What’s it Take to Become an Independent Contractor?
The debate of independent contractor vs employee is one that many people are now considering. Now that people can work from wherever they please, why tie yourself down to one location? There’s a reason there are over one billion freelancers in the world.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your career and become an independent contractor, you’ll need to learn how to get started the right way. Keep reading to learn what it takes to become a 1099 independent contractor.
Get Licensing
You can’t just set up shop and start offering services in many industries. Take home contractors, for instance. You need local licenses that show you know how to meet building regulations.
Check to see what licensing you need to work as a contractor. Not every profession needs one, but it’s illegal to work as a contractor if a license is required for your area or profession.
Niche Your Services
While you can get some business by positioning yourself as a jack-of-all-trades, you’re limited when you do this. People want to work with independent contractors who are experts in their fields. You may not get as many sales if you’re average at everything.
Figure out what type of market you want to target as a contractor. Once you do, you can work on becoming an expert in that industry and position yourself as an expert.
Pick Your Target Customer
Once you niche down your services, you should better understand your target customer. However, that won’t always be enough to determine the best people to target.
Try to imagine the best person to take advantage of what you have to offer. Take web designers, for instance. If you’re in the law field, do you want to focus on individual lawyers or law firms?
Knowing this will help you hone your marketing plan and make more sales.
Create Clear Communication Channels
When you become a contractor, you aren’t sitting in a room not talking to customers. You’re the point of contact for your clients. It’s on you to meet their needs and communicate when working.
Whether that means signing an NDA like described at https://www.hayeshunterlaw.com/ to promote trust or guaranteeing availability to handle issues, make sure your clients know you have their back. Tell them what to expect and the best ways to contact you during the day.
Learn How to Sell
You can’t rely on other people to make sales when you’re an independent contractor. You will need to set up a website, bid on jobs, and make the sales pitch to prospects.
This is intimidating to many people who have never done it before. Before you start contracting, try to learn skills that will help you get better at sales.
Start Your Path to Becoming an Independent Contractor Today
You’re going to have a lot on your plate when you become an independent contractor. You won’t only need to do great work. You’ll need to convince people that you’re the right fit for the job, keep clients pleased, and continue searching for more work.
However, you’ll set yourself up for success by following the tips above.
Head back to the blog to find more tips that will help you be a great independent contractor.
