The Good, Better, & Best Freelancers, Ever

Don’t forget to read a chapter on more types of freelancers in “Meet Your RentACoder Contractor.”

Being a freelancer can mean many things. When I tell people I’m both an outsourcer and a service provider, they pause for a few uncertain moments. When I tell them I’m mostly a freelancer, a glimmer of relief flashes across their faces — though there’s still enough silence to suggest I’d better follow up with some specifics.

I don’t mind. I love talking about what I do. However, I never realized what it meant to be a good freelancer, a better freelancer, or the best freelancer until someone asked me, and I thought about it for a while. At the base, a freelancer is someone who (1) has one or more skills in some specialized area, and (2) uses those skills as a sole source of employment. What makes that freelancer good, better than another, or even the best is when things get interesting.

Rated 7 – 8

Good freelancers, rated 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 – 10, start out determined to make the most of what they know, and of course, to profit from it. They’ll spend a small portion of their day exploring ways to hire out their skills, perhaps post an ad or two, or maybe search a few freelance websites to see if they can find a temporary gig.

Assuming they’ve got mediocre skills, they will get work from time to time, but something holds these people back from fully exploiting their talents. Fear? Doubt? Whatever the case, the freelancer that’s merely good at what he does, doesn’t get very far.

Rated 8 – 9

The better freelancers invest a whole heck of a lot more time promoting themselves both online and off. They not only research new ways to promote themselves, they implement the ideas they find. Those in this category tend to make a decent amount of money although they may not reach a level where they can fully support themselves.

Rated 10

The best freelancers are borderline obsessed. They’re the ones who wake up every morning and go straight to work on marketing. They’re not held back by fear or doubt, and they’re proud to show others what they can do. Some would even say they’re a little aggressive about it. But it’s for a good reason.

If you haven’t already, register a username for yourself so you can discuss this topic in our Outsourcing Vetting forum.

These are the freelancers who get top dollar for their services, and are worth every dime. Sustaining a self-employment income is just the way things are for these folks, and their freedom from the traditional workplace shows in their creative works.

Everyone wants to hire this type of freelancer, and you can too.  They’re everywhere! To find them, just move your mouse closer to these words… and click… right… here. :-)