It was the reason I became a freelancer. Most people bought the book. I bought the audio. From the moment Ray Porter’s voice spoke the few opening lines, I was captivated hook, line and sinker.

I sunk right into the middle of deadlines, low pay and no direction. With very little guidance on how freelancing works, I bounced from one low-paying job or project to another. Becoming a freelancer takes more than a four-hour workweek to start. Even Timothy Ferriss admits that he was working over seventy hours before he realized how to delegate projects.

1.  Admit you are worth it. You have skills, talent, brains and maybe brawn. You’ve worked hard to develop your skills. About a year ago, I heard a radio interview where an expert called in to discuss how foreign immigrants can demand higher pay in California. She said that the group of illegals hanging by the bay each morning should band together and demand higher prices. If one asks for $10 an hour, all of them should ask for $10 an hour. The trick is to stick together on the price agreement and do not give in to anyone for less than that amount.

2. Find your targeted clients. You know who you want to market your freelance skills to already. You’ve been working for the same clients in your current industry, reading their blog posts, visiting their stores and hanging around them. Whoever you are with is who you influence. If you feel you aren’t with the right group of people to get started with your freelance business, find the companies and small businesses whose message you like and market to them first. In The Four-Hour Workweek, Ferriss talks about marketing his product to athletes. He even gave them trial samples. Adding that little extra or “trial offer” with your freelance work gives clients a good idea of your ability.

3. Delegate tasks. Freelancing and running your own business takes a lot of work. Wearing many hats for the business will leave you feeling tired and drained. This is especially true when you are doing tasks that you do not like. You know the ones. We cannot be the best at everything. I admit that I stink at accounting and finances. That’s why I delegate this task to my bookkeeper who loves crunching numbers.

Ferriss talks about his outsourcing experiences in The Four-Hour Workweek. He hired virtual assistants to run his business. They made money for him and ran it as effectively as he could when he was working seventy hours a week. I take that back! They probably ran it more effectively than he could’ve because he was working seventy hours a week. Think about it.

Well now the cat’s out of the bag. You know the reason why I started freelancing. Yes, The Four-Hour Workweek motivated me to quit driving four hours each day to get to work and start working for myself. What was your reason for becoming a freelancer?

photo credit: ShashiBellamkonda