Following an interview I gave on TVE (Spanish public television) for the programme “Aquí hay trabajo” (“There’s Work Here”, minute 13), I was asked for a series of tips I’d give an entrepreneur who wants to go freelance.
I called my friend Pablo López, aka Popiplo on Twitter, who learnt the ropes as an intern at Agoranews and in the end has struck out as a freelancer. Here’s his website, where you can see everything he does.
So, pencil in hand, I made a list of all the things a professional who wants to work independently offering their services needs to take care of, and we met up with Pablo and Yolanda from TVE for the interview.
Pablo in action with his camera
SWOT
Do your SWOT analysis: analyse in depth what your strengths are (what you’re good at, what your skills are, what sets you apart from the rest) and your weaknesses (everything you think you can improve on).
What opportunities there are (where you can get a foot in the door, which market niche you can go after where you feel comfortable and can win clients) and what threats there are in the market, basically your competition and barriers to entry.
With this analysis you’ll know how to sell yourself better, what to highlight from your experience to your potential clients and how to reach them
Your brand on the internet
Domain: register your full name as an internet domain. Register the domain of your trade name. From Don Dominio to Hostalia.
Create your professional email account. Gmail is fine, but it’s better if the account uses the domain you’ve registered.
Gather all your experience and talk about your work in a personal blog; blogs are indexed very well by search engines, and when you have your own website you’ll be able to integrate it. If you fancy having your own website, there are very simple options with Wix or Weebly.
LinkedIn: create your LinkedIn profile and complete it as fully as possible, highlighting achievements, projects completed, samples of your work and references from colleagues and clients
On LinkedIn you can also add a portfolio of the services you offer, projects you’ve worked on, presentations and even videos. If you create a company page, it will give you even more possibilities.
Facebook is also a good option for sharing your experience and work, but keep your personal profile separate from your business profile
In this case, create a business page as an independent professional and take the greatest care over the design, the message you convey and the quality of every photo or comment you upload: it’s your reputation.
Twitter has to be your loudspeaker and your radar for following interesting people and topics online, as well as events. Here too, create a 100% professional Twitter profile with a professional, attractive background image, and from minute one stay true to your communication style: what you’re going to say and the tone of the conversation
With Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and your blog, and even Flickr (for photos), you can now create your own unique business card on the about.me website: by choosing an attractive photo or image and adding your social profiles, you’ll have a single point of contact and will be able to print your business cards
About.me is also a perfect option for conveying a professional image on a static web page, linking all your social profiles as well as your personal blog. Take a look at mine or that of a professional photographer. I love it: it gives you statistics on who has visited you and who liked it. You can also receive leads by email or phone, so enable that option.
Networking
It’s one of the key tools for a freelancer. Take a good look at your network of professional contacts, which of them can help you at the start and how to expand that network.
There will be countless events where you can get around and make new professional contacts. I recommend you get active in the chambers of commerce and professional associations. Have a look at interesting groups on Meet up.
Do you have professional business cards? The classic Vista Print or something cooler with Moo. Don’t be cheap: invest in quality, original cards, as well as in leaflets or any other marketing material you hand out.
Business directories and more
There are several essential ones so that you’re well positioned and people can find you. They all have good SEO and you’ll appear in Google searches. The main ones are 11870.com, QDQ.com (more than a business directory, a real digital marketing agency specialising in SMEs), Infoautónomos (the go-to portal for the self-employed), ProjectLinkr and Reworklution.
Customer service
Maximum focus on the client from day one. Analyse their needs very carefully before sending them a proposal. Send the proposal professionally, never in the body of an email, and within the agreed deadline.
Strive for excellence and always exceed their expectations. Keep a friendly relationship with them, try to build loyalty by getting in touch regularly on any pretext, and even give them an original little gift when you can. A CRM wouldn’t go amiss for keeping all your clients’ key information.
Oh, and don’t forget to invoice! For invoices, quotes and expense tracking I recommend Facturadirecta.com, and you can manage it from your smartphone too.
Good luck with your business venture!
Categories