Kathryn's Sharebook 

When you work from home or are completely dependent on projects that come your way through word of mouth or referral, your reputation and online presence can make your break you. Although people don’t expect you to have an actual office or a landline phone, any effort on your part is greatly appreciated and only increases your good name.

So to be able to compete with other freelancers in this digital age where your work can be seen readily on the internet just like any other person’s, here are some ways you can gain an edge over others:

1. Keep your portfolio updated and show dates of your work.

Inactivity is a killer for people who are browsing through artists’ work. When they see that your website was created almost five years ago without any updates on the blog or the gallery, they can think that you aren’t an active artist anymore and you have no new work to show. Your latest work is also a good way for people to know where your style and temperament are currently at and shows that you are easy to reach online.

2.       Keep business phone numbers.

Although using your mobile phone or home phone is one way to cut costs on telephony, having at least one line exclusively for your clients is great for giving good impressions. You can always get an internet-based phone line that appears to be just like a landline phone. But instead of phone cables, you use the internet to connect your phone. You can also get reduced fees for long distance calls if you have a large number of clients from a particular country. The service provider can locate your phone in that country to facilitate your projects there.

3.       Underpromise, overdeliver.

Since you are your own manager that has a say in the project’s scope and parameters, you can always give deadlines that always fall later than when you expect to finish. This way, when you hand in your work, you actually look better because you finished ahead of what was expected. Always keep some gems concerning your work to yourself so that when the client gets the service or product you can always add more to please them.

4.       Try to work with a contract

As much as possible, make sure you and the client have signed a contract. The only way you can avoid getting cheated is if you have a contract or withhold the work without payment.

5.       Keep updated in your field.

Just because you have your own style, that doesn’t mean you should snub everyone else’s. Your clients may describe something current and you might lose the project just because they were unimpressed with your ignorance.