Action Plan 1. YOUR 5 POINT CHECKLIST TO BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL FREELANCER 1. CONTACT EVERYONE YOU HAVE EVER KNOWN In your initial outreach email include: • • • • What you are freelancing in When you can start taking on work How best to contact you Links to previous work These are all the steps you need to take before you quit your job to go fully freelance. Looking for some more advice? Why not send an email to Annie, our student advisor at [email protected]. Don’t forget to ask all of these people to pass your email on to ANYONE who might be interested. Just asking people to share these things along can make a huge difference and spreads your net even wider. 2. BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND This means getting a name for yourself on the internet, so that when people Google you they get a clear image of your what you as a professional have to offer. • Set yourself up on LinkedIn, fill out your profile in AS MUCH detail as possible. • Revamp your Facebook page to include your professional credentials, and join lots of groups specific to your area of expertise. • Start following influencers on Twitter, and ask them questions. • Fill out your details on Meetup and Google+. • Start asking and answering questions on Quora. • Start a blog describing your experiences as a freelancer. 3. WRITE A PLAN OF ACTION • For every day between deciding to go freelance and the day you quit your job you need to have a goal. That could be contacting a certain number of people that day, or filling out a profile on a freelancer’s website. • Think about charting the results of your success in your blog post. • Write a few longterm goals and pin them on your wall to keep you focused on the bigger picture. 4.RESEARCH YOUR COMPETITION • Research your competitor’s niches, locations and rates. • Try to befriend your competitors, they can be a great source of information and support • Make a note of what niches they don’t cover, these are gaps that you could fill 5. FIND A MENTOR • • • • Utilize your networks Approach a former boss or colleague you admire Think about what you can do for them Show them how much you are committed to this field, and you may find your first jobs coming your way! Do you have anything to add to our checklist? We’d love to hear how your freelance journey is going, so let us know in the comments below the article!