More on becoming a killer freelancer

1. Finding your niche

As you probably know, successful freelancers are experts in a particular area. One graphic designer might be a specialist in corporate ID, or in web design. Another might work across several media, but specialise in visual genius for the healthcare industry.

One way or another, if you want to succeed, you must establish yourself as an expert in what you do. You need your name to jump to mind when a particular job or challenge arises. "Direct mail for the events industry? You should get in touch with Daniel. That's what he does." (Insert your own name and area of specialisation where appropriate.)

You can't get that kind of referral if you're someone who handles just about anything in any medium. Nobody is going to believe you're an expert in everything (it's that ‘jack-of-all-trades' problem). So how do you determine a viable 'niche'? You have three choices:

Industry niche

Spend time working in, and getting to know, a particular industry. For years, I worked with clients in the travel industry. Most of my clients were travel and tour operators. I wrote direct mail, ads, brochures, web copy and scripts. I wrote anything, as long as it was about travel. That was my niche. And people knew I was knowledgeable in that area, so they came to me: “Hey, Tiffany, apparently you're the person to talk to...”

Channel niche

Make a particular channel or medium your specialty. After years of writing for the travel industry (very colourful, descriptive writing), I decided to specialise as a web copywriter. I wrote web copy, e-newsletters and mailers - things that would be read on-screen (very clean, clear, straightforward writing). I was a web copy specialist. And I wrote for a whole lot of different industries: travel, financial services, retail, HR, FMCGs and NGOs.

Multi-Niche

When you multi-niche, you design a specialty out of serving a single industry through a particular medium. For instance, writing web copy for the travel industry. And only writing web copy for the travel industry. Granted, there'll be less work out there, but a) you can charge more if you're one of only a few suppliers who do it and b) you'll get a lot of it. It'll also be easier to explain what you do (which can be interesting when you start out).

2. Building your brand

Too many freelancers believe that creating a brand starts and ends with the creation of a pretty logo and a glossy business card. Not true. The final expression of your brand, in words and images, comes right at the end of the process of brand creation.

Why? Because as a freelancer, your brand is you.

You can't create your business without putting yourself out there - it's your skills people will be paying for. So you must create your brand by finding the best ways to express your vision, goals and strengths. There are four elements to consider when tackling this:

What are your strengths?

You need to build your brand around your strengths. When people hear or read your name, you want them to associate your name with what you do best.

There is an issue of clarity here, too. You need to be specific about where your core strengths lie. You don't want people reading your name and thinking, "Yes, I've heard the name. A good photographer, apparently. But I really don't know what she's good at."

So take some time to identify what you're best at. And if there are a few areas in which you shine, keep that list in mind and see which tie in best with the next three elements.

What are your goals?

It is possible to find yourself a prisoner of your own brand.

We see this with actors. An actor may become known for his roles in action movies. Being an action hero becomes an important part of his brand. But what happens if he wants to act in a serious drama? He may have the talent, but he will come up against barriers to those kinds of roles - because he's is branded as an action hero.

The same things can happen with your freelance career. So make sure the brand positioning you choose fits your own career goals. If you don't, you may find yourself the prisoner of a brand that isn't going to take you where you want to go.

Stay in touch with your passions

When I started out, one of my first (and subsequently biggest) clients took me on not because I had any experience in doing what he wanted, but because I was excited about giving it a shot - and he could tell how much I loved my job. Yup, passion is contagious. Prospective clients will love to hear you speaking with genuine enthusiasm about your work. It makes a big difference. So make sure you pick a strength that is also a passion.

Fit your brand with your personality

What kind of person are you? Are you an extrovert? Are you outgoing and noisy? Are you a peoples' person? Or are you more of a quiet, behind-the-scenes type of person? Whatever your personality, build a brand that fits. Because if you're shy and have a fear of public speaking, it's no good to build a brand that will imply that you're confident and happy to speak at large business meetings, conferences or other public events.

Also, make sure that the brand you create fits in with your morals and values. Don't try to build a career in an area you feel uneasy about. Here's an example: I was once asked to write soft porn for a local mag. The money was unbelievable, but I couldn't bring myself to accept the brief. I felt weird about it. So I said ‘No' - you're allowed to say ‘No', you know.

3. Getting that first client

The biggest question I get from those who are just starting out, or thinking about it, is, "How do I get my first client?" And that fear can be greater than the challenge itself.

There are a couple of ways to get that first client. One is to do a job ‘on spec'. That is, to take a job without being paid a fee. Only if the client likes and uses the work, do you get paid for it. You get the experience and he avoids the risk inherent in using a ‘newbie'. This may sound like a strange thing to do, but working on spec has two benefits:

• You get valuable experience working for a real client.
  
• You get some work to add to your freelance portfolio.

That second point is key. Add a few spec jobs to your portfolio and suddenly you have something to show when you're pitching for a paid client. As with many aspects of building your business, there are good and bad ways to go about working on spec.

But I must issue a disclaimer: once you're up and running, with a nice client base and regular work, no more spec! There are plenty clients out there who like to use brilliant work without paying for it, and if you have a good business, that won't work for you.

4. Maintaining your marketing

I've been on my own as a freelancer for four years and in the industry for nine, and in that time, I don't think I've a single quiet month. (Except possibly for the two weeks between Christmas and early Jan.) Be that as it may, I'm always marketing.

Whether you're new to the biz or an old hand, keep looking for new clients - even when you have as much work as you can handle. Here's why: Things can change. One day it looks like you have all the work you can tolerate and the next day, a job disappears.

Bottom line: no job (and no client) is ever guaranteed. There are always reasons why you can lose a job. And sometimes quite suddenly. Through no fault of your own.

So protect yourself by working on new relationships all the time. You should be upfront if you can't do any work right away. But you can keep talking and building the relationship, and when you have some time free, you have a hot lead you can contact straight away.

5. Extra tip: Dealing with ‘cheapie versions' of you

Do you really want to compete with someone in India who charges just R10 to write a 1000-word article? Do you really want to pitch for a design job with 250 other people, when the budget is sinful? Do you really want to lower and lower and lower your rates?

If you're just starting out, I'm afraid to say, “Yes, you do.” You really want to do everything you can to get the experience, even if it means losing out on the zeroes.

But once you're a little more established, remember this: when you try to compete on price, you are jumping into a bottomless pit. Your earnings will decline, you'll work harder and harder and you'll feel terrible about yourself and your business.

So never compete with others on price. Set your rates according to the quality and value of what you do and your clients will respect you more for knowing your own worth.

Next time: ‘business planning', ‘navigating the admin jungle', ‘the benefits of accurate time-keeping' and ‘the art and science of a contract'.