In your early days in the gig economy, you will find yourself learning lots at a fast pace! After all, there’s so much to get used to, and you must be open-minded and ready to embrace your new working environment. To help you adapt, here are twelve top tips that will help you get started as a freelancer in the right way.

1. Research your industry before setting your prices

One of the biggest challenges facing new freelancers is knowing what to charge for your service. And our advice is to conduct some thorough research into what freelancers in your industry currently charge before setting your prices accordingly. In the early days, it’s a good idea to price yourself slightly lower than the industry standard to win clients.

2. Offer billable extras

A great way to boost your earnings is to offer billable extras. You might consider offering expedited delivery for a fee or perhaps additional revisions for a small fee. Billable extras enable you to bolster your gigs and will see you increase your bottom line.

3. Always deliver on time

This is the golden rule of freelancing. When a client pays you to complete a project, the least you can do is deliver it on time. If you’re struggling to meet their expectations in the lead-up to the deadline, communicate with them and provide updates. There’s no excuse for late deliveries in the gig economy!

4. Develop a freelancer-client contract

As a freelancer, it’s essential to protect your professional interests and manage the expectations of your clients. As such, it’s a good idea to put together a freelancer-client contract that sets out your terms and expectations. If you don’t do this, you might find that your client expects more from you than you can reasonably deliver.

5. Outsource some of your daily tasks

Just because you’re a freelancer doesn’t mean you have to work alone all the time! So many tasks are involved in running your freelancing business, so we suggest outsourcing some of the more mundane tasks to free up your time and allow you to focus on your billable hours. Hiring a virtual assistant is a great way to help manage some of your less critical daily tasks.

6. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket

The best way to structure your freelancing schedule is to take work from various clients. Putting all of your eggs in one basket and taking work from just one client isn’t smart, as your professional relationship might end at the drop of a hat. This could cause you financial difficulties and means you must return to the drawing board.

7. Ascertain your capacity

One common mistake that freelancers make is failing to ascertain their capacity. So, instead of committing to working X hours on Y days, some freelancers take on as much work as they’re offered, which means they struggle to fulfill their obligations. Start with a plan and decide how much you’re willing and able to work. You can then fill your diary accordingly.

8. Be clear about deliverables and timeframes

Before taking on a project, ensure you’re clear with your client about the deliverables and timeframes. You must put this in writing and ensure you’re both clear about what will be delivered and when. If you’re not transparent from the start, it will lead to a breakdown in communication, and you will probably upset your clients.

9. Always ask for feedback and testimonials

When you’ve completed a project, ask your clients to leave you a short review or testimonial based on their experience working with you. This will help you attract new clients in the future and build up your business.

10. Develop a system for tracking your work

Organization is of paramount importance for freelancers. You will probably have work coming in from various clients and will have several deadlines to meet simultaneously. As such, it’s super important that you develop a system for tracking your work and managing your upcoming deliverables. You can use Google Sheets to get started, and you might like to upgrade to a project management tool like Monday.com when you get more clients.

11. Put together a portfolio

Regardless of the industry that you work in, you need to bring together a collection of your work in the form of a portfolio. You can then share this with potential clients to show that you’re capable of the services you offer. You can build a professional website yourself on a site like Wix or hire a freelancer on RadialHub to help you put together a site if you don’t have the time or skills.

12. Don’t let negative feedback define you

At some stage of your freelancing career, you will almost certainly receive negative feedback from a client. And whether or not you think it’s just, it’s essential to take it in your stride and not let it define you. If you get caught up and fixate on negative testimony from your clients, it will affect your confidence, so accept it as part and parcel of the freelancing lifestyle!

Find clients today on RadialHub.

Finally, you need a trusted and reliable platform to find clients to build your freelancing business. On RadialHub, we connect freelancers with clients from different parts of the world, no matter the industry you work in; our platform will help you find the work you need to build your business. You can also use RadialHub to find other freelancers to collaborate with if the opportunity arises.