As a freelance worker, keeping up to date with your current skills, as well as learning new ones, rests solely on your shoulders.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the most important skills self-employed workers should look to either learn or refresh and some of the reasons you should keep on top of your studies.
Why you should maintain personal development
Carrying on learning isn’t always at the top of your to-do list, but here are some of the reasons you should consider spending more time, and possibly money, learning.
The professional world is constantly evolving, and something you may have learned only a year ago may no longer be relevant.
Legislation updates, software updates, new products or services and changes to the way other businesses operate can all mean changes in your industry that you will need to keep on top of to ensure you can continue to offer your professional services.
Did you know?
In the last 10 years, Google has introduced Google+, introduced Android Wear for wearable tech which changed to WearOS 4 years later, become a holdings company under the name Alphabet to bring Google, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Play, Android and Google AdSense under the same banner, created the G-Suite, closed Google+ down, rebranded G-Suite to Google Workspace, rebranded Google AdWords to Google Ads and introduced Google My Business.
Essentially what we’re trying to say is; if you were a web developer, and didn’t learn anything new about Google in that short space of time, you’re probably going to be left behind by the competition!
You may also be interested in:
People want to know that when they’re paying for a service, they’re going to get value for their money, and if you can show that you are a qualified professional with relevant training and qualifications, you will earn more trust with both repeat and prospective customers.
If you have recently completed some training, use your website or social media to talk about the qualification you have completed, and what it means for the work you do.
It’s pretty common sense that if you are the best in the business, you can charge more for your services.
Your clients are paying you for your knowledge and skills, so the more knowledge and skills you have, the more valuable your time is, meaning you could charge a premium rate for your services.
The freelancing sector has an enormous range of job roles with unique skills that are required for some, but some skills will be needed across the whole sector, that you may need to learn or refresh from time to time.
Customer service is a key skill for any business. Looking after your customer should be a top priority, and it is something that you need to learn if you are to have a successful business.
There are many ways of interacting with customers that haven’t changed for years. Face to face customer service has always been important, and most of us have spoken to customers over the telephone or via email. A more recent method of interacting with customers has been through live messaging or instant messaging, but they all boil down to similar skills.
A fairly common method of interacting with customers is through something known as a CRM, or Customer Relationship Manager. This is a piece of software, usually cloud-based, that allows you to manage a relationship with a customer in a structured way. Learn to use CRMs, such as HubSpot, MondayCRM, or PipeDrive, to manage enquiries, track contact history and create reports to manage your relationships with your customers.
As a freelancer, bringing in money rests solely on your shoulders, so you need to know how to find prospective clients, approach them and seal the deal.
Negotiating skills are also important to be able to make sure that both you and your client get the best deal, and being flexible with your pricing can help secure a relationship with clients for future trade.
We’re not saying you need to learn JavaScript, HTML or CSS and build a website from scratch because these are specialist skills, but learning to use something like a website builder or content management system such as Wix, Squarespace or WordPress can help you build a website for a relatively low cost, and it gives you creative control of your online presence.
One of the most effective forms of content for grabbing attention and showing your products or business is to create highly engaging content aimed at your audience. There is no better way to grab attention than a well-produced video.
However, it can take time and incur a cost to learn to create videos, but it is worth it to gather an online audience and then advertise your business, or even create videos for clients.
One of the easiest places to learn new skills is online, so take a look at a previous article we have produced on learning new skills online. The internet is a fantastic resource for learning and you can find options for paid and free learning.
You can also gain qualifications from providers such as:
- Your local college or adult learning centre
- Private education institutions such as The Open University or Learndirect
Freelancer insurance with Premierline
Finding the perfect business insurance cover that protects your business can be difficult if you don’t know what you need. Premierline is a business insurance broker who will assess your business needs to find insurance covers that can protect your business.
Get in touch to speak to one of our insurance professionals who will work with some of the UK’s most well-known insurance providers to compare insurance quotes.
