What Is Freelancing?
Freelancing is doing work for an employer without contractual commitments to any one employer or company, working in one's own office, usually paid by the job, and the number and importance of jobs depends largely on reputation.
The freelancer often takes on the responsibility for getting a job done by identifying and hiring the necessary experts.
Benefits
Both the organization and the freelancer benefit from this arrangement. An organization gets a job done and pays less than it would to a salaried person. A freelancer learns from the variety of projects handled thereby building a rich and diverse background.
Freelancers may work simultaneously on more than one assignment.
Drawbacks
There are certain drawbacks to freelancing. Since there is no commitment beyond the current project, the freelancer is not under the wing of an employer and has no assurance of work.
No regular salary is paid and there are no fringe benefits.
What Kinds Of Jobs Do Freelancers Do?
The range of jobs is vast. Some typical jobs are writing, editing, web design, graphic design, and legal and medical transcription. Other jobs might be project development, administration, and data entry. Some freelancers do strictly research.
Many companies and organizations have projects that can be done by freelancers. Often a retired executive is appointed in the capacity of a consultant. Part-time help is sought for inventory control and management.
Today, one of the most sought-after skills is writing. Web designers are also in demand, and this can bring ongoing and continuous work.
The Obligations of Freelancing
Freelancers need to bear certain things in mind. Flexibility and adaptability are very important. The requirements of the employer need to be met. Work procedures should conform to client requirements.
Another important consideration is doing work the freelancer knows and is competent in rather than the kind of work available. It is the freelancer's responsibility to keep the client posted on the progress of the job and to check if alterations are needed. This helps build good reputation and rapport.
Freelancers need to be easy to get in touch with by phone, email or webcam.
Success in Freelancing
Reputation goes a long way in succeeding as a freelancer. It is best to settle into the work style of freelancing part-time before venturing into it full-time. Freelancing can be done locally, nationally, and even internationally.
Advertising and building a website and maintaining a mailing list will promote your efforts. In short, good networking is beneficial. The best thing about freelancing is that you can own your own business and work from home.
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.sixsigmaonline.org/">http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.
