7 Things You Can Do TODAY to Kickstart Your Freelancing Career

This very informative post is on FreelanceSwitch.com, a highly rated freelance site. It outlines 7 things you can do immediately to start landing freelance jobs.

I agree, in principle, with all of the tips outlined here. With 15+ years of freelancing under my belt, however, I have alternate points of view on a couple of things the author writes about, namely:

#1: Create a Name and Logo. While the article’s author, Collis Ta’eed, gives some great tips about things to consider when choosing a name and logo, eg, (make the name distinct, memorable and representative of you), I don’t think it’s something you absolutely need.

So, keep the following in mind when thinking about whether to create a name and logo:

Which markets are you going to target: Why is this important? Because, depending on the market, they may not care whether or not you have an official business name or logo. Take my recent foray into SEO content writing. I took the advice from the post, How I made $100,000 by spending 25 minutes and $0 on Marketing, on SelfMadeChick.com.

In this post, Christine, the blogger details how she put off bringing in business by telling herself things like, I need to get a website, some email marketing software, create a more substantial portfolio, etc. But, these – she came to realize – were just stall tactics that stood in her way of success.

So, one day she composed a simple email to SEO companies that included very basic info (name, contact info, rates, etc.). Within minutes of sending out a few emails she got calls.No fancy log, website, brochure, sales pitch, etc. Just the basics.

When I started to do SEO writing, I followed Christine’s lead and had almost the exact experience. I guess my point here is, don’t put roadblocks in your way.

#2: Register Your Business. I disagree with this for the following reason: As I wrote in the article, Should You Officially Register Your Freelance Business?:

Any type of business you register is going to generate paperwork from good ole Uncle Sam (ie, the IRS). The reason I didn't register some of the businesses I've owned is that I just didn't want to go through the hassle of filling out some inane form because I made $7,000 last year. Some things you will be forced to deal with: Filing annual and/or quarterly taxes (no matter how much you made - or lost); paying business registration fees; getting an EIN number, filing more complicated personal taxes; etc. The paperwork - for even the simplest business - can be, at best, annoying, and at worst, downright harrying.

The best piece of advice I can give you here is to consult with a CPA. They are the only ones who can give you the right informaton as it pertians to your financial situation.

While the ideal would always be to have everything perfect before you start (eg, the company name, the logo, an amazing portfolio, etc.), the best way to get business as a freelancer is to simply start contacting those who need your services.

Or, in the words of Nike, “Just Do It!”

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
http://seo-article-writer.com/
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com/
http://money-making-videos.blogspot.com/
How to Start a Successful Freelance Career Newsletter

P.S.: Read about my $250/day as a freelance writer -- with less than two weeks of marketing!
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