While you are working full-time for a company, you have your own identity by which the company recognizes and tracks your performance. You are confined to the operations of the company and it is easier to benchmark what value you add to your job and to the company, eventually. However, a freelance world is an ocean of such companies, and benchmarking yourself against the horde of freelancers and standing out of the league is an uphill task but doable. To stand out in the freelance marketplace, focus on the following aspects:

Act like an Entrepreneur: You may be a freelancer but should think and act like an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are meant to solve problems and make money out of it and that’s how your profile should look like. Consider yourself as an institution, which can solve any problem (related to your work profile) and be an indispensable resource to your clients. It will increase the loyalty and value of your offerings.

Also Read: 5 Things to Consider Before Becoming a Freelancer

Know your Clients and their Clients: Identifying your niche and looking for potential clients is not enough, you must know your clients’ clients as well for a deeper understanding of your client’s way of doing business. Every organisation imbibe certain work culture and ethics to attract and do business with their clients. The biggest problem for an organisation is the cultural fitment of the freelancer/gig worker but if you know the language your clients speak and understand, you become valuable for them.

Focus on Delivery: Ask for the deliverables rather than a job description. Focus on the end-product that you will be contributing to. Employers want freelancers to come, deliver and leave. Tell them how your skills can add value to their deliverables. It also saves employer’s time in evaluating and hiring a freelancer.

Build an Online Presence: Ask for genuine reviews/recommendations on an online profile (maybe LinkedIn). Increase your presence online maybe by contributing through writing blogs, sharing posts and online videos of the industry/job profile you are into. For example, if you are a web developer, you can share some hacks that you know and create your own audience base.

Network, Network and Network: This is a hard truth – good work is not enough, you have to connect with people to get work. Go for events, join online groups, work from co-working spaces and maintain a sound online profile. All this will help you build a network that you can leverage to find freelance projects and even distribute your work to your peers.

Also Read: How to Succeed as a Freelancer in the Gig Economy

Seek Expert Advice: Lastly, everyone needs a Guru in life who could share the right tools to succeed based on his/her experience so that you would not have to reinvent the wheel. Expert advice is very important especially when you are a freelancer as you are not associated with organisations and have to do most of the things on your own. Having a mentor, makes your life easier and faster. Find a sounding board for yourself who could guide, mentor and support you. You can either find them on LinkedIn or on Expert Connect based on your profile and industry.

The freelance industry is booming due to the rise of the gig economy and many organisations are open to hiring freelancers more than ever before. Start today and you will surely stand out tomorrow.