How to survive and thrive as a freelancer

Every once in a while, you come across people who owe their allegiance to no single employer and observe no strict office hours. They work at their own pace and don’t get regular compensation. Yet they flourish, operating outside the safety nets granted to career professionals. These individuals are known as freelancers, and you can be one, too, if you have the discipline and the drive to navigate this way of life. See our list of steps to take before you take the freelance route here.

Once you’ve chosen to focus on the field you want to work in and built a decent portfolio, the next step to succeeding as a freelancer is to get yourself in the market.

Below are tips on how to maximize your chance at success:
Ideas & Opportunities
How to survive and thrive as a freelancer
By Dante Gagelonia

Jan 20, 2012
Every once in a while, you come across people who owe their allegiance to no single employer and observe no strict office hours. They work at their own pace and don’t get regular compensation. Yet they flourish, operating outside the safety nets granted to career professionals. These individuals are known as freelancers, and you can be one, too, if you have the discipline and the drive to navigate this way of life. See our list of steps to take before you take the freelance route here.

Once you’ve chosen to focus on the field you want to work in and built a decent portfolio, the next step to succeeding as a freelancer is to get yourself in the market.

Below are tips on how to maximize your chance at success:
 
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1 / 10Compete and adopt
Freelancing is a business, and all businesses have competition. Unless you have a visionary approach that gives you monopoly of a given field, you will have rivals offering the same services that you do. This is especially true in high-demand fields, such as in the creative industries and visual arts. Competition is tough, but it can also work to your advantage.
Take note of what other freelancers in your field are doing, and try to learn from them. Barring outright plagiarism or similar thefts of intellectual property, you can develop an edge over your peers if you can tailor your services (plus your portfolio) in ways that make you more attractive to potential clients. If you’re an interior designer, and you see that a competitor’s presentation involves photos, why not raise your standards and use 3-D mock-ups? Use competition to elevate your game, and keep abreast of industry developments. Borrow from each other’s best practices, but never let yourself get left in the dust.
Define your workspace
Most freelancers don’t have a physical office, but you will still need to define the parameters of your workspace. It should be uniquely yours—it reflects the way your mind works, and offers a glimpse of your work process. Many use their homes because of practicality and comfort, while some prefer to keep their home and work areas separate to avoid distractions. Going to malls, libraries and other places conducive to work can help, too.

“My home office is in our lanai, with the birdfeeder outside the glass windows serving as my focal point when I’m deep in thought,” explains Ruby Bayan-Llamas, a freelance writer, editor and craftswoman. “I work at hours I choose, in tees and shorts, and I have 24/7 access to all my comfort foods, the bed, and all the amenities of home. I love the home office scenario because I have the freedom to do anything I want without fear of a boss looking over my shoulder or a co-worker stealing my stapler.”

If your work requires significant manual labor, such as for production design, you may need to build a workshop and a storage area to hold your supplies. If you’re a freelance video producer, you need editing bays and powerful computers, which you can’t readily maintain in a mall coffee shop or the park. Whatever your needs are, you’ll have to adjust and plan your workspace to accommodate them.