For a lot of people, a big concern regarding becoming a freelance worker is the ability to get yourself known. One of the hardest things to do is compete against larger companies, who can produce beautiful marketing content and professional websites.
Thankfully, a lot of restrictions have been removed, and it’s possible to masquerade as a big business while working from your bedroom.
Website
Ideally, if you’re a freelance worker, you should have a broad portfolio. And, the best way to show off a portfolio, is through a stunning website. In the past, you’d need to hire a website developer to build a website for you. Nowadays, you just need to get online. Using a website builder like Wix or Squarespace gives you the opportunity to build a beautiful website, all by yourself. These services will usually provide scaling payment rates, making it very affordable.
You will probably need to spend a bit of time working on your website before it reaches it’s full potential. Having a website to show potential clients will make you look professional and trustworthy.
Virtual Offices
When you’ve got your site, you’re going to want some professional contact details on the site! Clients will be easily put off by mobile or residential phone numbers, so you’ll need a business one. If you have a mailing address on the site, you’ll also want a business address. Otherwise, people will find it hard to trust you. You can get your hands on a professional phone number; that will act like a mobile contract. And, you can also pay for an address, and have any mail that gets sent to it transferred back to you. Companies like www.yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk offer services like this but do some research for the best option local to you.
Email Addresses/Other Customer Facing Tools
Any email that you send as part of your business should have a professional email address. They should also have a signature, with your logo and contact details. You’ll probably get email hosting with your website, and it will just need to be set up. To sort out a signature, you may have to use an online tool. Otherwise, you’ll have to build your own using HTML. Any other little things that your customers see should also be uniform and in line with your brand. This includes any marketing documents, proposals, quotes, and invoices.
Social Media
You should set up at least one social media account. This will give customers a way to communicate with your business, without having to contact you directly. Just like your marketing, any social media accounts should match your branding and identity. You should also be aware of punctuation and grammar on these sites, so you’re representing your business. You should also avoid offending people or being rude. Customers will often look at your social media before deciding to make a deal; so you have to be careful.
Getting set up in your new career as a freelance worker can be a stressful one. Just remember; you’ll only get out what you put in, especially when you work for yourself.
This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it may contain affiliate links.