To succeed as a freelancer, you need to be the kind of person for whom the benefits of extra freedom outweigh the drawbacks. This partly depends on your personality – people with an independent streak, who like to work independently and don't mind the extra responsibility, are more likely to be happy as a freelancer. It also partly depends on how well equipped you are to deal with the financial disadvantages of freelancing:the uneven earnings, the lack of benefits and the complicated taxes. Being organized and planning ahead helps with this, as does having some cash in reserve to get you through tough times. Here are some of the qualities a good freelancer needs:
Skills. First and foremost, you need to have the skills and knowledge for the particular freelance position you've chosen. For example, you can't just become a freelance web designer if you've never designed anything before. You have to learn and practice to acquire skills you don't already have.
Discipline. When you work from home, you have a lot more to distract your attention from work than you do in the office. You must be able to stay focused on the task at hand. You also need to be able to motivate yourself – to set your own goals and stick to them, even if you don't have a boss looking over your shoulder and asking where that report is.
Assertiveness. Unless you've already made a name for yourself, you can't sit back and wait for freelance work to come to you. You have to find potential customers and then sell yourself to them. You should also set your own rate and be determined not to accept less than you are worth. This is the tedious part of freelancing – although luckily it gets easier with practice.
Organization. As a freelancer, you're in charge of every part of the job:making your schedule, completing assignments on time, sending invoices, and harassing customers when you don't get paid. You also need to organize your own finances:pay your taxes on time and set a personal budget to make up for the uneven earnings for freelancing. Succeeding as a freelancer means you can keep a lot of balls in the air.
A financial cushion. Since even the most skilled freelancer goes through times of no income, you should not embark on a freelance career without money in the bank. Set aside enough money to cover all your living expenses for six months to a year. However, if you have a partner who works full time, you can get by on less.
A thick skin. Freelancers often face dismissive comments from family or friends about not having a “real job”. It's easy to feel inferior to full-time fixed-salary workers — or to other freelancers who seem to be much more successful than you. Getting into the freelance world takes the courage to keep doing what you want to do, on your own terms, without worrying about anyone else. As long as you are happy with your work and can manage the amount you earn well, that's what matters.
