A Freelancer’s Guide To Staying On Top Of The Competition

Business

As a freelancer, you can never underestimate the power of knowledge. As a beginning freelancer, your knowledge relating to the field in which you offer services is representative of where your ticket to earning a living and putting food on your table resides. Without this knowledge, you have little to offer to the businesses looking to hire us crazy, self-employed freelancers, and you’ll likely be swept under the rug.

Luckily, you do have knowledge! You’re prepared to step into the world of self-employment and show off your skills. You’ll no doubt learn things as you progress down your freelancing path, and your skills will flourish since you’re now using them every day. Your confidence in your ability to deliver a fantastic final product will blossom, and you’ll find you’re having the time of your life.

But gradually, the industry will shift beneath your feet. You won’t immediately be able to identify the things that are changing, but they will continue to adapt as time progresses. It’s no doubt caused by growth in the industry, and you need to figure out where they’re going. At this stage, nobody is responsible for your knowledge except for you, so you need to find a way to educate yourself. I’ll use a practical example from my particular industry, writing.

A Freelancer’s Guide To Staying On Top Of The Competition

Freelancing Before the Internet was Popular

Freelance writers had existed before the Internet became mainstream. Networking did, too. Back then, mostly everything was done on a facetoface basis. Freelancers would approach newspapers and journals with proposals instead of sending them to potential clients over email. As you earned gigs, and as you wrote pieces for various clients, they’d refer you to friends and other businesses. That was how your clientele grew. You focused primarily on covering controversial topics, as that’s what was in high demand.

Now, freelance writers can only be so useful if they don’t also know the in’s and out’s of SEO, content marketing, and branded journalism. Without it, their pieces may never even be read by an audience, as they’ll become buried with millions of other articles. It’s our responsibility to ensure that our skills stay relevant and applicable in today’s industries. One of the easiest ways to do that is through online training.

A Freelancer’s Guide To Staying On Top Of The Competition

Companies Catching On

Companies like Learning 247 have been savvy with regards to this principle for a long time. They have been offering individuals and businesses the chance to receive a professional education in whatever it is that they need to know. Making heads or tails of the more intricate aspects of your industry, without assistance, can leave you with the wrong impression of how things are meant to work. Centred on technology-based knowledge, companies like Learning 247 ensure that you can learn anything from how to setup a server to how to advance your Photoshop skills.

If you use these resources correctly, you can easily ensure that you are a legitimate contender next time you submit a proposal for a freelance position. The world of freelancing is dangerous, risky, exciting, and rewarding, but only for those who are willing to work hard for their clients. So ensure that your next client gives you a glowing recommendation–deliver your best work, and ensure you have the skills that they need. As your own boss, take responsibility and you’ll go far.