With over a decade of experience working online, I can answer this question more confidently than before. Working online wasn’t something new for me; I have been doing it since 2010. But there are questions i had it answered before i persuaded this journey, sharing it here as it may help many of you:
1. Do you have self-discipline?
Good freelancers are driven by self-discipline and internal motivation, not by expected working hours or a boss hovering over their shoulders. While meetings and deadlines can be motivating, if you lack self-discipline, you’ll constantly feel stressed and overwhelmed by deadlines and client demands. It’s the most important trait to have for remote work.
2. Do you work well at odd hours?
Many successful freelancers keep regular office hours, but the best freelancers are flexible. Freelancing can be a boom-or-bust business. When you have a lot of work, you may need to work weekends or evenings. During slower times, you might find yourself with plenty of free time. Time management is key.
3. Do you have friends and socialize outside of work?
Even if you’re an introvert, you need to socialize. If all your current socializing comes from office conversations, you may not be ready to give that up yet. Have a support network—friends, family, or a social group—so you can talk with others and blow off steam when needed.
4. Do you know what you’re good at?
Freelancing requires a specific set of skills. While there are many areas to freelance in—IT, accounting, writing, designing—you need to have a solid skill set before you start. The more experience and expertise you have, the easier it will be to start a freelancing career.
5. Do you know anything about bookkeeping and basic business skills?
If you know nothing about basic business skills like invoicing and bookkeeping, learn them before you freelance. As a freelancer, you’ll be running a small business of one, which means tracking expenses, paying taxes, invoicing clients, and more.
6. Do you know how to market yourself?
Freelancing requires a great deal of marketing. You’re essentially running a small business, and business owners spend a lot of time and money marketing. Some experts suggest spending at least 20% of your time marketing. If you don’t know how to market yourself, you might be better off working for someone who handles marketing for you.
7. Do you know how to deal with customers?
People skills are crucial for freelancers, especially from a marketing standpoint. Your income depends on your clients. If you can’t deal with them properly and make them want to use your services again, freelancing might not be for you.
If you answered yes to most of these questions, you may be ready to freelance. If not, identify your areas of weakness and work on them before diving into the world of freelancing.