Whether you’re currently an engineer, builder, welder or writer, if you’re fed up of working for the man, making someone else rich while you struggle to get by, or while you end up doing a whole bunch of tasks that you rather wouldn’t, there is a solution—self-employment.
Working as a self-employed contractor isn’t for everyone, but for those of you who are not afraid of making a leap into the dark, who can deal with the uncertainty of not having a stable job and who are, perhaps most importantly, good at what you do, it could be the best career move you ever make.
If you’re considering becoming a self-employed contract worker, here are some tips to help you be a success in your new career:
Test the Waters
Before you quit your job and start bidding for contracts in your chosen field, you might want to test the waters first. Start offering your services on a part-time basis, fitting in jobs around your current schedule to see if there is a market for your skills and whether you’re cut out for life as a self-employed contractor or not. Doing this will also help you to save enough money to launch your new career with all of the tools you need. Which brings us to…
Invest in the Best Tools
You don’t need to buy the most expensive tools, but you should invest in the best tools you can afford if you’re serious about self-employment and you want to not only convince clients to hire you but do a good job too.
This is especially important when it comes to buying safety equipment. When you click to peruse welding helmets, or take a look at wire harnesses, for example, you will see that there is something to suit every budget, so there is no excuse to go without the vital equipment you need to get the job done. Doing so could actually lead to a nasty injury which could leave you unable to work!
Buy Insurance
If you’re working as a self-employed contractor, it’s pretty important that you take out not only insurance to cover yourself against accident and injury, but also that you have public liability insurance, which will cover your back if you are ever sued for causing an accident or injury during the course of your work. You may also want to insure yourself against claims made about the quality of your work or in case you don’t deliver in time. Obviously, you hope that none of these things ever happen, but if they do, at least you know you’ll have some protection.
Invest in a Great Website
If you want to get any work as a self-employed contractor, then you’re going to need a good website. Sure, there are lots of websites that let you bid for work, depending on your field, but they can only get you so far and you will be up against a lot of competition.
If, however, you build a good-looking, user-friendly website and fill it with high-quality search engine optimized content, targeted particularly at the local area in which you reside, then your name will rise to the top of the pile, and you’ll get more work as a result.
Go the Extra Mile
When you’re starting out in your career as a self-employed contractor, it pays to go the extra mile for your clients, even if that means working a bit harder or for a bit longer than you usually would or even offering a discount. Why? Because impressed clients are more likely to keep coming back and giving you even better contracts over time. They’re also more likely to recommend you and review you positively on and offline. When you’re just starting out, this is the sort of stuff you really need to bring those contracts in and bring home the bacon.
Network
It doesn’t matter whether you build houses or write content if you want to get by as a contractor, you need to know as many people in your industry and related industries as possible- and you can click here to get started with that. Again the more people you know, the more likely it is you’ll get recommended for a job and the better able you’ll be to make a success of your career.
Moving from employment to self-employment where you’ll need to pick up contracts isn’t always easy, but it does give you more freedom to do what you want and make money for yourself on your terms.
Mia Guerra
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