5 common mistakes freelancers should avoid
Human beings are bound to make mistakes, but we as humans can certainly avoid certain mistakes by knowing how to deal with it beforehand. Many a times, a simple folly might cost you a good client. You don’t even know what you did and why it happened. Well, making mistakes and learning from them is a hard way out. Instead, to find freelance jobs online you need to learn what to avoid and the things you should never do. Here we discuss 5 common mistakes that freelancers do and the best way to avoid making such slip-ups. 1.
Pitching the client a price too high or too low:
Just to grab hold of a project pitching a price that is too low is certainly a big mistake. Why should you lower your worth as a professional when you deserve much more? Yes, you might get the project, but in the long run you will struggle to earn more. This is because, clients will already have the impression that you can be hired for cheap and therefore they would never be ready to shell out more. Don’t let that happen to you and state your worth. 2.
Avoiding escrow:
Many employers try to avoid upfront payment and especially escrow mode of payment. Just to get freelance jobs online you should not make such a compromise. A client who is avoiding escrow might not pay you ever. Or, maybe you will get paid. In other words, without escrow, you can never be sure about your payment. Therefore, it is important for any novice freelance to know what the escrow system is all about! 3.
Avoiding communication:
It is the responsibility of a freelancer to communicate properly and clearly with the employer. The client has plenty of options in their hand. It’s upon the professional to make the first approach and know about the project. Most of the issues and conflicts occur due to miscommunication. 4.
Not focusing on self-development:
Self-development and learning new skills is very important. If you are a developer, then learning PHP, Java or any other new skill will certainly help one to excel. If you are good at what you are doing, then that’s great. But, adding new skill sets to your CV can very certainly get you noticed for the right reasons by the right employers. 5.
Not branding themselves:
Since independent contractors are working all alone and on their own, they need to be like a brand-name. For creating their own brand and marketing their skills, it is necessary for these professionals to have an interesting portfolio, a personal blog/website, a LinkedIn profile and so on. So, we truly hope we pointed out where you were going wrong!