If you are thinking or starting in the world of freelance, you will probably have many questions. When I started I had no doubts nothing, unless he thought he had some bad answers is that they were all completely wrong.
Here is a short guide bases to keep in mind and work at getting independent:

1. FINANCE

Indeed, all self-employed must have a base of financial knowledge. But you do not need an entire master. You need to learn the basics: recording expenses and entrances, separate input money, pay you, not endeudarte, spend less than you earn and save on everything. The most powerful tool that has the FL is saving because you have to leave the secure pay each fortnight has to learn to weather the customer delays, bureaucratic companies are your clients, etc.. Here in blog & Wool SUPER much information is useful (and free) on all these issues. You will also find, formats for recording expenditures and budget. Remember that everything is trial and error, so if you quivocas, do not worry, learn and try again. Do not be intimidated if you do not know finance or if it was never “yours”. Not that hard, but if you manage your money well, the chances of success in the independent world are greatly reduced.

2. PRESENTATION

When is FL every detail counts. If you are your own boss dress and act like a leader. Whether you’re a designer or creative. Get smart though andes jeans. Prepare your stationery, business cards and a small well-printed pamphlet, he always takes a good pen (do not have to be Mont Blanc, but do not use a bic), purchase the domain name of your office or yours and make sure that the mail printed on your stationery take your domain (no hotmail or gmail!). If you can not design just remember: less is more. In case of customers at home, please all this neat, that your customers will not see an unmade bed and the jamaca ever found on pajamas.

3. PORTFOLIO

This is crucial, I’ve seen people want to promote their services or products but have nothing to show!. The photos, the website, reviews, etc.. are very important for the customer to see what kind of work you do. Sight love is born. Recently someone close to me told me he wanted to promote itself as an interior decorator and planned to distribute flyers in certain areas of the city. Not a bad idea, but a simple steering wheel is not going to say anything to a potential buyer, so I suggested for now to open a photoblog where I can put the photos of before and after renovations and include the address on the wheel. That way people can have quick access to the portfolio of the decorator and it does not have to spend on expensive, full color brochures. Find creative ways to present your work and do not skimp on quality.

4. DEADLINES

If a freelancer does not meet the deadlines of its customers or the sets, is literally dead. A automepleado more customers and will work to the extent that is reputable. Sometimes in large cities like mine, people are “confident” and believe that no one will know they were bad with their last client. Nothing is further from the truth. The world is a napkin and more if you’re working in a particular industry. Eventually everything comes and it takes 10 jobs to compensate for excellent one in that was wrong. Guard your reputation in all respects, to quote, in dealing with colleagues, dealing with your competition. Be honest, loyal and satisfied. Fills you with good, well-paid work.

5. RECEIVABLE

Someone close to me had to collect as many problems that seemed to work for a nonprofit organization. FreeLance that does not charge, freelance food runs out. I know it is difficult to recover, in our society is “frowned upon”, well, once one of the thousands of jobs I had, I did a secretary, and talk to the person responsible for payment of a major advertising agency to cash a check from my boss. Then the woman became very angry at the agency telling me that my boss had already “notorious” because he always charged. Can you believe??? In reality this person expect my boss to work for staple!. And they will encounter all sorts of situations: Customers we get along so well that in the end and there is a connection through friendship, then we give “chance” and we are wrong, or who accepts a quote and time of payment lower the price for their guns. On the way to learn to dodge these crazy (which, fortunately not all), but you always charge. His work is worth. Period.

6. NEGOTIATE

This is a skill little exploited in Mexico. Or will I know few people who can not say negotiate, but that is negotiated. To negotiate is to ask me something for nothing. While I offer something to the person I’m trying to, we can get somewhere. I have met many times with clients who ask me, such as a discount: So cold the phone rings, I ask the cost of X and not even know my name, I say “Make me a discount right?” (I feel like answering them, and my me a cheesecake right?). To realize that or why I should give them a discount? That is not bargain it is to haggle. If your client has less budget than you get paid but not much, not commanded by a tube, negotiates over time, something in kind, etc.. But beware: when offered more chamba in exchange for a discount say NO. In my experience, all customers who gave them discount in exchange for future work never returned! and let’s be honest, you work for money no more low-paying job!.

7. REST

It is very common among Freelance work on Saturdays, Sundays and until late at night. I am very well. But I have not put aparendido that if one of their own limits and is “obliged” to rest, ends a sick, broke and above all very discouraged. As independents must learn when to work overtime, when resting, when taking a vacation and learn to truly disconnect completely at least a couple of days. Otherwise we will suffer a “burn out” and wear that cause us serious problems in the future and jeopardize our job, business and reputation.

And now stretched me more than I usually do. I sincerely believe that each of the points can develop in later post but not so many people are interested in the subject. What say, wide each point?.