now? That's fine, you have to focus on it intensely at the beginning, to get to the point where you can start working and use it effectively.
Then you need to keep up to date with all the news related to this skill, and you need to develop it permanently and continuously. It is well known among the self-employed that a skill that is not verified at least once a month is subject to obsolescence, of course, this is not an inevitable law, but it makes sense in light of the constant developments and always usable technologies. To increase productivity and efficiency at work, regardless of the skill used.
3- Start volunteering to build your business model
Service 1 is always an obsession with freelancers because they feel they need a successful project that can be presented to potential clients as a business model, so why not make Service 1 voluntary because it is more accessible than paid?
For example, if you are in the field of publishing or translation, immediately start translating articles or topics voluntarily and try to publish them on your blog or a suitable site.
Or if you're a designer, start creating designs without asking a specific client, and create a gallery of your work on Behance, for example, in a way that reflects your interest and professionalism at work.
As for how to make this trade show, you can use free websites and platforms dedicated to it.
4- Building a network of relationships
Build a network of relationships with other freelancers in your field or not, try to benefit from their expertise and learn working methods and techniques from them, and try to consult with them and take their advice when necessary.
And of course, do not forget to build a network of potential customers or companies that you aspire to work with, focus on their requirements and needs, study them well and take them into account while providing your services or providing them with them.
5- Learn the basics of marketing in general and self-marketing in particular at the beginning of the job. This skill is very necessary, you have to present yourself attractively and persuasively to potential clients, and you should also market your services and convince the clients of your choice without having a lot of competing freelancers.
6- Take care of your LinkedIn account
Create, organize, and support your LinkedIn account with vivid, real-world examples of your work. Focus on explaining your work and experiences, and don't forget the media in which you express it. In short, make your account speak for you, and represent the image you want to show your customers.
For my part, I got a great job offer after 2 weeks of properly updating my account, it was very rewarding compared to a traditional job or even some of the projects I worked on as a freelancer!
7- Wait for your first customer
Since freelance work is primarily based on the activity of the freelancer, it can create a kind of procrastination or frustration for some freelancers who fail to deal with the first client or enter the field aggressively.
So set a period or deadline, for example, to get your first customer. This will help you focus, intensify your work, and make the topic more seriously.
8- Patience
Entering the world of freelancing from scratch, especially at the beginning, requires a great deal of patience, as there are a lot of competitors, whether they are professional or not, which requires you to put more effort than focus and perseverance, to be able to do so. to expel these competitors.
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