Calling all Freelancers

[ruthmetro]

I am currently finihsing my last year at uni studying Graphic Design and I am particularly interested in freelancing in the future and I just wondered if any of you freelancers would be able to take the time to answer a couple of quick questions for me about freelancing...

1. What do you think the main skills are required to be a successful freelancer?

2. What methods of personal marketing do you use to promote yourself and get work?

3. How did you first get into freelancing and build yourself up? and how long did it take you to get regular work?

4. What is the most important thing to do after graduating/first starting out? would you recomend going straight into freelancing or getting a job in a company first?

5. What would you say you enjoy most about freelancing?

Type of work you do:
Any examples of your work:

Thanks

[PrintDriver]

1. Main skills:
Time management, business/accounting savvy, contract/copyright law, marketing theory, interpersonal communication, output knowledge (print or web, whatever your field is), oh, and Graphic Design skills.
:D

[3howards]

You should read The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber..

[MPI]

1. Discipline.

2. Professional networking.

3. I lucked into it. After working at regular jobs for about a decade, I made the jump to freelance. All my work comes from 10 years worth of professional connections. I've never had to market myself.

4. I'd recommend getting a job. You'll learn more than you did at school - and get paid for learning. Plus, if you work with other more experienced professionals the quality of your work will greatly improve.

5. The good and bad of freelancing: Every day's a saturday; but I have to work weekends. It's both my favorite thing, and the thing I like the least.

[RainyTimes]

You should read The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber..


I second that!

I would definitely recommend that book too, I read it about a year ago, and can honestly say that it's one of the books that opened my mind to alot of business aspects, that otherwise we tend to not think about.

And it's a great easy read.