Freelancer vs Self-Employed: What’s the Difference?
Answer: No, actually it isn’t that important. Feel free to skip to the next section if you’d rather move on. BUT you should at least know that if you’re a freelancer, you’ll be considered self-employed. And this would have implications on your tax and CPF contribution obligations.
Self-employed
Freelancer
Note: It’s possible for a freelancer to be BOTH a self-employed person and an employee at the same time. This can happen if you’re employed in a part-time or full-time job, but you’re also freelancing on the side.
Freelance Statistics and Trends in Singapore: A Detailed Look
Where are You Going to Get Work?
Of these 3 ways, you might find method 3 (referrals) the most appealing, followed by methods 1 and 2 (inbound and outbound) respectively. After all, it’s a major ego boost if you had clients lining up to engage you without you actively searching for them!
Answer: it takes time for you to gain authority and build your reputation in your industry. If you sit by your inbox on your first day as a freelancer and expect jobs to rain from the heavens, you’re gonna be sorely disappointed.
How freelancers make money in the gig economy
Some freelancers have a good network of potential new clients through their LinkedIn contacts or even through fellow freelancers. Others turn to marketplaces like Upwork or Fiverr to get started, or they look for gigs on freelance writing sites like ProBlogger’s job board.
Note: I’m assuming you’re already good at what you do and you’ve got some samples you’re proud of. Not quite there yet? Check out these tips on how to become a freelance writer for tons of guidance on developing your skills and portfolio.
1. Make sure your freelancing is actually legal
2. Put together a simple portfolio to show prospective clients
Before you start bidding on jobs, put together a writing portfolio. This doesn’t need to be anything fancy. If you’re a copywriter, it might consist of some examples of copy you’ve written. If you’re a logo designer, it could be a web page with images of the logos you’ve created.
3. Create a professional-looking email address
If your regular email address is something like sparklybunny@hotmail.com or firefly4eva@yahoo.com… you won’t be making the best first impression on your potential clients.
Ideally, you want an email address at your own domain, like name@yourdomain.com. If you don’t yet have a freelance website, a sensible Gmail address is a good alternative.
Even if you already have a sensible-looking email address, you might want to create a new one for freelancing so that you can easily distinguish between business and personal emails.
4. Create some kind of online presence
Setting up a website can be time-consuming, though, and you may not want to create a whole website before you even get started freelancing. Some quick and free alternatives include:
5. Let everyone know that you’ll be freelancing
When you’re looking for freelance work, it doesn’t pay to be shy. Let everyone know that you’re going to be freelancing. Friends, family, former colleagues, even your old high school classmates. Someone will have a gig for you (or they’ll have a friend who does).
Hi friends,
I’ve got some exciting news. From today, I’m officially a freelance writer. I’m going to be specializing in writing copy for small business or startup websites – though I’m open to other gigs too.
If you happen to need any website copy for your business, I’d be thrilled to work with you. Or, if you know someone else who’s looking for a writer, I’d love it if you could point them to my website: www.joesmithwriter.com.
Thanks,
Joe
6. Land your first paying gig (and keep going)
7. Get testimonials from your clients
High-quality testimonials are particularly important if your work is hard to demonstrate through samples. If you’re a virtual assistant, a programmer, or a ghostwriter; testimonials may be a huge factor in helping potential clients decide to hire you.
You might want to get stronger testimonials by prompting your clients with specific questions, either by email or through a quick feedback form that you send to clients after the project is complete.
. and that freelancing really is great
Despite its pitfalls, for every stressful tax return (get an accountant) and for every late payment, I wouldn’t trade freelancing in for the world; it remains my best career move to date. Too often we become wedded to a job and, by extension, the perception or value of us as defined by a specific workplace. For many people, this is not always a positive experience, nor one which stretches us to the upper limits of our potential. Freelancing can unlock this potential and allow you to define your self worth on your own terms. This was certainly the case for me, and the work I have done since taking this leap of faith has been fantastic. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. After all these years, it still makes me feel the way it did back in 2017 – terrified but exhilarated.
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Sources:
https://lancerx.co/freelancing-in-singapore/
https://smartblogger.com/freelancing/
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/people-parties/bazaar-at-work/a36683398/how-to-freelance-advice-tips/