If you have not noticed the freelance world is continuing to grow with plenty of people using freelancing as a supplemental form of income. While many people are satisfied with this extra money on a monthly basis others want to take their side gig to the next level. For some people this is making a certain amount while for others it means working for themselves indefinitely. Do not think that this is going to be easy as people who have a difficult time motivating themselves without a boss over their shoulder might not be able to motivate themselves appropriately. The following are tips to help turn your side gig into a full-time job.
Identify Skills You Have That Are In Demand
If you have not already take a look at what companies need as far as freelancing goes. For the most part they need help in all areas but those with writing expertise can start earning nearly immediately. Too many people looking to write for a living want to write on subject matter that they want. Unfortunately most people do not want to pay for random rants on certain subjects so writing your memoirs might not be profitable. Those who love to learn about new topics can become proficient in writing in a large amount of niches. Take time to find a freelancer platform that will assist in your client search as well as helps guarantee payment for work that has been completed.
Choose an industry that is widely needed, such as becoming a Merchant Services ISO, so that your client base is as wide as possible.
Work Your Side Gig and Full-Time Job For As Long As Possible
The one thing that you want to do is work your current job and side gig for as long as possible. This is going to be a great way to build up a nest egg financially and this allows for a freelancer to be selective about projects they will take on. This can also be an opportunity to see if your side gig can expand or if you already have grown it as large as it can be. These means putting in long hours but if all else works out then you might never have to go into an office again!
Build Your Client Base
Building a client base is usually the most difficult part of being a freelancer as getting consistent clients can be tough. Finding consistent clients is key to being able to quit your full-time job with confidence to pursue your side gig. Building a client base is all about clear communication, hitting deadlines, and a balance between value and quality of work. Upwork is a great place to start working with clients as you might find you do not like the way that certain companies work with freelancers. These platforms have ratings of clients as well so you can see if a client has unrealistic expectations for a project at a certain price.
As you can see it is going to be a risk to leave your full-time job but you can mitigate this risk. Do not continue to go work for someone else and start getting paid with profits that YOU have earned.