Being a Success at Freelance Audio
Make the right business connections in the world’s
fastest-growing freelance marketplace.
It may be your greatest desire to make your living taking freelance audio jobs, particularly if you've been toiling for years at audio/visual jobs at in-house companies. And you should definitely follow your dream - but keep in mind that if you lack basic business skills, you probably shouldn't consider going freelance. No matter how many freelance audio jobs who can wrangle, running your own business is about more than just being a good engineer. You'll need to be a salesman, secretary, receptionist and office manager in addition to being good at audio. Whether you specialize in sound effects or installing car audio equipment, you're going to have to talk like a professional businessperson, write decent business letters, and communicate effectively on the phone and in person. If you can't master these simple business skills, you're not going to get a lot of freelance audio jobs, no matter how talented you may be.
Attitude is everything in business, and if you don't convey a professional appearance and like a legitimate business, others won't perceive you as such. Choose a name for your company, and design a logo - form there, design your business cards, letterhead and - most important in today's economy - build a professional looking web page. People in the audio industry do almost all of their work on their computers, and as a freelance audio engineer, it's imperative that your web presence makes you look as professional as possible - after all, these are the people who'll be hiring your for those freelance audio jobs. Don't expect to attract serious clients if you have an ugly, amateurish web site - your image is who you are to clients on the Internet.
Once you've got a name and an image, you can set about getting clients. Start with people you worked with (and for) before you embarked on your freelance career. And don't burn your bridges - you may want to work with the people who staff your old company somewhere down the road. So give your employer plenty of notice before to go freelance, make sure you do a good job on your current projects, and even assist them in training your replacement. If you leave on good terms, it's likely that they'll think of your first when they need to outsource, and those freelance audio jobs will come to you first! For more tips on building a great freelance career, look to other pages here on Go Freelance.
Testimonials
"I took a chance one day when I was flush and sent a few bucks to gain access to the Go Freelance Professional Edition. Since then, I've edited a sales letter, a follow-up letter, an 11-page Web site, and a brochure. I'm 'on call' to do pinch-hit proofreading for a medical newsletter editor in Florida ..and I've landed a gig editing a new Canadian magazine coming out this fall. All this from taking a chance on Go Freelance."
Karyn Martin
"Once again, you guys have come through with incredible results. Our job post definitely produced the type and quality of person we needed, and we found who we were looking for quickly. From now on, you're my first choice when I need to hire someone."
Steve Brownrigg, The Newsletter Company