The Successful Home Freelancer's Guide

Most people, at one time or another, have a job that rewards their time and effort with wages or salaries. An increasing number of people, however, are becoming dissatisfied with that time-and-effort economy and seek the greater rewards that a results economy can provide.

Indeed, more and more managers are abandoning the safety of company careers to become consultants in their chosen fields. They cite a number of reasons -- a need to pursue their vision, a desire for increased independence, the lack of a meaningful future in a large organisation, or the reality of redundancy. This change inevitably means establishing their own businesses, working for themselves, and -- if necessary -- employing others.

Making the decision to start your own freelance business or consultancy from home is not an easy one. There are numerous considerations that need to be taken into account. This article aims to consider the key issues, and provide varied expert opinions and advice on how to address them.

Here's what we'll consider:
1. Are you ready to start your own business?
2. How to understand, consider, and address the risks involved.
3. How to set up your home business, from establishing an office, to scheduling your time.

Let's get started!

Are you Ready to Start your own Business?
If you know yourself and know your enemy, in a hundred battles you will never fear the result. When you know yourself but not your enemy, your chances of winning and losing are equal. If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you are certain in every battle to be in danger.

Consultants agree that consulting provides for them an ideal lifestyle. Contributing towards this, they say, are the following:

• They can work on their own terms -- choose where, when, and with whom they want to work.
• They have fewer interruptions -- no meetings, fewer phone calls, no office banter and social gatherings to gobble up time. More productive work.
• They have less commuting -- less wear and tear on their car, and themselves, less money spent on petrol or public transport. They can travel to appointments in off-peak traffic.
• They have more time for themselves and their families, and can pick up the kids after school, attend daytime school functions, exercise at lunchtime, let in the repair man, shop when the supermarket is empty, and make a real dinner.
• They no longer have to dress up -- less money spent on office clothes and cosmetics, less laundry.
• They no longer have to buy lunch or pack it -- have money, sit in peace and sunshine on the back veranda.
• They can follow their own body rhythms -- work at 4 am or 11 pm. Take a break when they feel like it on the comfy couch with coffee and the newspaper, have an afternoon nap.

On the other hand, three of the main disadvantages include:

• You can be interrupted or distracted by the everyday life in a home.
• You may be tempted to overwork and rob yourself of relaxation.
• You can become less visible in your business community.

Are you Ready to Start your Own Business?

So, are you ready to start your own business? Consider the following questions -- you should answer in the affirmative!

• Are you a self-starter?
• Can you get along with other people?
• Can you lead others?
• Can you take charge of things and see them through?
• Are you a good organiser?
• Are you prepared to work hard for something you want?
• Can you make decisions?
• Can people trust what you say?
• Can you stick with it?
• Is your health good?

-- Les Taylor in Starting and Managing a Small Business.

How did you go? That's not all it takes, of course, but they are the key, basic concerns that you must be able to meet.

Are you Suited to Working from Home?

Of course, many people who decide to start their own consultancy or freelance business decide to do so from home. Yet it takes a special kind of personality to work from home successfully. Not everyone is suited to it. If you can answer "yes" to the majority of these questions, then working from home may be for you:

• Are you well-organised?
• Are you easily self-motivated?
• Can you set your own work timetables?
• Can you work with occasional distractions?
• Are you sufficiently self-disciplined to keep your nose to the grindstone?
• Do you have good time-management skills?
• Can you work alone, or is your personality better suited to a team setting?
• Can you set goals for yourself, and stick to them?
• Is there a space in your home for you to set up exclusively as your office?
• Do you have all the equipment necessary to operate an efficient, professional office?
• Can you manage without traditional office support, and resources?
• Will you be able to cope in relative isolation, without the social interaction which a corporate office provides?

Are you Cut Out for Consultancy?

Consultants of all kinds -- including those working in the design and programming fields -- need certain qualities. For success as a consultant you'll need to:

• Know the business environment. You must be worldly, plugged in, and fully understand new developments and policies in your field.
• Be a trend spotter. You must ride the waves of change, recognise the trends and get in first.
• Be self-motivated. You must be a self-starter with a get-up-and-go attitude and lots of ideas.
• Be willing to work long hours.
• Be results-oriented. You must stick to the promises you make, must not overcommit, and have good time-management and organisational skills.
• Have the ability to write well. You must be good at identifying the client's needs and writing to the client's satisfaction.
• Have a customer focus. You must possess good listening skills, patience and the tolerance to work within a wide range of client idiosyncrasies.
• Be willing to sell yourself. You must be confident and charismatic and believe that your skills can make a difference.

-- Linda Vining, 'Becoming a Consultant', The Practising Administrator, No. 4, 1997.

Now that you've considered the basic qualities outlined above, we come to the big question: are you cut out to be a consultant? A SOHO (Small Office Home Office) consultancy may sound very appealing. But before you go ahead, take a few minutes to answer this questionnaire. Be truthful in your answers! While it's not definitive, this questionnaire is designed to give you a good idea of your potential for success as a consultant working from home.

In answering the questions, give yourself 2 points for a "Yes" answer, 1 point for a "Sometimes" answer, and 0 points for a "No" answer.

• Are you a results-oriented person? Yes/Sometimes/No
• Do you set goals and clear objectives? Yes/Sometimes/No
• Do you work well in isolation? Yes/Sometimes/No
• Is your home free of distractions (e.g. children, dependents)? Yes/Sometimes/No
• Can you quote the rules of time management? Yes/Sometimes/No
• Do you support the concept of marketing your school? Yes/Sometimes/No
• Do you see school parents as 'customers'? Yes/Sometimes/No
• Do you have a room in your house to convert to a SOHO? Yes/Sometimes/No
• Are you a good writer? Yes/Sometimes/No
• Are you a good public speaker? Yes/Sometimes/No
• Do you have financial reserves to survive without a salary for one year, if necessary? Yes/No
• Do you have good computer skills (e.g. desktop publishing, database, spreadsheets)? Yes/Sometimes/No

How did you score?

0-14 Look for a job in the paid workforce.

15-19 You're a potential consultant, but you may need to make some changes to become a successful consultant.

20-24 Go for it!

By Neil Flanagan and Jarvis Finger

Good Tips for Freelancers

Customize your Proposal
Customizing your proposal shows you’ve taken the time to read the job description. If you are applying for a larger job, consider tailoring your resume to match the job. When a freelancer submits a customized proposal it tells me she is more likely to spend the time it takes to do a quality job.

Perfect your Sales Pitch
Keep in mind your bid is a sales letter. Those who persuasion in their proposals are far more likely to win jobs than those who do not. And even if you don’t consider yourself an expert in sales letter writing, don’t be discouraged. The vast majority of freelancers make no effort on this, and their proposals sound something like this: “Hey, I can do this. Contact me for more info.” Hardly persuasive. Even a small effort at writing a persuasive proposal will make you stand out in a crowd of applicants.

Provide Examples
Just as you should tailor your bid to each job, provide examples of your work that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. You don’t need to list everything you’ve done, just 2-3 highly relevant examples. Employers want proof of your skills.

Provide Clear Communication
Good communication starts with providing multiple ways for a potential employer to contact you. In addition to traditional methods of communication such as phone and email, add your instant messenger information. Employers often want to conduct brief interviews through instant messaging, so encourage that.

Follow Up
If you haven’t received a reply, contact them again. If possible, provide several new samples of your work, and possibly some comments on how you intend to complete the project. When I am managing dozens of projects, a freelancer who follows up often makes me look at his bid again. This is very important when you are trying to differentiate yourself from 50 other applicants.

Provide a Customized Sample
I remember a time when a professional created the custom script I needed, showed it to me, then submitted his competitive bid. On my end there was no risk of hiring this person – the project had been completed! Of course this is somewhat risky for the person bidding for the job, but you don’t have to create the entire project – just show the employer that you are capable of doing the job.

Exude Confidence
If you have the skills needed for the job you are applying for, show confidence in yourself. I’ve seen far too many freelancers begging for a job—which is very unprofessional. Also avoid bidding for wages far less than you’re worth. Create a portfolio that makes employers “beg” to hire you.Employers looking to outsource are worried about losing time and money with freelancers who don’t perform as they should. The key to successful bidding for freelancing jobs is to prove you will provide quality work within time and money budgets.