Freelancing has turned into a buzzword recently and over 1.1 billion people are affiliated with different freelance platforms. However, not every freelancer gets success because the majority of them are not aware of ‘Business ethics’ that are vital to freelance success.
As freelancing is booming around the world, most freelance gurus are falsely marketing this idea as the easiest way to earn money. But the reality is totally different as most successful freelancers dig deep to make a living.
So, what ethical business practices do top freelancers tag along for success? Here is the answer!
Top Business Ethics That Define Freelance Success
1. Consistency Is The Key
Consistency is the bread and butter of freelancing. If you are delivering quality work consistently, your clients will keep counting on you.
Besides freelancing, consistency is a vital element for productivity. Whether you are running your own venture or working for a client, being consistent impacts your efficiency. Ryan Mitchell Rios, one of the top Amazon entrepreneurs has defined consistency as the foremost factor that differentiates successful people from the ones who give up on their goals.
Providing quality work consistently will give your clients an idea about how responsibly, creatively, and professionally you will handle their project. Thus, it defines the success of your future projects as well.
2. Improve Your Efficiency
Efficiency is what wins the game in freelancing. Think of a project and the millions of freelancers who are waiting to lay their hands over it, what lets you be the winner is your efficiency. When you are efficient enough, you produce results beyond your client’s expectations and it directly reflects in your profile.
Performing projects while executing high skill levels will help you meet your employer’s expectations, you may even surpass the desired results thus coming up with unexpected productivity levels, resultantly paving a smooth path for your approaching projects as well.
So what helps successful freelancers grow their careers is their desire to constantly update their skills. The freelance world is constantly evolving; the expertise that was most demanded a decade earlier has been replaced by advanced skills. In such a scenario, it is important for freelancers to upgrade their skills to survive in the freelance world. Also, your skills are what define your efficiency.
3. Communicate! It’s Crucial
Communicating skillfully can work wonders for you, not only in your freelance career but in other fields of your life as well. Whether you are a freelancer or an employer, communication defines the success of your project. It also affects the overall delivery time of your project and is vital to the quality of work also.
Have you ever thought about how this world would have been if ‘communication’ didn’t exist? Well, everything would have been so complicated in fact nothing would have worked well. Online business is no exception, whether you are running an online venture or working with your employer single-handedly, communication helps you get your desired results.
In short, communication is another vital element of freelance success. If a freelancer has all the skills required for the project but sucks at communication, he might lag behind.
Communicating effectively with your client can help you reap the following benefits:
- It will improve your relationship with the client thus enabling you to understand your client’s expectations, which is crucial for the project’s success. It will also make your client happy.
- Effective communication will help you grow your business thus enabling you to earn more.
- Being one of the vital elements of freelance business ethics, communication will help you get more satisfied clients.
4. Be Honest With Your Work
Honesty surely is the greatest of all virtues and in a digital setup, it becomes doubly important. This vital trait of freelance business ethics lets your employer set reasonable expectations thus it becomes easier for you to complete the projects.
Bear in mind that every individual has a set of strengths and weaknesses and to grow your freelance career, it is important, to be honest with yourself and your work. Do not lie about your skills in your resume, doing so may let you end up in trouble in the longer run. It also will impact your reputation and for freelancers “Reputation is the Livelihood”.
5. Do Not Compromise On Your Integrity
Whether you are an entrepreneur or an individual freelancer, never compromise on your integrity as it is crucial for your success. I personally have witnessed several businesses collapse just because of their unethical practices.
As a freelancer, it is important for you to base your career on strong ethical practices. Sometimes you might achieve your goal following unethical practices, but it might hinder your progress in the longer run.
A study conducted in the year 2015, reveals that integrity is the crucial element for success for any venture, be it freelancing or entrepreneurship. So, if you want to see yourself as a successful freelancer, never compromise on your ethical grounds.
6. Self Discipline Is Important
Freelancing is the best way to escape the traditional 9-5 grind but with the wrong attitude, you might not succeed as a freelancer either. Some people might define work-from-home as spending extra hours in bed but for freelancers, this attitude might not work.
Successful freelancers have revealed self-discipline is another vital element that backs your success. Having the attitude to rise, shine and grind will help you be more productive than working in your pajamas from your bed. Although working from the comfort of your bed, wearing your comfy pajamas might sound fancy, it might lag your progress.
Here are some points you must consider in order to improve your productivity as a freelancer.
- Get dressed and start early.
- Designate a workspace for yourself.
- Manage your time well. Do not spend your whole day working on a similar thing, instead plan, break down your work and work on different projects.
- Procrastination is a NO NO!
- Do not overdo it, it will kill your productivity
7. Stay Informed, Upgrade Your Skills
If you still relying on the skills you have developed 2 years earlier, you are making a big mistake. To stay on the top of the freelance market, you must keep updating your skills and knowledge else you will trail behind in this competitive world.
To boost your skills, you will need to have knowledge of what is happening on this planet. Getting answers to, (what changes are taking place in your work industry your work, what technological advancements are adding up, and what skills are becoming obsolete), will help you define the direction you need to move in order to improve your skills.
But how do stay informed about the changes that are taking place around? Well, here is the answer.
- Read news about your industry.
- Take up the projects that challenge your skills.
- Enroll yourself in training courses.
- Follow influential personalities of your job industry
- Amass new skills and differentiate yourself from other people in your industry.
8. Professionalism Is Vital
Professionalism isn’t just about wearing a tidy business suit; rather it involves numerous aspects of your work – from the way you communicate to what you deliver to your clients.
In a digital setup, your professionalism can be judged by the way you brand yourself online. Some of the ways you can look professional in an online arena are as follows:
- Develop a professional-looking website and brand your skills on it.
- Your social media presence is crucial. You can utilize your social media handles as full-time gigs.
- Be genuine when communicating with your clients.
- Improve your written and verbal communication skills.
- Respond timely!
9. Being Generous Will Add To Your Success
If you have the ‘generosity’ trait in your personality, you can reap some extra benefits in freelancing. Freelancers, who go beyond the prices they have settled for, can have a higher project success rate than others.
Giving above what you are asked for in the said budget can be a big plus in the eyes of your employer thus; it can decide the success of your future projects as well. Also, being a helping hand and offering your skills and time to those in need will enable you to improve your skills. It may also give your inner satisfaction.
10. Check, Check Again, Proofread Before You Submit Your Project
Another important element of freelance business ethics is to deliver error-free work. Counter-checking the deliverables has remained a common practice of most successful freelancers.
If you have worked on a project that involves stats and numbers, counter-check to add authenticity and if it was a written work, proofread for any errors.
Proofreading can add power to your work and it also helps you add any omissions. In the end, submitting error-free work will improve your reputation and can define your project’s success.
Related: How to Start a Successful Freelance Career in 2021
The Bottom Line
Freelancing can be a difficult job to pursue when not followed considering all the essential business ethics. So, if you are a freelancer or wish to be one in the future, make sure to cope with all the elements explained above. These simple elements will make a great impact on your freelance career.
