How to Develop Career as Tech Freelancer?

Working as a freelancer or own account is one of the great personal projects – professionals of many. And it is that although in principle it costs a little more or even less charged than working on payroll for another. The reality is that being a freelance gives you a series of benefits that when you try it. It is difficult to leave it above all and as a star it is “freedom”. 

When working as a freelance you are the owner of your schedule, you organize your time, you choose when you work and when you rest (this has its good side and it’s not so good and is that in the end you work more hours than before but from that, we will deal with other posts that refer to productivity as a freelance). 

Today what concerns us is something totally different and that is that when you “become independent” professionally and you are freelance, one of the main challenges is to find clients and projects to take care of. That is, selling your service becomes your absolute priority. But, the big question is, How to develop career as tech freelancer? When are you about to start?

What does “Freelancer” mean?

According to Wiki, ” the freelancer or consultant (or self-employed) is called the person whose activity consists of performing work of their occupation, trade or profession, autonomously, for third parties who require their services for certain tasks, which generally pay their remuneration not based on the time spent but on the result obtained, without the two parties being obliged to continue the employment relationship beyond the assignment made. “

How to start?

Decide: 

The first step is to decide what to do; in which field to work, which will surely be easy for those who are professionals or experts in some area. Once you have a business idea, you can move on to the next step.

Study the market: 

A freelance worker know in which field work, it is important to study the market to see if your idea is viable or not and avoid spending time and money in vain.

Define the budget:

It is essential to know how much money will be available to start the project.

Also Read: Emerging Technologies: What and How they influence?

Conditioning your office:

It is very important that the freelance worker has his own office. The ideal is to have a room for work only, which is not always possible. If it is not possible to have a room for work, we must dedicate even a corner of the house. It is essential to separate the work area from the rest of the home. As in any job, work from home involves spending several hours a day in the same space (office), so it is important to prepare this environment in the best way to be comfortable. There are basic elements that every office needs: a work table, an ergonomic chair that protects your back, a computer, internet connection, shelves and drawers to organize the material, etc. Furniture and work objects will depend on the profession.

Set goals: 

The objectives and goals will serve as a compass that will guide you to success. For those who work in a company it may be easier to know the objectives and have them clear. However, this can be difficult for a freelancer. Defining goals and objectives will help you stay motivated and go in the right direction.

Study the competition:

It is advisable to analyze the competition. This does not mean that the freelance worker must copy what the competition is doing. It is very important that you stand out for your original ideas and differential. However, to overcome the competition and be the best it is necessary to know who the competitors are and what they are doing to be able to offer more and better. 

Advantages of working as a freelance

Autonomy: 

Who works as a freelancer enjoys greater autonomy by not having a boss to give explanations and has more freedom to make their own decisions.

Time flexibility: 

Being their own bosses, freelance workers do not have to respect schedules or rules and can organize and manage their time as they please.

Balance between family and professional life: 

By having the power to manage their time and schedules as they please, freelancer workers can organize better to spend more time with their families and loved ones.

Convenience: 

Freelance workers enjoy greater physical comfort as they can choose their own space and furniture that will work. They can create a comfortable and suitable environment to work to your liking.

Time saving: 

Freelance workers can work from home, so the transfer time is saved to an office. In all major cities there are traffic jams, especially at peak times. In certain places the traffic jams are so overwhelming that some companies ask their employees to work from home. The most populous city in South America, 7.5 million vehicles are mobilized daily and people lose 3 to 4 hours a day in traffic jams.

Money savings: 

By not having to travel daily to an office, freelance workers save on gas and public transportation.

Disadvantages of working as a freelance

Difficulty separating personal and professional life: 

Working from home as a freelance can bring problems when separating family and professional life, since in some cases the workspace is the same as that of rest and free time with the family and friends.

Isolation: 

The freelance worker does not enjoy the small pleasures of the office, such as the typical chat next to the coffee machine with the coworkers, which implies the possibility of feeling alone and feeling the need to share experiences and breaks with these.

Distractions: 

Working from home surrounds you with distractions and you have to be careful to end up watching TV, napping or doing household chores, since it affects productivity.

Work overload: 

Whoever works in an office knows that he has a certain work schedule and can go home and relax when his departure time arrives. However, the freelance worker does not have a boss, nor a defined work schedule. Although this may be an advantage, it is also a risk in the sense that you may end up working too much. In the absence of rules, the freelancer may fall into the error of accepting more jobs than he can bear.

Lack of motivation: 

By not having a boss who encourages him, or an organizational structure that supports his ideas and projects, the freelance worker can begin to feel a lack of motivation that significantly decreases his productivity levels and his desire to do things correctly.