So, you want to be a freelancer...... working for yourself ?
I have tried this gig twice in the past, once with great success and great luck, once with limited success and much perseverance. It's a tough gig, but really, the essence of this business is the same as any other business - perseverance regardless of result !Many self employed fail or give up because they did not make enough to make ends meet in the 1st, 2nd or 6th month. What they also did not do is take stock of where they started and where they ended - often with more clients than they started with. Take this gradual growth and project it down the line another 6 months and see where you might be then. You have 4 scenarios:
- Started with 0-5 clients, after 6 months had 0-5 clients - gave up
- Started with 0-5 clients, after 6 months had 10-15 clients, could not pay the bills - gave up.
- Started with 0-5 clients, after 6 months had 30-30 clients, sat back satisfied and stopped marketing, business goes bang after 12-18 months
- Started with 0-5 clients, after 6 months had 50-70 clients, could not handle the workload - gave up.
Scenario 1
If client growth is not happening, change your approach, try it all until you get it right. Read other entrepreneur's stories, see what they did and adapt that to your scenario. Above all, don't get stuck in a rut.
Scenario 2
If client growth is slow, but steady - keep at it. Try to add to your arsenal of current methods, but do not give up. You could just be in a slow economic cycle - endure and persevere - cut a few comforts, sacrifice a few things - in the end, you will win.
Scenario 3
He who rests on his laurels will crush them ! Never take success for granted. Keep up the search for clients, keep learning new skills, move with the market, make new contacts. You need a well buffered income to pad the lean times which are always only a phone call away. Once you stop working for it, your business will stop working for you. Consistent effort pays off !
Scenario 4
Beware of fast growth ! You may have hit the perfect marketing plan, product or service and suddenly, everyone wants your service. Do not be afraid to rope in an extra pair of hands - because then you have become an employer ! Make sure you choose help you can TRUST above all else - skills can be learnt, but trust and integrity come built in or not at all.
The key ingredient of success is to let failure be the teacher !
Accept the fact that failing is part of the process. Perseverance, endurance, tenacity in the face of adversity are all the traits that can lead to success. Of course you need a good service or product as well, but great businessmen often make a living of a mediocre product or service that they provide better than anyone else ! How to do this is up to you, but the first step is to earn the client's trust. Trust is the glue between you and your clients - without it, no deal will last very long.
Some outside help with this trust issue is always a bonus, and this is where TOPTAL comes to the rescue.
They pre-screen you so that your clients (through TOPTAL) know that they are getting the REAL deal and not some scam or spam artist.
Try them - you won't regret it.
