https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-crew-neck-t-shirt-using-silver-macbook-3987034/
Freelancing is a great way to live a mobile, fast-moving life and still pay the bills. No more being tethered to an office chair, no sitting around feeling like a prisoner until closing time, and the freedom to pick and choose jobs. However, with it comes to the fact that many freelancers simply don’t have the same facilities that their bigger counterparts enjoy. An office, business address, phone or fax number are often the first things that a potential client looks for, and yet without them, a freelancer can lose work simply as they look unprofessional. However, there are a few simple steps that contractors can take to ‘beef up’ their business’ appearance and give the impression of an outfit that means business.
Get An Address!
Perhaps one of the most overlooked elements of the subcontractor and freelance lifestyle, this is ironically one of the most important. How can clients feel reassured their work is in the hands of someone who is in one place? Where can they send an invoice? Where can they post documents or follow up communication? Freelancers don’t need to post their home address to satisfy this requirement, which is just as well as many don’t have a fixed address. There is now a whole range of affordable hot desking options meaning that a freelancer can simply pull up a pew and have a fixed location for anything from an hour to a year at a time. Much cheaper and less of a tie than hiring out a fully-fledged office suite. And for those that prefer to work from home or on the move, forwarding options mean that an office address can receive mail that is then scanned sent on to the recipient at a later date. Often these have a prestigious location such as central London or one of San Francisco’s many high rise blocks…not bad for a small monthly sum!
Get Phone, Fax and Email Addresses Current and Fixed!
Much like with an address, clients don’t want to have to start rifling through a bunch of old mobile and fax numbers, as well as a litany of old Gmail addresses. Fixed-line forwarding numbers are available for free in many countries, as are fax numbers that will scan and email any documents received. And purchasing a domain name for a small sum each year ensures that emails get sent to a professional-looking address rather than some backstreet vendor using throwaway email addresses.
Get Up To Spec On Tech!
Ensuring that a laptop, tablet or smartphone is up to date and working is, of course, the cornerstone to any successful freelancing career. You also need a good website, with exceptional hosting options. However, as previously mentioned, many freelancers work on the move, relying on public wifi and dubious hotspots. A cheap VPN will mitigate many issues, especially as it can be applied across most devices.
Keep It Consistent!
You need to make sure the customer experience is enjoyable and consistent. There is a great customer experience strategy available here. Keeping all a freelancer’s ducks in a row is a basic task but it is often messed up. An address inconsistency can blow the lid off of the temporary nature of the business. An incorrect email shared in an ad on Reddit or Facebook can mean hundreds or thousands of leads end up in a dead space and potential customers simply look elsewhere. Once the details of a business’ address, email or contact numbers are changed, commit them to memory, or better still, get straight to making business cards with the new information. This saves having to remember everything, favouring instead the classic line of, “here, take my card, it has everything on it.”
Outsource Non-Essential Operations!
If numbers aren’t a strong point, find an accountant. If graphic design is a weakness, get someone with experience and skill to take the job on. Too many freelancers take on all of the jobs themselves, resulting in the impression of a half cocked one man band. It doesn’t impress anyone and makes clients think that their contractor is overloaded. Not only is outsourcing cheaper and quicker than ever thanks to the advent of micro-gigging websites and social media, it means that contractors themselves make ‘in roads’ with other freelancers, forging meaningful relationships and ensuring that, in future, they are working with other freelance workers that know what their counterparts need and expect in a job. While drawing up a CAD illustration might take a week or two on the first go, the second time around will be twice as quick, and so forth. And it beats turning in a poorly constructed, home made attempt.
With all this in mind, the salient point to remember is that looking like a fully fledged, big business no longer comes with the requisite price tag. It’s cheaper than ever to make a business that is largely based on a freelancer’s sofa look like a professional outfit with one or more prestigious and efficiently run offices. And these first impressions are often what will make a potential customer say yes or no.