7 tips for freelancers and anyone who wants them to become

After I successfully left the office chair and chose a fun and unbridled life of a freelancer, much has changed: the attitude to life, to money, to his own case; It has the opportunity to travel and be mobile. In these blessings fallen on me, I seriously wondered what he was, a successful freelance? I thought long and decided to formulate the seven principles that allow me not only to keep afloat, but and not to lose the most valuable asset of freelancers - loyal and proven regular customers.

So, what I've come ...

1. Do better, do more, do faster

Suppose the amount of your task - to 100 units. Make it 105. And not five days, as agreed, but four and a half. Especially if you are into freelancing came recently and even more so if you are already an established professional. Render, share, be translators. It is this point let me as soon as possible not only to get out of the office a whirlwind, but also to leave for a long journey without a return ticket: my customers were waiting for me while I rode a motorcycle around the islands of Indonesia, or wandered through Nepal's mountains. Trust - is the crystal ball, which is very difficult to restore, once breaking.

2. Take responsibility for the work done and the word

A logical continuation of the first paragraph. Nakosyachili with the site? Not otmazyvatsya fix. They gave the word to get in touch at 13:00? Inform the customer at 12:55, they were ready to talk. It's amazing how many freelancers burns on such simple things like punctuality. Time - the only irreplaceable resource, which leads to contempt straight into the black lists of customers.

3. Solve the problems of the client, and do not climb into his pocket

Freelancer - from the word free, that is free. And to bear this proud name, it is necessary to know how to work with clients. Listen to the one who came to you, to reveal his pain, solve his problem. The customer does not need a website or a text that we do. He needs a solution: an increase in sales volume, audience reach, traffic movement and so on. Professionalism - is mindfulness, the money comes as the usefulness of our market and society.

One of the most common beginner questions: "How much?"

It is the desire to row under him, wailing, "My, my," more than any other, gives a man the layman.

It is the same and does not allow him to go beyond all known exchanges of freelancing. I do this first sin. A little later, when a little pump over, saw on the same rake are those I began to delegate part of its tasks.

4. take a prepayment

The simplest principle that collects internally and provides nourishment for the start of a new project. Plus, you experience the confidence that the customer does not Srul when the remains just pour site hosting. For me, only an advance payment guarantee is started, without it I do not even open their software to develop. However, if you are a beginner and you have a minimal portfolio, it is better to work on simple exchanges such as Work-zilla, that all transactions between the parties is the guarantor and arbiter. Later, when tried and tested name and portfolio, prepayment should be one of the fundamental factors interaction.

When working with regular customers, I often neglect this rule. Established trust relationships allow to cooperate on more flexible terms up to requests to fill in the Skype account future correction online.

5. Take full payment after the completion of all work

Sometimes come across customers who are ready to pay the full amount for the work before it is finished. It seems to be nice, but... There's a very delicate moment: lose motivation. Having money in your pocket, you are trying to shut down the project as quickly as possible. In this regard, the quality begins to suffer, there is laziness, often have to force yourself to work with kicks. So I always leave carrots for themselves, which will take only upon completion of the work. Good material bonus for successful completion.

6. Start making

This life hacking, I discovered for myself, even when I was at uni. I called him by Rule 10-15 minutes, and later learned that invented your own bike. ;)

The whole point lies in the way the brain functions: drawn into the task, he then simply do not want to switch to anything else.

But the brain is always resists conscious effort to start anything. And the same principle applies in other spheres of life: from the kitchen faucet repair, finishing exits to training or hiking. After a successful ten-taming mental stubbornness I suddenly became clear the nature of laziness.

Laziness - it is the lack of willpower just to start!

7. Do not be afraid of low-paid orders

Sometimes, in a series of orders lull. Old projects are closed and new ones have not yet opened. You can exhale... exhaled, exhale, and still no orders. Slowly begins irritation, turning into a panic: "A-ah, no orders!!! And-and-and, soon there will be no money!!! A-ah, I damn!!! A-ah, all die!!! "As soon as I see the manifestation of such tantrums on the mental level, I decide to make a share. I go to the stock exchange and take bookings with cost 30-50% less than my well-established prices.

The purpose of such action - Removing the disturbing emotions and impressions in your own mind, so instead of "A-ah, no orders!" In it aired "Excellent! The order is, work. " The bonus to this reception may be the expansion of the zone of their regular customers. What a lot of people you communicate, the more the likelihood that you are on someone tells anyone. However, I will never work for free! Even if I do not take money for their service, then please do something for me in return. This allows you and the customer to appreciate the time and effort of each other.

The most amazing thing is that this technique in conjunction with the first item works almost flawlessly: eight out of 10 times I have opened a stream of orders that could not be stopped for weeks. Apparently, right esotericism, referring to the direct influence of the way of thinking on the reality in which we live.

instead of a conclusion

Part of the above principles I learned from the wonderful people who taught me to make remotely. Another part formed the empirically, color in my personal palette. But what would each of these principles may have been generated and wherever they are heard, the purpose of them all is the same: to make us successful, informed and effective.