I am currently finihsing my last year at uni studying Graphic Design and I am particularly interested in freelancing in the future and I just wondered if any of you freelancers would be able to take the time to answer a couple of quick questions for me about freelancing...

1. What do you think the main skills are required to be a successful freelancer?

2. What methods of personal marketing do you use to promote yourself and get work?

3. How did you first get into freelancing and build yourself up? and how long did it take you to get regular work?

4. What is the most important thing to do after graduating/first starting out? would you recomend going straight into freelancing or getting a job in a company first?

5. What would you say you enjoy most about freelancing?

Type of work you do:
Any examples of your work:

Thanks

I don't have all answers, but I will try to answer as many as I know...

1. Plainly, to be successful in the business world, no matter what skill your pinpoints [fashion, graphics, accounting], your primary skill, even above the graphics, should learn how to be a good business man. When I began, I didn't even know what vector meant [sad]-- but I knew how to sell the need for a creative design and I made some pretty good money. Learn business -- you can have the best designs/portfolio in the world, but not make a dime unless you know to sell that dime for a quarter.

2. Selling is trust, promoting is image -- a trusting image. I would begin with one or two clients by telling them you do professional design while handing them a business card [making sure the card looks high quality]. I can give you ideas of who to get cheap/high quality prints from too. But ultimately, this is to build a strong 'word of mouth' string of clients. Light a small match and watch it spread into a forest fire.

3. I got into freelancing during the beginning of my discovery of graphics. As soon as I knew that I could make a logo even in Photoshop, I promoted that ability and immediately got 1-2 clients. Its taken me a couple years but my client base is steady and reputable. I taught myself also so that may have delayed my client response time.

4. I suggest doing both. I do both. Practice your ability as much as you can, experience is another form of trust for those you outsource to. A job will teach you structure in business as well as motivate you in timeline standards, and teach you how to talk to clients fluently about graphics and services etc.

5. Clients pay you to think. They give you the striped flag and pay you to use your own personal creativity. You can give your input, design how you'd like, and ultimately be your own boss. Its a good feeling to know your mind was part of the cause of success in many business.

I do all types of work...web sites, logos, business cards, brochures, t-shirt designs...when you know the stuff, you can basically do anything. If you dont, you learn how.

I hope this helps!

Andrew