Re: FN-FORUM: Freelancing - Top ten tips

date posted 21st January 2004 10:54

on 21/1/04 10:36 am, PAMELA WHITTAKER at [EMAIL REMOVED] wrote:

> I worked for a firm of Developers unpaid for 10 months to get a portfolio=
.
>=20
> Pam
>=20
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Paul Cooper" [EMAIL REMOVED]
> To: [EMAIL REMOVED]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 11:12 PM
> Subject: RE: FN-FORUM: Freelancing - Top ten tips

>>> Its seems to me to be a bit of a catch 22 situation
>>> for people starting out in freelancing.
>>>=20
>>> Since, people want to see examples of your work before
>>> giving you a job and you can only get examples of your
>>> work once you get work.
>>>=20
>>> Have you guys got any top 10 tips on starting out at
>>> freelancing?
>>>=20
>>> Mike
>>=20
>> Get a job, build up a skillset and portfolio, go freelance.
>> Paul.

I agree that you must build up skills but it would be unethical and against
the terms of most employment contracts to tout work around as your own when
it was done as part of a 'job' so your portfolio must be work done outside
of the 'job'=20

In the past that a lot of IT bods supported their freelance work with
lucrative short contracts, with the market not so flush now this is harder
but the contracts are there is you look, albeit not at =A350 an hour now, thi=
s
is a good way to get money in the bank to tide you over whilst you establis=
h
your business.

To work unpaid for 10 months to get a portfolio together would be a luxury
that most people could not afford. Be very careful working cheaply to start
with' it is hard to hike up prices later, best to start with less work paid
properly than lots of cheap work. It is hard to justify to a client why you
charged them =A3500 for a site when you were starting out then quoted the
person they referred to you =A31000.

Go to networking meetings, get some leaflets done offering a loyalty
discount on a website to anyone who refers work to you for the first 12
months.=20

If you want to be your own boss, there is no real alternative but to take
the plunge and do it. I can guarantee that the first year or so will be a
bit difficult at times. Your average earnings may bomb but then once you
establish yourself it should even out. Quality of life compared to wads of
money wins (most times)

Carla