If you become a contractor, you could make some lucrative opportunities for yourself. However, you need to know a few things first. Not everybody who becomes a contractor becomes successful. Here’s what you need to know if you want the best chance of making it:
Be Completely Transparent
To become a successful contractor, you need to become completely transparent. You need to be clear about the jobs you’re good at, the jobs you want, how much you expect to be paid, and things like that. There’s nothing worse than being matched to a job that doesn’t suit you because some wires got crossed. The more transparent you are about jobs you’ll take, the better.
Be Professional
Even contractors need to remain professional at all times. Aim to offer a professional service, and do your best at all times. Respond to people professionally and only offer a service you’d expect. Take things like health and safety seriously too. This will ensure people want to work with you again.
Build Good Relationships with Agencies
When you build good relationships with agencies, you get more chance of being offered repeat jobs. Make sure you work hard when they give you work, and that you keep them updated on your situation so they can perhaps match you with more jobs.
Deliver More Than Asked of You
Where possible, deliver more than asked of you. Don’t slack off. Don’t cut corners. Don’t do a ‘meh’ job. Do your very best and go above and beyond the call of duty. When you do more than is asked of you, you’ll build up loyal clients and get an amazing reputation. Your work should speak for itself! Think long term rather than short term.
Get Your Prices Just Right
Pricing is a big thing for contractors. You want to be cheap enough so that people come to you, but you don’t want to be so cheap that it puts them off. Being too expensive will also turn people off. You need to get your prices just right; know your worth and don’t undervalue yourself, but remain competitive. You might think you’ll get more work if you’re the cheapest around, but some might think it’s a representation of your skills. You’ll need to take into account the cost of your equipment, what you believe your time is worth, and anything else that could affect you, like contractor tax. Work your prices out carefully and stick to them.
Develop Yourself
The more you develop yourself as a contractor, the better. Do workshops and courses, and aim to better the skills you’re not so good with at the minute. If you can continue to improve your skills and build new ones, you’ll remain marketable in the industries that are forever changing.
Don’t Burn Out
It can be tempting to take on a lot of work for the money, but you’ll exhaust yourself and burn out. Only take on work you know you can complete to an amazing standard without sacrificing your mental health!
Good luck!
