One of Our Editors Is Talking A La Carte Careers And Sharing Tips On How To Navigate The World Of Freelance
As more and more people are working as freelancers (in fact, almost 50 percent of all millennials are earning money this way), the need for guidelines on living as a freelancer is more prominent than it’s ever been. Navigating the world of freelancing isn't too difficult, but useful tips & tricks concerning this kind of work can still be of great assistance. This is especially true when we're talking about living as a freelancer in Florida, as this state has some unique traits that separate it from other states in the USA when it comes to freelancing.
Taxes in Florida
People aren't enjoying the Sunshine State just because of its appealing lifestyle; they also like it because there's no income tax here! If you're wondering why that’s important when we're talking about freelancing, then perhaps you're not aware of the fact that freelancers also have to pay taxes, just like everyone else.
However, before you relocate for work to Miami Beach area, you should know that this doesn't mean that you won't have to pay taxes while you're living as a freelancer in Florida. Namely, you'll still have to pay the self-employment tax, but only if you're earning 400 or more dollars a year. In other words, if freelancing is your full-time job, you will still have to pay taxes in Florida but, luckily, not as much as in other states.
The amount you'll have to pay is 15.3 percent of your earnings. This amount covers medicare and social security taxes. Normally, your employer would pay half of these taxes, but as you don't have an employer, it's up to you to cover everything. Still, given that there's no income tax in Florida, this is still a pretty good situation for a freelancer to be in.
Photography by Kelly Sikkema.
You'll need to have a portfolio
The great thing about freelancing is that you usually get to work from home, never meeting your employers in person. This means that, for example, if you decide to leave Weston, Florida and move somewhere else, you can do that while still keeping your job(s). However, while freelancing provides great freedom that many people will greatly appreciate, getting your first jobs can be tricky.
Before even thinking of landing a freelancing job, you'll need to have a portfolio of your work that you'll be able to show to potential employers. The good news is that you don't need to have done any paid work in the past in order to build a great portfolio. What you do need, however, are examples of your work to show to employers so that they know if you're any good and if your style will suit their needs.
Some more good news comes in the shape of the fact that employers don't really care about your resume. They don't care what schools you've attended and what you have done in the past. The only thing they care about is whether you can deliver the goods. And having a portfolio of your finest, carefully chosen work is a way of convincing them that you're up to the task.
On finding clients
Once you've built up a portfolio that you're proud of, it's time to actually find some clients. Know that landing your first jobs is usually hard, but don't worry - the more you work in the same branch and the more experienced you become, the easier it will be. That's because, at first, you probably don't have any reputation to speak of. However, as time passes and more and more successfully completed jobs are behind you, you will slowly begin to make a name for yourself.
Before that happens though, you'll have to put a lot of effort into finding your first clients in Florida. There are several ways to do that:
Upwork. This well-known website for freelancers is a great platform for finding freelance work of all sorts. The money you can earn on this platform varies, as different freelancers charge different sums of money. Even though you're still a beginner and you may be tempted to charge very little because of that, we still suggest that you don't underestimate your worth. The people who are looking for quality most likely won't settle for the cheapest freelancers, after all.
Your family, your friends, and basically anyone you know can also help you get your first jobs. This doesn't necessarily mean that they'll be the ones who'll hire you, but if you ask them nicely to be on the lookout for potential employers and put in a good word for you if the opportunity presents itself, we're sure they won't say no.
Social media is another great place to advertise your work. Simply notify all of your followers that you will be working as a freelancer, and ask them if they can connect you to anyone who is hiring.
How much will you charge?
You found some potential clients, they looked at your portfolio, they liked what they saw, and now they want to hire you. That's great! Now is the time to determine how much you will charge. The important thing is to find a balance between charging too little and underestimating your value and charging an unrealistically high price. As you become more experienced and as you begin to accept more demanding work, you will be able to charge more money, enough for all the delicate food and latest fashion you can buy (especially in Florida where, again, there's no income tax).
Photography by Alice Pasqual.
However, for now, do some research on the usual fees in Florida for the type of work you do. Remember, you don't want to go above what is considered normal, but you also don't want to go below that amount. By knowing this figure and the amount of money you'd like to (realistically) make, you can calculate how many working hours you will have to put in, and you'll be able to discern whether your hourly rate will be enough to provide for a comfortable life, or it will need to be adjusted.
Additional tips & tricks pertaining to living as a freelancer
Let's say that you've come up with an adequate hourly rate (as you most likely will - if other freelancers in Florida can survive with their average earnings, so can you). The client is satisfied and the job is entrusted to you to complete it in a specified time frame. Congratulations, you are now a professional freelancer! If you do the job according to the expectations (or even better), you'll land your next client, and soon, you'll be living as a freelancer in Florida comfortably.
Still, the time for relaxing isn't here yet. There are some things to have in mind in order to avoid common mistakes that freelance-beginners often make. If you don't want your freelancing career to end as soon as it starts, these are the things to look out for:
Never do any work without signing a contract first. We've all heard some horror stories and, unfortunately, some of them are true. It's a good idea to visit a lawyer and draft a contract together.
Another good idea is to ask for a down payment. The amount will vary from job to job; however, 50 percent of the final fee is usually quite reasonable.
Experience teaches us that you will regularly need more time to finish the projects than what was originally predicted. Have this in this mind when you're arranging a deadline with your clients. If you don't think that you can make it, ask for an extended deadline or simply pass on the job. You don't want to be late and risk your reputation being dented.
Similarly, if you're not sure that you're skilled enough to complete the job in a satisfactory manner, it is usually best not to take it. However, if you're not sure, but you still think that you can pull it off, then we believe that you should go ahead and take it, as doing so would provide a great learning opportunity.
Finally, remember that living as a freelancer in Florida isn't always easy, but the more you do it, the more comfortable you'll feel. Even if you're having second thoughts at the beginning, we're confident that, after a while, you'll realize how great it is to be a self-employed freelancer, without anyone to answer to but yourself.