Can You Make It As A Freelancer ? Part 1

Many graduates and talented artists have an ultimate goal, which is to become a freelance artist (self-employed). So what is it all about then?, what is really involved and ultimately is it really for me?. Being a freelancer is very different from being employed, so consider all of the pros and cons before taking the plunge.

There are definitely more risks and responsibilities involved in this type of day to day work. If you decide to work for someone for a fixed project or period of time to help them achieve their goal then that makes you a freelancer. What you are actually doing is selling your skills and time to that particular company.

Most freelancers start out by charging by the hour, but it is up to you if you feel more comfortable charging by the project. If your a creative, then check out aoi.com for ideas and advice on what you could charge clients. You could contact other freelancers for advice on rates if your still not sure.

You might be wondering what the client gets out of hiring a freelancer, right?. Well, they are a number of benefits, firstly, freelancers are far more flexible than regular employees. Passionate freelancers will be prepared to work all hours in the comfort of their own home or office ,unlike the employee who will go home at a set time each day.

It helps to keep a solid relationship with your client by hitting your deadlines and pushing quality work. Companies who hire like the fact that there is little commitment involved, because they are only hiring you for one off jobs. Employees sign contracts which means that they will get paid regardless.

Quite often the in house team are only capable of producing work of a certain standard, but freelancers are usually specialists, with skills that can be valuable to the company for a particular time or project. If you are intending to become a freelancer, it helps to try and specialise in a particular area as this makes you more valuable to the client in the long run.

Freelancers are often used to produce small, one off or regular jobs that do not require the commitment of a full time employee. Another major reason why companies will hire is because it actually saves them money. They do not have to fork out for sick pay or holidays, which all adds up over time.