Three Things Every Freelancer Must Do

Credit: john.schultz on Flickr

I recently attended a University of Arizona business school seminar on corporate entrepreneurship. Which had a whole lot more to do with freelancers than one might think.

Now, I know that the word “corporate” gets strong reactions from many freelancers. After all, quite a few of us escaped from stultifying corporate environments. And now we’re enjoying a life that’s filled with Freelance Freedom.

But here’s where we and the corporate world have something in common: We want our businesses to succeed. And this seminar started off with three things that every business must do:

1. Solve customer problems. What might this three-word sentence mean to a freelancer? If you’re a copywriter, you might be replacing a client’s ineffective website copy with words that sell. Or maybe you’re a logo designer. You target startup companies, many of which have amateurish-looking logos. And you’re able to convince these companies of the worth of a polished, professional look that will serve them well as they seek customers and investors.

2. Be better than the competition. The word “better” strikes fear in the heart of many freelancers. That’s because they equate this word with price. As in, having a lower price than one’s competitors. And, to be sure, a lot of clients are looking for the lowest price possible. But price isn’t the only place to compete. You could:

• Offer faster times to completion than your competitors.
• Provide in-depth expertise on a certain topic.
• Specialize in a certain area where clients are willing to pay more.
• Be a leader in your field. This isn’t something that happens overnight. But it can happen after you’ve gained  many years of experience, and your name recognition brings you a lot of business. So, make this a goal.
• Develop a reputation for getting the job done. I’ll elaborate on this point below.

I recently got a call from a client in distress. Seems that his new company needed a website. And their first web designer got a job and couldn’t finish the project. The second designer turned out to be so flaky that the project was miles away from completion.

Which greatly angered my client. After all, a year had gone by, and his company still didn’t have a website.

While I’d like to finish this story by saying that I was the design hero who got the website launched, the company’s marketing director gave Designer #2 the ultimatum: Finish this job or you’re gone.

And, since I’ve received no additional distress calls from my client, I assume that the site’s been finished to his satisfaction.

3. Be profitable. Without profits, no business stays in business. It really is that simple. And what does being profitable mean? It means that you’re showing respect to the people who’ve supported your freelancing business, not just as clients, but as friends, family, and colleagues.

Okay, enough of the three things. It’s time to give credit where credit is due. Permit me to introduce you to one of my town’s entrepreneurship heroes, Jim Jindrick. He’s the man who presented the aforementioned corporate entrepreneurship seminar.

Here in Tucson, Jim’s known as a must-hear speaker on any topic relating to business. If he comes to your town, go listen to what he has to say. You’ll be glad you did.

Photo credit: john.schultz on Flickr