Remote work, or as it is also called freelancing, is a great alternative to the offline work we are used to. The more people understand what opportunities it opens up, the more they are interested in it and are looking for it. Moreover, given the times of crisis and the accompanying factors such as layoffs and layoffs, it is becoming increasingly popular. The crisis still concerns, but to a much lesser extent. At the same time, networking has many advantages, including flexible schedules, lack of leadership, and so on. However, everything is not as simple as it should be. After all, you need to know how to become a freelancer, how to earn money and where to find a stable job. These nuances are first of all interested in users who decide to start their activities on the network. Today we will talk about just that.

What is a freelancer?

Freelancing is a job for hire when a customer is looking for a person to perform a specific task. The employer sets the deadlines within which the contractor must meet and complete the order. In the case of high-quality and timely performance of the work, the customer transfers the previously agreed amount to the worker's account. In this case, there is no need for a personal meeting, since all discussions are carried out by phone or via the Internet.

A freelancer is a person who does work to order. The choice of time and place is up to him. Such a worker does not have a schedule and a fixed salary, there are various orders and specific deadlines for their implementation. Before answering the question of how to become a freelancer, it must be honestly said that such work is not suitable for everyone. The employee must adapt to the market, its trends and changes, and have good self-discipline.

This type of work is available in a large number of professions. Among the most popular areas are:

• Programming. The main task is to create Internet resources from scratch. In other words, carrying out all the work, from the preparation of technical specifications and ending with the layout and delivery of the finished site to the customer. Requires specialized knowledge in a number of areas. This is perhaps the most profitable way to earn money as a freelancer, the income from which depends solely on the level of your skill and ability.
• Journalism. Most reputable media outlets, magazines and newspapers are looking for artists to write quality articles on the Internet, as they also need content. They pay decent money for it, thanks to which the wages are higher. If you have a specialized education or good experience in this area, then the question of how to become a freelancer disappears by itself, because in this situation it is quite easy to find a stable and well-paid job.
• Graphic design. This item implies a person who specializes in creating bright and catchy logos, as well as a full-fledged corporate identity. In other words, brand identities, with a choice of colors, fonts, and more.
• Project Manager. A person who understands the range of work required to create websites. He organizes the process: find the necessary specialists for each stage of work and organize their work as efficiently as possible. Creating pages from scratch is paid higher, especially since inexperienced customers without the appropriate knowledge will not be able to search for specialists on their own. So the project manager is a whole studio, the staff of which often has only one person.
• Administration. It does not require deep knowledge and special skills. The profession is mastered in just a week, and you can become a full-fledged specialist in just a month. This work involves the creation of accounts and groups, their maintenance and filling with high-quality content. Also, the ability to work with group members, attract new subscribers and knowledge in the field of Photoshop and graphics will not be superfluous.
• Rewriting. The easiest and most affordable way to become a freelancer. This is due to the fact that this work is available to any student. Its essence is to modify the existing article, using synonyms or retelling sentences in your own words.
• . Creation of texts for websites, blogs and other resources. To create articles, several reliable sources are required. If you have enough knowledge in a particular area and can express your thoughts beautifully, then you can write the text “from the head”. Copywriting is a higher quality article than rewriting, so it has a higher pay.
• Translations. Today, there is a huge need for professional translators on the web. If your knowledge of foreign languages ​​is at a decent level and you want to work online, then it would be foolish not to take advantage of this opportunity. Given the fact that knowledge of languages ​​is valued and not everyone can boast of this, the work of a translator is valued and, accordingly, paid better.

Freelancing is an innovative type of activity that allows you to realize yourself in any field and area, regardless of the circumstances and despite all the limitations and lack of opportunities. That is, wherever you are, whatever you do in life, the Internet will open up new opportunities and allow you to earn decent money in your favorite business.

Now you know how to become a freelancer, and it will not be difficult to do this. Following the instructions I have compiled and registering on the proposed sites, you will be able to quickly find a stable job and receive a good income. In addition, you have broad prospects up to creating your own business project with a significant increase in earnings in the future.

Today is Freelance Day. We suggest not to panic, relax and read our article on how to become a freelancer.

Where to start to become a freelancer?

First you need to decide in which area you will work, and whether freelancing will be your main activity. Naturally, your specialization as a freelancer should be the same as in your main job. If you are going to radically change your activities, then you need to start training, and freelancing as a launching pad for gaining experience is not for everyone.

Almost anyone can find a freelance job, not just IT specialists. However, depending on your business, the competition can vary greatly.

You need to understand how much time you are willing to devote to finding orders and fulfilling them. If you're currently working full-time and want more freedom, start small. Look for small tasks that will take several hours to complete. Give yourself time to get an impression of the freelancer's activities and save up a financial cushion for the first time.

Venues and specialization

As already mentioned, it is not necessary to be a programmer or designer to become a freelancer. There are many platforms on the Internet where specialists from different fields can earn money by helping other people solve problems.

If we talk about sites with the most common range of services, then we can distinguish the following:

Fiverr is an English-language exchange where you can both get analytics and place an order for a funny video. Suitable for creative people. Fiverr has a peculiarity - all orders are valued in fixed amounts of $5. Orders are often compound and include additional options, so in fact the average check can be much higher.

Kwork is a five hundred ruble analogue of Fiverr. The system of services and their range is very similar to the Western exchange, the difference is in currency and language.

Yandex.Toloka is a versatile order exchange from Yandex. Here you can find many tasks both online and offline. The amounts are determined by agreement.

For technical specialists, programmers, designers and analysts, there are a large number of specialized sites with different entry thresholds. To get comfortable in freelancing, you can start on one of the following exchanges:

Upwork is one of the most famous online exchanges. Here you can find work on projects in completely different parts of the world, and most of the Western customers have a positive effect on the average cost of the project. To be successful on Upwork, you need to get serious about filling out your profile and even completing specialized tests. And, of course, be fluent in English.

Freelancer.com is another Western exchange that is similar to Upwork in many ways. Here you can find a large number of orders in various areas, from design to analytics.

Freelansim is a Russian-language exchange from TM, the creators of Habr. Not the largest Russian-language site, but even despite the latest changes and the ability to place orders for free, it is still full of interesting projects and responsible employees.

Legalization

Naturally, entrepreneurial activity (which is freelancing) is subject to registration. For proven illegal activity, an individual faces fines, albeit small ones. However, there is no need to run headlong and register with the tax office.

When you ask a neighbor with a Gazelle to help move a closet and thank him with a thousand dollar bill, he will not report for it to the tax office. Small amounts that circulate between citizens are not of interest to specialized bodies, because their origin is almost impossible to prove.

Another thing is when it comes to amounts orders of magnitude higher. Regular movement on the account of amounts of several hundred or even more millions may be of interest to the authorities. This is exactly the case when you need to legalize your activities.

There are several ways to do this. Classical - IP and LLC (sometimes foreign), from the new - patents for the self-employed. A lot has been said about the first two options, they also have many differences, but they are needed if you want to trade, hire people and conclude agreements between legal entities.

A patent for the self-employed is so far a new way of legalizing what a freelancer earns and, say, not very popular. Now a patent is issued for a very limited number of services (software development is not included there) and has some restrictions (for example, you cannot hire employees), but the soul is calm for the taxes paid.

There are other options for the official conduct of activities, for example, a service agreement or a work contract. But these methods are rather situational and are not suitable for every order.

Possible questions

Is it illegal to be a freelancer?

Proven (!) Entrepreneurial activity that is not properly formalized is illegal and punishable by fines. And if a friend returned your old debt to the card - who cares?

I'm afraid that I'll take on a project and I won't succeed.

The skill of assessing the complexity of work, and, most importantly, one's own strength comes with time and experience. Pass by large projects at first, understand how you will work when no one can push you. And if you feel that problems with the order are starting, unforeseen difficulties, you do not meet the deadlines - discuss this with the person who entrusted you with the order. Together you can solve problems faster and easier, the customer can connect someone else to deal with it faster, and so on. This is much better than falling apart and worrying about failure, causing problems for the other person.

I'm afraid I'll do the job and I won't get paid.

On small orders, it can be problematic to insure, especially if the execution of the transaction takes longer than the execution of the work. In such cases, intermediary sites can help, which confirm that the customer has money, and the contractor receives it when the customer sees the work done. Such a “safe transaction” functionality is available on many exchanges. Of course, for some orders, even this approach may be redundant, in which case it is possible to agree on a staged payment.

When it comes to a large and multi-stage project, a good solution would be to draw up a contract. If you are registered as a legal entity, it will be somewhat easier and cheaper (for you and the customer). Although even if you do not have an official legal status, you can always agree with the customer on the execution of a contract. You will have to pay 13% of the transaction amount, but you will be insured against unforeseen circumstances.

Hello friends! Are your fears bothering you? How many opportunities have you missed by letting uncertainty take over? Have you ever been hurt by watching others manage to embody what you lack the courage to do?

If you have never experienced such feelings, then you are a unique case, a rock man. If you constantly experience them, but this has become a habitual state and does not interfere with your life, I can hardly help you. Today my article is for those who are scared, but who are ready to take a risk and take a step towards their desires. I will tell you how to become a freelancer from scratch.

In the previous article, we analyzed . Now I want to tell you where to start and where to go to become a successful freelancer.

Hardware setup

I would not talk about obvious things if they did not help to tune in to the right wave. The most difficult thing is to make a decision and take the first step. Let these simple actions become a kind of initiation into freelancers:

1. Prepare a computer with internet access. This is the main tool of a freelancer, moreover, it is his office. Turn on the installation that from now on your laptop is your work, opened it - came to work, closed it - left work. In front of the monitor screen, you are a cool specialist, period. It should become a habit, or even better, become a reflex.
2. Get e-wallets. This method of payment for services is very common in the world of remote work. And how it motivates to further action!

Restoring the facade

To communicate with customers, you will use all possible methods: email, pages on social networks, Skype, phone, Viber, WhatsApp - whatever is more convenient for the client. The more contacts, the better!

All profiles and names should look formal and adequate. Would you agree to give an order to a performer with the nickname 4elovek muxa666 and the corresponding avatar? Creative, but a rich imagination is better to demonstrate in a different way.

Your profiles must have your name and your face. Well-groomed and combed. How would you look if you were going to business negotiations offline?

In remote work, the same laws apply - they are greeted by clothes. Take a high-quality photo where you look presentable, and let it become your calling card. Let the heroes know by sight.

The design of your pages on social networks is very important. When making this or that entry, posting this or that photo, remember that one day a person will come to your page who wants to give you a job. What will he see? What conclusions will he draw? It is in your hands to create any image that will work for you or against you.

Choosing a profession

If you already know exactly what you want to do as a freelancer, that's great. If you have no idea where to start, I recommend you read the book "7 professions for quick money on the Internet". After reading it, you will have no questions left about how to start working remotely. You can get the book absolutely free.

We grow and develop

You have taken the first step and decided on a profession - the hardest part is over! From now on, your habitual state should be constant development. Read, watch, listen - in a word, absorb everything that in one way or another can contribute to your professional growth and inspire new ideas.

From my own experience, I can say that an excellent start is online courses in the chosen direction. You find yourself in an environment of like-minded people and get a professional mentors. Such courses help to avoid a lot of bumps that self-taught beginners fill.

I foresee objections that such training, as a rule, is paid. Pay for your education or not, the choice is yours. But any business requires investment. If you decide to learn a new profession from scratch, then the business project is now you. And for your development, investments are needed: time, effort, intellectual resources.

Financial investments will help speed things up and in a short time you will receive information that you will collect on your own for much longer, and in the work of a freelancer, time is money. Learn to plan effectively.

We create a portfolio

We read movie reviews before we go to the cinema. My girlfriend will not go for a manicure without first getting acquainted with the work of the master. I won't order a bouquet for her without going through the catalog of my chosen florist. Reviews for everything and everything make life much easier, save time and money.

Needless to say, when choosing a contractor, any customer will want to get acquainted with his work in order to assess the level of professionalism. That is why the presence of a portfolio and reviews of satisfied employers will be a big trump card when looking for orders.

In order to do it, you need to work for free. Tell your friends and acquaintances what you are doing now, for sure there will be those among them who need your services right now. Especially for free. To reach a larger audience, you can place a similar ad on your pages on social networks. Believe me, the first orders will not be long in coming.

Having in your arsenal examples of work performed, it will be much easier for you to build relationships with the following customers.

With each new order, you will grow in your eyes and this is a very pleasant feeling. Fears will gradually recede, and they will be replaced by competence and self-confidence.

Where to find freelance work

All job search tips for aspiring freelancers come down to signing up. The cost of orders on exchanges is minimal and those who want to get big money from the first days will be disappointed there.

But if you look at the exchange as a platform for finding regular customers, then the possibilities are endless. Very often, employers place a test task for 100 - 200 rubles in order to find a responsible contractor for a bulky job. This has happened to me many times.

Don't be afraid to take on assignments that seem too difficult. You won't know if you're into it or not until you try it. Challenge yourself. The Exchange is a survival school for recruits. Many give up, and those who overcome obstacles move on to the next level.

I have already considered the topic.

Where else to find a job

Do not limit yourself to exchanges, this is not the only opportunity to find a job. I want to convey to you the main idea: every site, every blog, every Internet project is a potential source of income for you. Realizing this, it will be much easier for you to get rid of fears and develop in the field of remote work and freelancing.

Here are a few more ways to find jobs online:

1. Follow projects that interest you. Very often, they place information about the search for employees directly on the main pages. For them, this is the most effective way to find an interested specialist, for you it is the most effective way to find a job you like.

2. Direct Search- if you really want to join a project, you can contact its creators directly. Who will lose from the fact that you write a letter or message on a social network with a vivid story about yourself and your strong desire to work in this particular team?

Such an appeal will definitely not go unnoticed, because it:

• very personal;
• based on a sincere interest in a particular topic.

And even if right now this employer has nothing to offer you, he will definitely contact you when your services are needed. This happened to me too many times.

3. Job site ads. Despite the fact that most companies require relevant experience, you can always impress with your cover letter, test assignment, suggestions for optimizing the company's work.

We keep the brand

Reputation is everything. She must be flawless. Many freelancers have a problem - optionality. As a customer, I had to deal with the fact that tasks were not completed on time or were not completed at all. And this is with my willingness to pay well for quality services.

It is clear that such performers are unlikely to have a freelance career, but my time was wasted forever. And my time is also money.

Your word is iron! Called the deadline - handed over the task on time. This should be the main rule.

Customers carefully transfer competent and responsible specialists to each other. If you have quality work and an impeccable reputation, over time, you will no longer need to look for orders, employers will come to you themselves.

As a parting word

If you dream of becoming a freelancer and working remotely, but it seems to you that this is not for dummies without special education, read on carefully:

I am convinced that desire and a determined attitude are not “from scratch” at all, this is more than half of the success.

You need to do very little - fill the theoretical gap, if there is one at all, and then use your discipline, diligence and dedication.

I wish you to turn your fears into a driving force, dear readers of my blog. They can be made to work for your success.

If you need support and a step-by-step plan of action, then come to our training "".

Freelancing is not a profession, but a format of work when an employee works outside the state, most often remotely. Most freelancers combine work in several companies. This is very convenient for the employer: you do not need to pay social security contributions for the employee and take care of your workplace. And for the freelancer himself, it’s even better: you can build your own work schedule and work from anywhere in the world!

If you like this lifestyle, go for it: almost anyone can become a freelancer. This article is about how to become a remote worker!

Freelancing History

Freelancing was started by American researcher Jack Nilles. He proposed the word "telecommuting", in Russian - "teleaccess", believing that employees do not have to be present at the workplace during the day - they can perform the necessary operations in any other place. He planned to contact them by phone.

Later, the US authorities considered Nilles' innovation beneficial - it allows solving the issue of employment in remote areas and reduces the burden on transport in large cities. So "telework" was given a start to the big world. The term was gradually replaced by "free lancer", which literally translates as "free spearman".

Freelancing in Russia appeared in the active phase of the development of the Internet and at first united people who worked for foreign companies and were looking for clients on Western Internet portals. The official start date of Russian freelancing is May 14, 2005 - the day of the launch of the first Russian-language freelance exchange free-lance.ru, which currently does not exist.

How to become a freelancer: step by step instructions

Step 1. Decide on a niche

How to become a freelancer And is it realistic for everyone? We answer: no. This is possible for those who know how to do something remotely via the Internet. For example, a car service employee cannot do his job remotely, but if he has the skills of an estimator, in the evenings he can remotely make estimates for various companies, and this will be freelancing.

Today, more and more work is being done remotely. Freelancers can be:

• journalists, copywriters and typesetters;
• translators;
• seo and smm specialists;
• programmers, targetologists and internet marketers;
• consultants (in law, economics, fitness, etc.);
• tutors, teachers, coaches and trainers;
• engineers, developers and estimators;
• designers, etc.

Surely among your skills there is something that people are willing to pay for, and that you can do remotely. This will allow you to at least find a part-time job as a freelancer.

Step 2. We enter the freelance exchanges

Now that you understand what kind of business will allow you to earn money remotely, you need to find clients ( How to become a successful freelancer without them? That's right - no way!). This will help special sites where employers are looking for performers - freelance exchanges. Examples of such sites are www.fl.ru, www.freelance.ru, www.freelancejob.ru, www.weblancer.net, etc.

Each of them can be used for free, but this mode provides few opportunities for finding clients (for example, you can answer only 5 projects per day and the choice of projects will be several times smaller). If freelancing is your part-time job, look for jobs in the demo version on several sites at the same time. If you intend to fully support yourself through freelancing, it is better to take paid accounts on one or two exchanges, and use free features on the rest.

The scheme of such a site looks something like this:

• You register on the exchange, fill out a profile, post a portfolio - Customers post information about what work needs to be done. A feed of projects is formed from their requests.
• You select the ad you need in the project feed and, together with other specialists, answer in the comments below it - offer the employer your price and deadlines for the work, or agree to the price proposed by the customer;
• The customer selects the project executor by examining his portfolio and discussing the conditions. If this is you, then after the work is completed, you receive payment and feedback, and also leave your feedback to the employer.

Customers on freelance exchanges prefer to choose performers who have a lot of good reviews and a high rating (it depends on the number of orders you have completed and your experience on the exchange).

Step 3. Create a profile and portfolio

Having decided on the site, you need to present yourself on it in such a way that the employer wants to order the service from you. For this:

• Complete your profile as completely as possible. Indicate in it contacts for communication (messengers and email, a page on a social network, phone and website), the cost of all types of work you perform, preferences regarding the schedule and place of work.
• Tell us briefly and interestingly about yourself - sell yourself as an expert in a few lines. Write about the benefits of working with you, voice your achievements;
• Complete your portfolio! Attach to your profile as many diverse jobs as possible in your specialization, so that the employer can easily assess the level of your competence. If your work is a photo (for example, you are a designer), upload them to the service in the best quality.

Step 4. Find clients

This is the most difficult step in the process of becoming a freelance artist, but that's why you came to the freelance exchange, right?

If so, and you are serious, scroll through the project feed on the exchange of your choice, after filtering all the proposed work in accordance with your specialization (if you are a copywriter, you are not interested in projects for designers in the feed). Respond to projects that suit you.

In a few hours, when new job offers appear on the exchange, the procedure must be repeated. Be prepared to spend long hours at the beginning on tracking projects and waiting for feedback - you are still new to the exchange, you do not have reviews, and clients will not fight for the opportunity to hire you. For the same reason at the start of the freelance path:

• Don't quote too high prices. Other things being equal, the order will be given to a person with a high rating and a lot of good reviews, and this is not about you yet.
• Don't send a generic response to every client - everyone has different requests. Read what they write in the project description and edit your answer according to the content.
• Take the time to correspond with the client, even if he is in no hurry to place an order - answer questions politely and completely. Try to please - a lot of freelancers do not want to spend time on this and lose clients. The easier it is to stand out against their background with your human attitude and adequate response to requirements - such freelancers are sure to come back for orders.
• Stay connected. For most customers, work or an answer to some question related to the fulfillment of an order is required instantly, and if you are not in the access zone, you will lose the opportunity to earn. In the same way, it is harmful to disappear after receiving an order - it is better to pick up the phone and tell the client that work is in progress and tell about progress than to ruin the relationship.
• Don't miss deadlines. This is the easiest way to not get paid (which is paid after the fact) and ruin your reputation by earning bad reviews (which will make it harder to find new orders). Better agree on deadlines with a margin or work at night if you want to become a successful freelancer.
• Build long-term relationships with clients. After you have completed the order, exchange contacts with the client outside the exchange and from time to time remind yourself: “Hello, we have already worked with you, I am doing X. Do you need any more help in this matter? I'll be glad to help!" Elementary courtesy and focus on long-term relationships are characteristic of few freelancers - if you did your job well, you will be noticed and the number of regular customers will increase.

Attention! the client base can be collected not only with the help of freelance exchanges. Tell your friends about what you do and write about it in your social media accounts - let word of mouth bring you additional orders.

Step 5. Working with the client base

If you did everything right in Step 4, in a month or two you will have a small pool of regular customers, your rating on the exchange will grow, and the prices for work can be raised a little.

After that, continue to work in the same vein - attracting new customers and being attentive to old ones. Add new works to your portfolio and work, if possible, on several freelance exchanges at the same time - this will bring more orders.

The day will come when the work will be several days (or even weeks!) In advance, and you will start earning more than as an employee, working full time. Then visits to the exchange can be reduced or even stopped.

A couple of important words in the end

If you managed to go through the path described above and understand, how to become a freelancer from scratch, this is not a reason to relax and turn up your nose along with prices.

Remember that you have thousands of competitors. Therefore, you need to constantly develop in your professional field, collect feedback and work on the quality of the service you provide. Do well even when you have already achieved success - and stable earnings with a free schedule with the ability to plan your life on your own are provided to you.

Do you want to create your own online school, produce yourself or your expert? Register now for a free webinar and receive a step-by-step PDF plan for creating your online school using this

Of those who have been working in the office for a long time, many dream of escaping from it into a free mode of work for themselves. on the site showed that the majority of office workers (85%) are considering the possibility of working remotely in the future. At the same time, only 23% of respondents think about freelancing, 62% would like to work remotely, but in the state of the company. It is clear that remote work in the state is more stable than freelancing, and provides more guarantees. But freelancing gives you more freedom. Or is it an illusion? What to prepare for if you are thinking of changing your office to freelancing?

Freelancing seems like an ideal world: you work from home at a convenient schedule and pace, without wasting time on the road and useless meetings. Whether you are an owl, even a lark, even a lover of daytime sleep, these individual habits cease to conflict with the work schedule. With a successful scenario, work can be combined with childcare, and thanks to this, you can do without a kindergarten and save on a nanny - this is important for many young mothers. For introverts who are always annoyed by colleagues, freelancing is generally just a dream. Finally, you can look for a job without being tied to a specific city or even country (depending on what you do).

In fact, freelancing has its downsides, and they are quite significant. It is better to know about them in advance - then it is easier to prepare for them. And someone, having weighed all the pros and cons without illusions, will understand that freelancing is not for him at all.

Fat cons of freelancing

You will have to look for clients on your own. This is a separate "art" - you need to learn how to sell your services. It is naive to think that if you are a good specialist, then orders will flow like a river. No, first you have to work hard to get known about you. Even if you already have a permanent major customer that you count on, he can stop working with you at any time. For example, because his budget was cut or because the manager with whom you kept in touch quit, and the new one “brought” his freelancer. Therefore, you should always look for fallback options just in case, expand your customer base. Remember that freelancing is actually an entrepreneurial activity. You are not protected by an employment contract and guarantees, you have civil law relations. In a word, you have to spin. And no guarantees. To be a successful freelancer, you need to be entrepreneurial.

No guarantees means no guarantees at all. Forget the time when, no matter what happens, a certain amount “fell” on your card twice a month. You will no longer have a salary, but there will be a reward, which, firstly, you need to be able to negotiate so as not to sell too cheap, but also not to scare away the client with a too high price tag. Secondly, the reward depends on the number of orders, and it will now be uneven from month to month. Thirdly, the reward is not so easy to get. Everything is possible: both fraudulent clients who simply do not want to pay, and serious customers from large businesses, but with such a clumsy document approval system that it is normal to receive a reward from them in six months. The fact is that the delay in payment of salaries threatens the company with much greater legal troubles than the delay in payment under a conventional contract. Freelancers are not employees, but ordinary contractors. Therefore, you will also have to learn how to control your expenses: with income in one month it can be dense, in another empty. And yes, it is naive to think that you will work only on a prepaid basis.

The client is always right. Let's be honest: freelancing is not working for yourself, but for a client. You are likely to be much more dependent on the subjective evaluation of your work by clients than you are now dependent on the subjective evaluation of management. Such situations will periodically arise: you did everything efficiently and professionally, but the client simply does not like the result. And he asks to redo everything, otherwise he will not pay. Of course, to some extent, a properly drafted contract protects against such stories. But are you ready to spend time and effort on the court for the sake of collecting a debt? What about lawyer money? Are you ready to lose a client and get a reputation as a litigator, which can scare away other potential clients from you? As you can see, everything is much more complicated than a conflict with a disgruntled boss.

Free schedule is an illusion. First, depending on the nature of your work, you may need to be in touch when it is convenient for customers, and not for you. Secondly, many of those who switched to freelancing, tired of working for wear and tear in the office, then realize with surprise that the work has not become less - it has become even more. At best, for the same money, at worst - for less. Why is this happening? Look, working in the office, you are forced to spend some of your time on all sorts of "nonsense" - meetings, tedious correspondence with clients, paperwork and reports. In freelancing, you can’t get away from this either, except get rid of meetings. You will have to report to both the client and the tax if you are going to work in the white (and if not, then you will have new serious risks). All these processes are distracting, but the time spent on them is not paid, because you will receive money as a freelancer for the result, and not for being in the office from 9.00 to 18.00. Plus, take the time to promote yourself as a professional and find clients. And you will not have paid vacation and paid sick leave. You will very quickly begin to look at your weekends as lost money.

All expenses are at your expense. If it seems to you that no expenses are necessary for your activity, it only seems to you. Most likely, at a minimum, you will need professional software that the employer used to pay for, office equipment and its maintenance - you will be surprised how quickly all this will begin to fail at the wrong time. Legal freelancing with registration of an individual entrepreneur involves not only the payment of taxes (personal income tax or tax on a simplified taxation system), but also the payment of contributions to the Pension Fund and compulsory health insurance funds - now the employer pays them for you. Plus banking costs. Before deciding to leave for free bread, calculate not only the possible income, but also these obligatory expenses and correlate them with each other. And for those who are now “suffering” in an office with a good social package and are accustomed, for example, to a good VHI, it is important to assess how much a similar service will cost at their own expense. Or reduce requests.

Limited career and professional growth. Limited is putting it mildly, if you dream of career heights, then freelancing, of course, is not for you at all, except for a while. It is more suitable for those who are close. And if you want to “pump” in some skills, adopting the experience of older colleagues, then freelancing will also not be as effective as when working side by side.

Difficulty concentrating. At home, when no one controls you, it is much more difficult to focus on work than in the office. Lots of household distractions. And temptations for procrastination too - I want to get into social networks, then turn on the music, TV, have a bite and have another bite. Great self-organization is needed, but only a few possess it.

Lack of communication on business matters. If you are an extrovert, then this will become a significant problem for you after some time.

Aren't you afraid and ready for difficulties? Okay, then below you will find some useful tips.

How to prepare for the transition to freelancing

Ideally, the decision to switch to freelancing should be balanced, and the transition to this format of work should be gradual. Of course, it happens that life forces you to act without hesitation, but now we are talking about cases when there is time to prepare.

Upgrade your professionalism

Your income directly depends on your professional development. Choose intensives, master classes, online courses carefully, you need those that are valued in the professional community. While customers do not know you in business, “crusts” will testify to your skills. Read non-fiction in your specialty and related topics, try to analyze what you read.

Make connections

Go to conferences, read thematic communities on social networks, meet the creators of projects that are potentially interesting to you. Learn how to negotiate, for example, "Say No First" by Jim Kemp and "Anything Can Be Negotiated" by Gavin Kennedy. Acquaintances are converted into future orders and successful collaborations.

Work on your image

Start working with your image of an expert in a particular field ahead of time. Then it will be much easier for you to attract customers when you decide to go free swimming. We talked about how to create a professional image for yourself in social networks.

Learn the right tools

Think over the process of interaction with clients: how will you communicate, transfer the results of work to them, where will you store the work done, how will you protect yourself from sudden whims of technology, computer viruses and scammers? You may have to master new programs for this, choose the right cloud storage, tools for scheduling tasks.

Start with a job

Start taking your first orders without leaving work. This way you will start to acquire clients and at the same time get a feel for what freelancing is.

Choose a design option

Many work without any registration. But it is not always convenient for large clients to work with individuals without IP status: these are additional taxes and legal risks. Individual entrepreneurs are a completely different matter: it is convenient for customers to transfer money to them, there is no need to think about taxes. You will have to think about taxes, but there are special accounting systems for this. They track income, calculate taxes and tell you when you need to pay them, this can be done in just a few clicks. These systems also make it easy to bill customers and track their payments. Another option is that in some regions you can apply without registering an IP. Calculate the options in advance and choose what is right for you.

Draw up a contract

Large customer companies, as a rule, work according to their own contract templates. For other customers, make your own version, simple and convenient for you. For example, add a paragraph to it stating that e-mail correspondence has the power of a simple electronic signature and is equivalent to paper documents with personal signatures of the parties. You should not thoughtlessly download the first free template that comes across on the Internet - firstly, it may be with errors or with conditions that do not suit you, and secondly, it is better to draw up a document with a lawyer taking into account your characteristics.

Good Freelance Habits

And finally, a few simple tips that will help you organize your freelance work with maximum efficiency and reduce the risk of burnout.

1. Try not to work in places that are not intended for this - for example, in bed or in the kitchen. Organize for yourself a full-fledged workplace. Adjust the height of the desktop, put a light source on the left, buy an ergonomic chair with a comfortable back and armrests - for example, Markus from Ikea. Make it a rule to periodically restore order on the table.
2. Set boundaries for your working day, such as 9am to 6pm or 12pm to 9pm - like a normal eight-hour day at the office. Warn colleagues and clients that your working day is limited to these hours. This will save you from situations when someone asks you, for example, to urgently fix the layout at midnight. True, there are freelancers who deliberately broadcast to the client that they can be in touch 24/7. This, of course, is an advantage, but it is very hard to live like this. So it's up to you.
3. Do not forget and do not be lazy to record all agreements with clients. Working on trust is, of course, good, but you risk working for someone for free. And also try to discuss the current nuances of work in correspondence. Yes, it’s faster to call, but then in case of misunderstandings, you won’t prove who said what. Correspondence is more reliable.
4. Break the day into parts according to the type of work. For example, in the morning until noon - turnover, then work on a serious task, in the afternoon - work that requires phone calls and correspondence with clients.
5. Stick to the routine. Let's say you set your personal start of the working day at 10:00. There is a very big temptation to wake up at 9:50 and immediately sit down at the computer. Do not give in to this temptation, otherwise there will be a feeling that you spend your whole life behind the monitor. Get up at least an hour in advance, have breakfast, do exercises - the brain should have the feeling of a normal work schedule.
6. Take breaks from work. Go shopping, go for a walk, walk the dog. Allow yourself to break away from business: no one will die if you do not answer the letter immediately, but after an hour. This "reboot" will allow the brain to recover. In addition, while walking, while the brain is working "in the background", the solution to a complex problem can come by itself. But it is important to stick to a strict regimen in this, too, so as not to get bogged down in procrastination.
7. Get out of the house. If you work during the day and rest in the same room in the evening, you can “turn sour”. Try sometimes to work not at home, but in a cafe, co-working center, park or library. If you like it, start practicing working from a similar field office once or twice a week - this will dilute the routine.
8. Get dressed. It may seem that clothes do not affect productivity, but pajamas clearly do not contribute to the work mood. Wearing a jacket and tie is optional, just clean yourself up to draw the line between work and leisure.

If you are starting to work remotely, read the book "Remote. An office is not required. Authors - entrepreneurs Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson - have created a successful company, all of whose employees work remotely. In the book, they told how they managed to build the workflow as efficiently as possible. Some tips may seem banal, but check them out: they work.