beyond_work
The Freelancer Forum
beyond_work
held on 28th April 2023
An Initiative of
Event Data

The Freelancer Forum was our April in-person networking event held in Mumbai. It was an insider's view on the Opportunities and Challenges, the Aches and Joys of a Professional Gig Career. The varying experience & expertise of the participating consultants made for some deeply engaging conversation, which was brought home with key insights & takeaways by our very own Deepak Malkani.

Key Insights from our Consultants:

Marketing - Getting New Business as a Freelancer
  • Ask for referrals or project extensions from existing clients and prior work connections
  • Don't ask for business upfront; lead by asking about their current challenges & goals then share what you can do
  • Join relevant networking groups, participate in industry/domain specific events & seminars
Pricing - Correctly valuing your Time and Skills
  • Think about yourself as a Company. Don't just account for your time; account for travel, resources and other material costs, just like a Company would
  • Be flexible when making new client relationships and consider milestone-based quoting
  • Know your market and more importantly know your niche; for example - a specialized skill with low supply can command a higher price
Time Management - Balancing Project Commitments, New Business & other Interests
  • Have some time slots marked out for fixed tasks but keep some flexible & open time for other work like new business development or administrative tasks
  • Lay down a detailed weekly calendar; mark out time for travel, meetings, planning, pitching for each client/project
  • Think about your personal priorities & interests and mark out time for that as well, along with your professional requirements
Upskilling - Staying Relevant & Defining Metrics for Progress
  • Create your own metrics; some of the options are - being able to choose the type of projects/clients, variety of projects/clients offered & quality of projects/clients that you take on
  • Get advice from relevant Industry Leaders and add new skills & tools to your practice by taking courses or certifications
  • Be open to adopting new technologies or methodologies, not just relevant to your industry but in general that may impact your industry/domain
Networking - Finding Peers & Building Connections to Learn, Share, Grow
  • Join a co-working space. This helps you build connections with other freelancers, meet potential clients, open learning opportunities and broaden your network
  • Follow #hashtags on social media relevant to your industry. This way you can guide algorithms to connect you with like minded individuals
  • Volunteer for activities & events like assessment centers, lectures, forums, seminars relevant to your industry/domain