Before you decide to start freelancing full-time you need to make sure you’re ready. Are you financially, mentally, and emotionally ready to take the plunge?
Even if you’re planning to do it on the side or moonlight, you still need to prepare yourself.
Being a freelancer is the same as running a “real” business. If you’ve been an employee all your life, you’ll be learning a lot of new things when you start.
The most important decisions you’ll make are deciding what your freelancing goals are. These will define what kind of business you build and provide a framework for making decisions. Should you take that extra project for more cash or is it better to learn about a new technology that just came out?
You’ll also need three qualities to become a freelancer. These qualities should be ingrained into your business DNA from the first day if you want to be successful. Sure you could get away without them but you won’t reach your full potential.
Finally you’ll need to learn or brush up on the skills needed to become a freelancer. Ranging from your core skills like software development or copywriting to business skills, you’ll need a mix of these to get your new freelance business off the ground.
Make sure you take care of all three of these areas before you start freelancing. Missing them could slow you down and set you back months or years in your business development.
Eric Davis