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How to Transition From Corporate America to a Freelance Designer

Posted: March 4th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Business | No Comments »

You can make a transition from corporate America to working as a freelance designer. Many others have done it successfully, even if they didn’t make a six figure income. Success to you may be the ability to meet your living expenses, and to have the freedom and flexibility to choose your own clients and work your own hours. Your goal may be that six figure income. Whatever your reasons, you have to plan a careful transition so that you don’t find yourself racing back to corporate America down the road. Here’s how:

Live on a Frugal Budget

You’re going to have to make some sacrifices if you’re serious about making your transition from corporate America to freelance designer a permanent one. For example, you’ll have to create a frugal budget to live on so that you can have additional monies to save up for three months’ worth of living expenses. You’ll also need to save money to launch your freelance career, such as equipment, Internet connection, web hosting and software. You can work as a freelance designer without going into debt, if you live on a frugal budget so that you can get your finances in order.

Pitch Telecommuting to Your Boss

Your boss may be your first customer, if you approach the situation with professionalism and can persuade him to allow you to work at home. Many bosses haven’t considered the possibility of making a position a telecommuting one. Many books, web and magazine articles have been written on how to approach your boss on this issue, and you should do your research before you talk to him. Your company may be looking for ways to make cuts, and your boss might welcome the idea of telecommuting if you’re willing to work part-time without benefits. The income and access to a company for resources may be just what you need until you build up enough freelance clients to design full time.

Work with Established Design Companies

There’s a difference between launching a business and working as a freelance designer. As a freelancer, you don’t have to do as much work as an entrepreneur to market, promote, sell and land your own clients. You can make a living by working as a freelance designer for established design companies that manage the business side of designing. All you would have to worry about is selling your skills to those companies to get hired, and then delivering quality work on time.  You would get paid an hourly rate in most cases, and you can work for multiple design companies at once.

Avoid Bidding Sites

The debate over whether it’s a good idea to use bidding sites to find work is a heated one. The way these sites work is that you submit a proposal with a bid amount and the person who placed the bids can review your bid along with ones made by other freelance designers. These bidding sites are global and you’re often going to be outbid by others who can charge as much as half or even more of what you bid. The work you put into each proposal and the number that you would have to submit to land one may not be worth it. It can end up costing you money, in addition to the membership fees you have to pay to these sites to bid on projects. You would be better off finding and applying for freelance jobs listed on job boards.

Living the life of a freelance designer is challenging and you can get discouraged in the beginning stages. You may face regrets in the beginning, and that’s common for many who make the transition from corporate America. Confide in your family and friends, and make sure you find supportive people that will help to motivate you along your journey.


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