FREELANCING

What is Free Lancing?
It is most commonly believed that the freelancing is associated with photographers and journalist. But it is partially true, it is also applicable to interior designers, performing artists, catering services, professional sports persons, illustrators, designers, decorators, garden designers/landscape artists, beauty therapists, translators, interpreters, tourists guides/escort services, florists, and many others as elaborated below.
As organisations continue to downsize, outsource and focus on their core competencies, the number of freelance workers is on the rise. Even in India this trend towards downsizing has left many an experienced professional without a worthwhile regular job. But on the other side of coin the good news is that work continues to grow and fewer jobs do not mean less work. Instead of having a lot many employees on the payroll earning their keep in busy times, but being a dead weight on the overhead in slack times organisations are focusing on strategies like 'JIT or just in time' and 'as and when' human resourcing which is paving way for the freelance worker to come in.
Decide to become a freelancer with emphasizing on following three factors:
a) Your competency & credibility in your chosen field
b) Marketability of the skills you have to offer, and
c) Your own temperament when it comes to dealing with the uncertainties and pressure of working as a freelancer.
Freelancing! A self-employment?
There is no doubt that Freelancing is a form of self-employment and has to be run in a business like way. But it is not the sort of business that requires premises or more capital except what is require to buy essential equipment. A freelancer is simply someone with a skill who works for a variety of clients. He/she is free to determine his/her working hours, has a great deal of discretion over how the job is done, provided it is delivered on time, within an agreed price and to the client's satisfaction. Freelancers are not reliant on a regular pay packet from who ever has assigned the work to him/her. One might also add that a freelancer seldom employs other people.
How to be a Freelancer?
For Freelance, There is no need of high finance/input. The only thing we need is to have the credibility in the chosen sphere, which generally means having worked in it as an employee. Without work experience & contacts it's very difficult to be a Freelancer.
Apart from the need for basic exposure and experience, one would require investment on acquiring the tools of the trade such as reference books; Fax machine; computer and printer; stationery; answering machine; telephone; postage and travel costs.
Get set go!!
As a freelancer one has to live with the uncertainties of its peaks when there is a lot of work pouring in and troughs when there is not enough to assure a regular flow of income. Freelancers usually work from their home offices, which means they must be able to establish a disciplined office routine, managing time and completing assignments even while handling the disturbances of a home.
Negotiating rates on ones own in an informal work environment and on ones own terms, is a skill that has to be acquired by a freelancer in the environs of the home office.
Many freelancers who are involved in fieldwork such as photographers, journalists, translators rarely negotiate assignments in their home offices. Their usual business environment is the client's office.
An enormous amount of networking and constant flow of assignments is required for freelance as they need to attract notice and attention towards their work/ skills.


Basic Requirements of Specialised Areas
Business Services
Some typical examples:
1. Accountancy, which requires professional training and experience.
2. Word Processing requires secretarial and computer skills with the necessary equipment.
3. Public Relations, which may include photography, preparing illustrations and organizing promotions.
4. Market Research interviewing.
5. Ex-servicemen or ex- police officials usually take up private Investigation.
6. Direct selling- An increasing number of direct sales companies have jumped into the fray Amway, Oriflamme, Tupperware, Aviance, Lotus Learning are a few names you would have come across. Direct selling involves selling products- house- hold, educational and cosmetics to friends., neighbors and other contacts. Income is based on commission's and therefore, higher with volume of sales. Many companies offer some basic sales training but the main difficulty is to overcome the cultural inhibitions of selling to social contacts.

Crafts Many of them are a hobby rather than a potential source of income. Under this umbrella of crafts are included book - binding, fashion accessories, lettering, calligraphy, Ceramics, toy/ doll making, metal craft, textiles, antique furniture restoration, etc. Freelancing, as a craftsperson can be a lonely occupation, Good work that you have done is the best form of promotion and your contacts should be maintained.

Web Content Provider
With proliferation of websites and portals, content providing is a huge opportunity. Prior experience in writing for the print and electronic media or proven professional experience and knowledge make it easy to break in.

Dispatch your Skills
You can dispatch your skill or wish as a Freelancer. Musicians, singers, models, actors, dancers, are usually freelancers whose basic skills are acquired through training and practical experience. Net working and awareness of changing trends is must to stay ahead in the profession.

Photography, Illustration and Design Photography, Illustration an Design are very popular freelance options in these creative occupations artists are looking for the stimulus of a wide range of assignments of more than one employer. Credentials of a successful record, a well- assembled portfolio and the right type of marking skills can reap huge rewards of excellent work contracts, identifying the fight outlets is important.

Indoor Service
Popular services in regular demand are:
1. Interior design and decoration
2. Cooking and catering
3. Childcare
4. Garden Designing
5. Beauty therapy
6. Contract cleaning
7. Providing domestic staff etc.

While venturing into this area of freelance work, the primary idea should be to keep the activity provided clear and simple. Do not stray out of your definable field of competence. Put that simple message over in your publicity and ensure that possible customers see it. Business will grow more by word of mouth publicity so take care to provide assured service at competitive rate.

Writing and journalism
As a journalist or writer you can decide to work for more than one employer Formal qualifications matter, but not as much as the personal characteristics of a high level of curiosity, excellent communications skills both written and oral.
Technical writing is an emerging freelance opportunity for those who have the requisite technical/scientific training and experience with the necessary writing skills.
Plus a significant number of professionals such as architecture, lawyers, insurance surveyors are often freelancers.

Management Consulting
For being as a management consultants who collects, review and analyze data, make recommendations an assist in the implementation of proposals is the prerogative of retired/ experienced and/ or redundant executives if you can establish your expertise in a subject or functional area that is in demand, your advice is taken more seriously.

Typical work areas include: -
1. Computer consultancy,,
2. Placement/ career consultancy,
3. Human resource development consultancy,
4. Tax consultancy or
5. Consultancy in many of the service and leisure industries.
6. Freelance consultancies are also burgeoning in specific research fields, ranging from market research to security systems research or even of potential candidates for senior managerial posts.

Editors and Proofreaders
With prior formal experience of this type of work, you can always set yourself up as a freelance editor or proofreader for various publishing houses, or websites/ portals.

Radio and Television
Radio and television are both freelance industries. Many broadcasting business/ electronic media workers are actually running your own business too. Whether a director, actor, camera operator, writer etc. you also have to control your own affairs- marketing accounts. Manage their own office and correspondence, managing time off and managing assignments and deciding and recruiting requisite support staff or assistant/ secretary. Etc.

Travel and Tourism
Translating, interpreting, tourist guide/ escort services, teaching of foreign language are all linked to working in travel and tourism. Academic training and on the job work experience with proper net working are required to get established.




Useful Personality Attributes
Freelancers should keep stock-in-trade up-to-date. The various areas of work call for some specific skills For example; one must posses the ability to communicate in writing not only in order to get work but to operate as a consultant as well. Written reports and summaries before during, and at the end of the assignment, are a universal requirement.
Primarily public relations work involves some writing so writing skills and good contacts with journalists are essential. Market Researchers while interviewing require no particular qualifications but good powers of observation, tact, perception and the ability to get along with a wide variety of people, a thick skin and lots of energy.
Private investigation requires knowledge of relevant parts of civil and criminal law, the are of questioning and perseverance.
Home services providers need experience/ allied training in the field ideally, but overall managements skills must be present.
Photographers/ artists should have a well-assembled portfolio and the right type of marketing skills.
Crafts persons must be good communicators, verbally, in writing as well as innovative in their product range, Awareness of trends is important. Ultimately the best form of promotion is good work that you have done but your contacts should be nurtured.
Being hard working self-disciplined, delivering quality work against tight deadlines and willingness to continue learning are important qualities for freelancing.

Prospects
As knowledge, brainpower and vibrancy take over from brawn and routine, we will find freelancers playing a growing role in future work patterns. Together with professionals such as accountants, scientists, engineers and the like whom they increasingly resemble, freelancers already represent a significant percentage of the workforce and some experts thinks that in the 21st century they could be the biggest segment.
All those who wish to go on earning a living throughout their active working life now need to know how to freelance. They must know how to identify, package, price, market and sell their skill as a one-person knowledge.
For those who are good at what they do and can market your services/ products, there are always enough buyers, so insecurity of a steady income never really comes up for the sincere freelance worker. Most of them earn far more than they could ever have in regular employment. The harder you work the luckier you get, is very true for freelancing.