The pandemic has left businesses of all sizes reeling – with tech giants down-sizing on a massive scale. Twitter and Meta set the trend by waving goodbye to over 14,000 staff between them! Sadly Amazon, Stripe & Shopify weren’t too far behind as they waved farewell to 10K jobs in total 🙁 According to The Guardian, job cuts have rocketed up 6% from 2021 – Let’s hope that this is not a sign of things yet come…
With layoffs on the horizon, we must embrace a new era of freelancing. 2023 may be uncertain for many but it looks like time for freelancers to shine.
Take back control of your career and embrace the burgeoning trillion-dollar freelance market! With 70.4 million Americans leaving traditional jobs for freelancing, there is an unprecedented opportunity to take advantage of these growth opportunities; be it as a writer, social media marketers or website designers – all with the autonomy to create job security on your own terms. So get ready – 15% more potential awaits those brave enough to break away from corporate life and become their very own boss!
A career in freelancing is certainly alluring – and why not? You’re free to work from wherever you want, on your own terms. But it’s no walk in the park. You’ll constantly find yourself pressed for time as you juggle between clients, projects, invoices – the list goes on! So if that beach escape seems too far away right now – don’t despair– just follow these tips to become a freelance star:
Be specific about what you do.
As a freelancer, you need to take charge and show clients what makes your services stand out from the crowd. Show them who YOU are – share those successful use cases that represent YOUR skillsets. Keep an eye on both today & tomorrow; think about where you want to be in 10 years’ time – is it staying independent or growing into something bigger? Freelancing may only open one door now but there’s no telling how many more lay ahead down the line!
Bring referrals from your network.
If you’re ready to power up your freelance career, it’s time to form an A-Team of collaborators and industry professionals! Getting connected with the right people can be a game changer in terms of finding projects, learning new skills and growing your business. Don’t forget about those already part of your network (like former colleagues) as they offer great evidence for what you bring to the table. So don’t hesitate – let’s get networking!
Establish yourself.
You don’t have to go overboard in establishing yourself professionally – simplicity is key. Start with your own website as a centralized hub for hosting all of the must-have pieces: portfolio, use cases, customer feedback and professional experience accompanied by an informative bio about who you are and what makes you stand out from others in your field. Make sure that people can easily contact or book/schedule time with you so they don’t miss any opportunities!
