Freelance
What
is freelance and who is freelancer?
·
A freelancer, freelance worker, or
freelance is a person who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular
employer long term.
·
These workers are sometimes
represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of
others to its clients with or without project management and labor contributed
by its regular employees. Others are completely independent.
·
Payment for freelance work also
depends on industry, skills, and experience. Freelancers may charge by the day,
hour, a piece rate, or on a per-project basis.
·
Fields in which freelancing is
common include : Music, journalism, publishing, screenwriting, filmmaking,
acting, photojournalism, cosmetics, fragrances, editing, photography, event
planning, event management, copy editing, proofreading, indexing, copywriting,
computer programming, web design, graphic
design, website development, consulting, tour guiding, video editing, video
production, translating, illustrating and micro jobs.
Traditional Freelance Work
System
Modern Freelance Work System
How
to Do Freelance Graphic Design?
1.
Go
to school. While it is possible to survive and even
succeed as a freelance graphic designer without formal education, it is very
difficult to do so. You can choose either a short term certificate program or a
long term degree program to get your design education.
2.
Perfect
your software knowledge. As a graphic designer, you
want to have a working knowledge of the primary programs in the field. These
include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and many others.
3.
Keep
an eye on pop culture. Every good graphic designer is
also a student for life. Watch for signs of trends and breakthroughs in the
world of graphic design. Look at magazines and newspapers regularly to see what
types of designs are popular. Read about current trends online. Never let
yourself become out of touch.
4.
Find
your niche. As a freelance graphic designer,
you are going to be facing a lot of competition for work, including from the
big firms. You have to determine what makes you stand out; what will make
customers come to you.
5.
Market
yourself. Now you are ready to advertise your services.
You can use your own design talents to help out in this area, by designing your
own brochures and posters. Get in the habit of handing out business cards to
everyone you meet. Join clubs and groups in your area and get to know people.
Market with friends and associates.
6.
Get
to work. If you have talent and work hard, you will have
business in no time. Make sure you always give your clients more than they are
paying for.
Pros
of freelance graphic designer
1. Choose When You Work
When
you don’t have to come into an office each day, you can really be in control of
your time. You get to choose when you work. You’re working for yourself, after
all. Are you a morning person that wants to stop working at lunchtime? That’s
cool. Or are you a night owl that loves to sleep in? Go for it. As long as you
get the work done, that’s all that matters.
2. Choose Where You Work
Whether
it’s at home, at various cafes throughout the cities, or traveling or even
moving to different cities, it doesn’t matter. Like with being in control of
your time, as long as you get the work done then it doesn’t matter where you’re
located.
3. Choose What You Work On
The
biggest drawback of working for a company or firm is you usually don’t get to
choose what projects you work on. You design based on what clients are brought
to you. But when you are a freelancer, you find your own clients.
4. Potentially Make More Money
If
you have the drive in you, you can stand to make more money freelancing. You’re
not throttled by working for someone else. You can take on more clients or more
projects than if you were working for a company or firm.
5. Fire Bad Clients
If
you come across a bad client, you can freely fire them. Why waste your precious
days working on something that’s annoying you? Drop that client like a bad
habit.
Cons
of freelance graphic designer
1. Incoming Work Isn’t
Guaranteed
As
a freelancer, since you’re finding your own work, it’s never guaranteed.
Sometimes opportunities can be plentiful, and other times there could be less.
2. Inconsistent Monthly Income
With
inconsistent incoming work comes inconsistent monthly income. Some months you
can be rolling in a steady stream of quality work. Other months your clients
might not need you, or you don’t find enough work. And your income suffers as a
result.
3. Potentially Make Less Money
If
you aren’t finding quality clients, you could potentially make less money than
if you were at a company or firm.
4. You Have to Find New Work On
Your Own
With
freelancing, you don’t just spend time creating, you also need to spend time
finding new clients and work.
5. You Have to Do Your Own
Accounting
At
a company or firm, you don’t need to worry about accounting. You design, you
get paid, you pay yearly taxes, and that’s it. Not so with freelancing since
you are your own company, you need to handle your own accounting.
Time
Management Tips for Freelancers
Deadlines Are Sacred. Thou
shall not miss a deadline, no matter what happen even if you’re going through a
really bad phase in your life.
Quality Matters. As
freelancers, we are in charge of the quality of our own work. We are our own
editors, proofreaders, or critics. Before sending off any work, we must ensure
that we are submitting top-notch quality work.
Stick to a Routine. If
you are a morning person and used to getting up, drinking coffee, having
breakfast and then begin working, stick to it.
Keep Away From Distractions. Having
music on while working is fine, but never keep the television on while working,
this will only distract you no matter how disciplined you think you are. Switch
off your cell phone and ignore your landline phone if it rings. Get an answer
phone. If you are expecting an important phone call, make sure you don’t use
that as an excuse to delay work.
Make a List and Check it Twice.
It’s
always good to make a work list of the things you have to do daily. Check that
list twice to make sure that you’re actually ticking it away.
Hourly Time Schedule. Remember
those hourly time schedules you had as a student? This was great because you
never missed any of your class because you knew exactly where you had to be.
Take Breaks. Just
like in an office, take your usual breaks, but just like at work, see that you
don’t over-do it. If you prefer doing short breaks, make sure it isn’t longer
than 30 minutes.
Don’t Be a Slave to Time. The
one great thing about being a freelancer is that you can keep going-on like the
energizer rabbit and work well into the night if you want. The problem with
this is that you’ll easily burnout. Only do this if you want to get ahead our
work because of an impending vacation. The important thing about being a
freelancer is having a life too.
Plan out each day’s activities
& stick to the plan. Every evening before leaving
the office or every morning before starting the work day, make a plan. Set
aside a specific amount of time for each activity to have to accomplish. Then
stick to your plan. As you plan each day, be sure to fill each time slot with
one meaningful activity and one backup plan.
Always have at least two major
projects going at one time. While it’s not
always possible, try to always have more than one major project on your
schedule at one time. That way, when you are waiting for approval or feedback
from one client, you can work on another project. This helps you avoid time
“sitting around” and waiting on others to get something accomplished.
Take the time you need to do a
quality job. While it may take longer to do a
good job in the first place, it is always better to go the extra mile in your
original design than to cause extra client meetings, phone calls, and design
time by getting it wrong the first time. As you take a little extra time to
minimize errors, you will find projects get done quicker and more efficiently.
Force yourself to do the
projects you hate first. When you are planning out your
day, don’t wait till the last minute to do the projects you dislike the most.
Find an even balance between “fun” projects and mundane projects and try to do
the projects you aren’t looking forward to first.
Learn where you are wasting
time and avoid those activities. Take for instance,
email. Consider checking your email only once or twice a day. Inform your
clients that you will be checking your email every morning upon arriving at the
office. If they need more frequent contact, offer a telephone number or skype
account option
Break down large projects into
smaller more manageable tasks. It can be
overwhelming when a client comes to you and proposes you begin work on a new
branding project accompanied with print collateral, a web site, and social
media campaign. Sit down with your clients (or your creative director) and make
sub-deadlines.
Get away and do something else.
You
might get stuck in a creative jam or simply wear out your body on a project.
When this happens, get out and do something active. Run, bike, play tennis, or
even just get outside, go to the theatre, etc. Anything that will help you get
your mind off of the project will make you a much more effective designer when
you decide to start up on the project again.
Find the right time for the
right activity. Try out different routines. If you
design better in the morning and research better in the afternoon, try that for
a while. If you work better early in the morning, wake up earlier. If your best
ideas come to you late at night, try the opposite. Whatever time of day your
brain prefers, figure out what it is and give it a try.
10
Mistakes Freelance Graphic Designers Make When Starting Out
Poor Communication. Not
staying in constant touch with the client is the number one mistake most
graphic designers make when first starting out. Your client should be able to
get in touch with you at all times; this means by e-mail, phone, pager or
whatever.
Using Too Many Different Fonts.
The
old saying "KISS - Keep it simple stupid" applies to this mistake
that is often made when first starting out. Using too many fonts will give your
design not only an amateur's appearance, but a much cluttered piece of
work.
Borrowing Others' Designs. This
is a great big mistake and can lead to a lot of legal problems; let alone ruin
your reputation. Your future as a graphic designer depends on your reputation.
Under no circumstance should you steal another person's idea just because you
like it; remember plagiarism is a big no-no as well.
Not Getting a Down Payment. Most
Graphic Designers usually receive half of the agreed upon price up front. This
is a fair way to do business with all of your clients.
Forgetting to Sign a Contract. Never
start a job until you and your client have both signed a contract on what is
expected of you.
Bad Color Combo. Many
newbie graphic designers make the mistake of thinking that the more colorful
the graphic is, the more attention it will receive. Big Mistake!
Not Keeping up with Current
Events. You must always keep up with the latest graphic
design trends, graphic design software, etc..
Not Setting a Deadline. Not
setting a deadline and sticking to it is a common mistake that is often
overlooked and should be included in the agreed upon contract.
Investing in Too Much Software.
This
is another mistake that a lot of graphic designers who are just starting out
make. Sure, a new iPhone or iPad would be nice, but if it's not essential for
your business, then don't buy it.
Not Sending the Invoice Soon
Enough. Some Graphic Designers just starting out will
wait too long to send the client the invoice. It's best for all involved to
send the invoice as soon as the job is finished. Remember, the sooner you send
out the invoice, the sooner you get paid!
Source
: http://www.wahm.com/articles/10-mistakes-freelance-graphic-designers-make-when-starting-out.html
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