Being a freelancer isn’t as easy as being self-employed. In fact, it’s quite the juggling act. Sure you’ve got incredible experience within your field, but are you prepared to manage your own finances, liaise with multiple clients or manage a potentially damaging attack on social media? These are facets that freelancers can take for granted. The good news is there are a number of courses that can teach you more about what goes into these skills. Here at Training and Courses, we have narrowed down what we think are five essential skills all freelancers should have as they venture into this self sufficient world.
A very common skill, but an extremely important one, is communication. It is the linchpin between success and failure when freelancing. Whether you’re liaising with potential clients or working with different teams across various projects, clear communication is important to keep your work moving towards completion. Encouraging communication across teams is also hugely effective in making sure that people are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities.
Juggling multiple projects also involves excellent time management. Prioritising and ensuring that you have a clear to do list and that enough time is being spent on each project is crucial when it comes to pleasing clients and not falling behind. Granted there are moments where you hit a mental block, ensure that you factor in tasks that you can do when these instances arise. That way you’ll be making good use of time you might otherwise spend staring into space.
You may not have thought about it, but have you taken a course in book keeping and accounting or in personal finance? You probably should. It’s the least fun part of freelancing but it is so important to take control of this aspect of your freelance business in order to track your income and expenses. This allows you to make better decisions about your business too.
Having a digital presence is incredibly important if you are to succeed within your career, however it’s not enough to simply have a portfolio online and an updated LinkedIn page. Investing in a reputation management course will equip you with the tools you need to manage your digital presence and ensure that you build trust and credibility with your audiences. Having a good knack for managing your image online will have a knock on effect, which if done well, should result in an increase in sales.
