(Pixabay)
So, you’ve decided to quit your day job and pursue a career as a freelancer. Whether it’s because you want the perks of working from home or more creative license over the work you do, I’m sure you want to be successful! All freelancers depend on the quality of their work, so to give your operation the best chance of success, you need to be applying the right quality assurance tools. Here are a few essentials to source immediately…
Stick to Industry Standards
(Pexels)
One of the most challenging things of being a freelancer is gauging the kind of standards you have to measure up to in order to be competitive. Fail to do this, and you’ll be lucky to get a single client! A little research goes a long way here, and you should start educating yourself as soon as possible. The obvious methods include visiting the sites of successful freelancers in the same niche, and using these as guidelines for things like presenting your portfolio, pricing your services and so on. However, this will only take you so far. I strongly recommend reaching out to freelancers who have enjoyed a lot of success, and asking about the specific processes and techniques they use to get the job done to the standards they achieve.
Use the Right Checking Tools
(Pixabay)
No matter what kind of niche you’re stepping into, there are going to be checking tools you should use to assure a certain degree of quality and professionalism in your work. A web designer will use debuggers and browser emulators, a copywriter will use spelling and grammar checkers, and project managers will use input trackers. Whatever your discipline, it’s essential to do your research on the kinds of checking tools that are commonplace, and getting your hands on the ones that will help you with your work. This will make certain processes a lot easier, and will ensure that your work is up to standard with your main competitors’. It will also save you from silly, but potentially career-ending mistakes!
Find your Process
(Flickr)
Finding the best possible process for your work and formalising this is one of the first things every freelancer needs to do if they want to be successful. If you brush over it and try to “play it by ear”, then your quality assurance is inevitably going to suffer. Yes, part of why you decided to start freelancing may be to escape micro-management. However, your freelancing operation is a business like any other. You can’t take a blasé approach just because it only has one employee! Write down a list of steps, sub-processes and tactics which come into play in each project, and cement it into a set, organised process. Having this all in writing will significantly reduce the room for error, and instil a sense of organisation and professionalism in everything that you do.
(Pexels)
If you’re taking your first steps into the exciting world of freelancing, make sure you get these three essentials under your belt.