Experience

You need a minimum of three years (five is ideal), preferably as a full-timeemployee. Clients will feel more comfortable in your knowledge and abilities ifyou can demonstrate that you've performed your duties in the past, full-time, atan established institution.

Each industry has its own "lingo". Experience in an industry allowsyou to understand it and communicate effectively with your clients. As aproofreader, a potential client [eg, a reference book publisher] might say:

"I have 300 pages that need to be proofed. The footnotes and illos willbe sent separately. Please make sure there's a hole for each illo and that allfootnotes run consecutive, beginning anew with each new chapter. The chaptertitle is the right running head, there is no left running head. How long do youthink it will take to complete this job?"

With no experience in publishing, it would be difficult to begin to assessthe job. Before giving an estimate, some questions you would ask are:

1. Is this typed or handwritten copy?
2. Are there inserts to the existing copy that need to be proofed?
3. What style of proofreading do you use?
4. Are changes to be made on disk or hard copy?

There may be four or five more questions that need to be asked before you canrealistically assess how long it will take you to complete this job.

Experience in the industry allows you to have the necessary knowledge to askthe right questions to judge each project.

Knowledge of your industry will also enable you to decide how to charge forthe job. Some jobs are billed on an hourly basis, others are billed on a projectbasis, and still others are billed as a page rate.

Again, if you know your industry, you will be able to effectively calculatehow much time the job will take and what billing method to use.

Equipment:

Working from home means you must to have all the necessaryequipment. Minimally, a phone, computer and fax machine. Ideally, a [color]copier, modem, fast Internet access, scanner (if your field requires it) andseparate work room in your home would complete the picture.

Contracts/References:

The most obvious place to start building yourcustomer base is previous employers. Remember the saying, "Don't burn yourbridges." It has never been more true than when trying to build a freelancecareer.

As companies cut back, employers like to use former employees because theyalready know the work, routines, and systems of the company. Therefore, verylittle, if any training is needed.

These same industry contacts also make great references as you continue toexpand your customer base. There is no better assurance to a potential newclient than an ex-employer who says: "I'd hire her back if I could. Shedoes great work for us as a freelancer. One of the reasons we use her as afreelancer is because she did such excellent work as an employee."

Wouldn't you feel confident if you were a potential client?

Savings:

In utopia, six months expenses (rent, food, cleaners, creditcard bills, student loans, travel expenses, etc.) will be in the bank before youembark on your freelance career. In our experience, it takes about two years tobuild a solid base of clients that will (hopefully) keep you busy.

If this is not possible, try to plan as much in advance as you can. The"fear of the first blues" [when rent is due] can be frightening if youhave no income and no prospects on the horizon.

Part Time Job:

I suggest that instead of going from a full-time jobinto a freelance career, that you get a steady part-time job for a while. Thiswill allow you to: 1) transition between the two without taking the financialhit (especially if you haven't planned), and 2) get a feel for how to organizeas a freelancer.

Freelancing usually means intense periods of work, eg, four 12-hour days, andthen maybe a week with "nothing" going on. Nothing is in quotationmarks because as a freelancer, just because there's no client project on yourdesk, does not mean that you should be idle.

During these down times is when you should be organizing your books,re-stocking supplies, prospecting for new clients, tracking advertising — inshort, running your business. If you think of freelancing as a business andorganize yourself accordingly from the beginning, it will make this existenceinfinitely easier (especially at tax time).

Personality:

Freelancing is an enjoyable experience for some, apainful existence for others. Do a personality check to see if you can ride theroller coaster of this up-and-down existence.

If you don't take one other thing from this article, remember this: No matterhow talented you are, what your background is, or how well connected you are,there will come a time when work just seems to dry up. At this point you maystart to question your abilities, seriously consider a full-time jobs, and/orwonder if freelancing is for you.

If this is the existence you've decided you want, stick with it. Continue toadvertise, even when it seems that no one is interested. The average consumerhas to see your advertisement at least 7-28 times (depending on what article youread) before they will act on it. So, be confident that if you advertiseconsistently, when they need a service/product that you offer, you will be atthe forefront, rather than the hit-and-run advertisers.

After all, the quickest way not to succeed is to quit.

Good luck!

Author: Yuwanda Black is an entrepreneur, author, speaker and syndicated small business columnist whose focus is controlling your destiny through small business ownership. Her most recent e-books, How to Really Make a Living as an Editorial Freelancer and Advice from Successful Freelancers: How They Built Their Careers & How You Can Too! are available for immediate download at http://www.InkwellEditorial.com/bizguides.html Visit her on the web at http://www.entrepredoer.biz/ for a complete list of how-to, small business books and articles. columnist@EntrepreDoer.biz