Often I have observed that people who are in the freelance business , undermine themselves as “Just” a freelancer. Well, I am of the opinion that , “Freelancing is as good as any 9-6 desk job! “.


I’m sure all you freelancers would have heard , “Oh! So you are a Freelancer? That’s easy! You get to work from home!” , “You are your own boss!” or ” You must be earning a hell lot”.


Well, I feel , Freelancing provides you the crucial experience you need to become an Entrepreneur. Yes, you read that right! How? Freelancing requires you to be your own CEO, your own accountant, your own marketing specialist, your own PR specialist and so on. Offcourse it takes a while to get into the game and make a sustainable living out of it but it is worth every bit the pain.


Firstly, I suggest freelancers to also take up a part time job in the same filed as it not only educates you about the work culture but also teaches you on how to keep your services top notch.


Secondly, you are not an individual. You are a business entity. You are the face for the services you provide. Hence, “QUALITY” and “CUSTOMER SATISFACTION” should be your primary focus and long term vision.


Thirdly, working in any industry in a freelance capacity is tough, daunting and can be very testing on your bank balance and hence, patience is key. Remember , efforts always pay off in the end.


Another extremely important thing to remember is to “Set your rates and stick by them”. What I mean to say is, decide what a fair and realistic rate to charge your employers could be and having said that , also do not undersell yourself! If you charge a decent rate for your work, you will be more highly respected and as a result, will be more likely to get more work.


Now, that being said, it is important to provide extremely high quality work. When starting out, it can be tempting to take on as many jobs as possible in order to get paid and build up your portfolio. But trust me 1 small project in which you are able to deliver quality and client satisfaction and meet the deadline is far better than a whole lot of unfinished, unhappy clients. if you provide a rushed translation that hasn’t been researched properly, you will gain a poor reputation and could even miss out on payment. However, if you provide a high-quality, professional translation, it is highly likely that it will lead to more work and will certainly help you move forward in your career.


Also another key factor is word of mouth, marketing yourself etc. One of the best ways to get work when starting out is pretty simple: get your name out there! Companies can’t hire you if they don’t know you exist after all. Yes, it takes a lot of time and yes, it can be pretty tedious, and disappointing at times but send out as many letters and CVs to translation agencies or companies you think may benefit from your services. And always remember, you’re investing in yourself and it is your business.






Last but not the least, “Without clients, you do not have a business.” Your success will depend on your ability to attract clients and to make them happy with quality services :)