Ten Steps To Become An Excellent Freelance Designer
1. Brand yourself. Nearly any company or corporation falls apart without an established style. Without a notable personalised logo you will only fade into the background where literally hundreds of freelance designers wander.
2. Make an effective online portfolio. It is nearly impossible to achieve success in graphic or online design without having a powerful online presence. Any possible clients or bosses will wish to see your work and most of them will prefer to type in a URL and click what they wish to see.
3. Make an equally effective print portfolio, business cards, resume, etc. This is somewhat a combination of the other 2 steps. Be sure you create an impressive tangible portfolio which you could give to people that need to see your work "in person". Also use your branding and identity to make business cards, stationery, et cetera. Any time you could slap your personal logo on something, do it.
4. Be brave, daring, and professional. Don't be anxious to call people, offer services, email businesses and more. Not too long ago, I was printing a job for a customer and at the printing shop, a person complimented me on the design of the piece. After engaging in friendly conversation, he asked me for some tips about the piece he was printing for his own business. Even though I was short on time, I was happy to help him and after I got ready to leave, I offered my future services then gave him a card. Have confidence that people will appreciate your skills.
5. Go the extra mile for your prospects. Word of mouth is a very powerful tool you have. Nothing could help you or hurt you a lot more than rumors and compliments shared by other people for whom you have done work before. About 90% of the freelance work I do comes from word-of-mouth advertising.
6. Get the smaller opportunities first. Doing well at a small job for somebody may also help open doors for your customer to do bigger, better things. I entered a logo contest for a particular organization and out of the 4 logos I entered, 2 tied for first place pick. They were so impressed, I offered to design their internet site also. Related offers can be made for an organization's stationery, business cards, etc. Find a niche and then take courage and offer more.
7. Never underestimate yourself. This goes together with Number 4. Be sure to believe in yourself. Nobody will ever get a designer that thinks he might not do as good a job as the next guy. Be sure to reflect your confidence in your pricing. If your work is excellent, charge good money for it.
8. Network. Graphic and web design are quickly changing. Every day new strategies and styles are made and the designer found sleeping on the job is left in the dust. Join social networks like twitter, linkedin, facebook, digg, and more. Start a weblog and continuously add significant comments on others' sites. Making a reputation for yourself in the design world takes some time but can be achieved using social networking websites.
9. Practice, practice, practice. Nothing would help you increase in self-confidence and skill more than practice. If work is a little bit slow, nail down some of those personal projects you've been meaning to complete. Be part of a group at school or locally where you can freshen your very own abilities. Engage in design forums, contests, and workshops. Nothing can take the place of real life application and experience.
10. Pay attention. I like to carry a small pad around with me. Each time I see an advertisement, photograph, building, person, etc. that influences my imaginative thinking.
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