These freelancers will fade out in 2020

Believe me, no one can stop you from being a loser, but overcoming these will turn your career into a success

There is a strong buzz that the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged the field of freelancing. People are spending their significant time by learning digital skills. Screen time has been increased and more money is floating in the digital world.

Congratulations, you have received your first payment. This message is such a relief in these days but if you are missing of the followings, you may end with declining and eventually with no new orders.

Resilience and patience

It takes time for a seed to develop into a complete tree, and so is the case with your career. Unlike 9 to 5 jobs, the client is more interested in your skills than to the degree stuff. If you have a skill, polish it regularly.

Because at the end of the day the skillful one will be awarded a job. There may be some days that end with no orders or you may face an eccentric or annoying buyer and so on. The ups and downs are part and parcel of life. Never lose hope. Patience is the key.

Bidding in oversaturated marketplaces

Mostly, people search like, “top 3 or 5 freelancing websites” and then dive in there. This has made the platform over-saturated. The number of buyers is lower in comparison with sellers.

Buyers usually rely on experienced and old sellers rather than the budding ones. When a buyer posts his contract, he expects an experienced freelancer in that particular field. Some buyers ask for samples others don’t but they would be happier to see your related work.

Moreover, you need to be super-duper quick while bidding. The moment you have ended up writing your bid, the buyer has gotten several competitive bids. There is a definite chance that your bid has gone down the list.

Tip:
Look for an unsaturated freelance marketplace. They charge low or zero in terms of a transaction fee. Moreover, you will face a less competitive environment which gives you an edge as a budding freelancer.

Surface knowledge of your field

A little knowledge is always dangerous. People go into the freelancing career without having pertinent knowledge about that. Freelancing has now become an emerging industry. Just like you are bound to produce the best possible results in real life, the virtual world also demands efficiency and effectiveness.

You may get an order or two but this will not go forever. Things will not be the same in the market. Trends change drastically every day. Making the ends meet is not possible unless you are a keen observer of your field and know about your competitors' skills. If you do not regularly update your knowledge, you are likely to face rejection and decline in ratings.

Tip:
Do not be a jack of all trades, be the master of one. Stick to one particular field. You probably learn from Udemy or Coursera.

Absence of portfolio

Can you give me any samples of related work?
This is the most heart-wrenching question for newbies. You may face rejection or termination of contract only because you do not have any experience.

As a freelancer you need to understand that the client is not a philanthropist. And just like you, he also wants to earn more.

Your portfolio is an image of you. You can offer a free service or can work at low rates at start. Ask for client’s remarks if your work is appreciated. Save it for the future. That is one way you can develop your portfolio.

Tip:
Ask your client to rate your work. Make a PDF document for all of your work. You may create a website to place all of your work there.

Lack of business development skills

You have started your career and it is going well. While you are being revered and paid accordingly, there is a strange comment complaining of your unresponsiveness. With time, you observe that these comments have increased rapidly. Sooner you realize that you are not been able to manage all the burden and stuff at once.

Lack of business development skills are not only help you expand your business but it also makes you a true entrepreneur.

Tip:
Build your audience on social media. Use Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to showcase your abilities and build valuable collaborations.