Authors Note: Please note at the time of writing this article I was extremely tired and possibly intoxicated with various substances as I have no recollection of the rest of this night.
When getting into the freelance business one of the most important things is to establish a name for yourself. Most people brand themselves under their own name rather than a separate name. Why do they do this? It’s simple! A personal brand is much easier to establish.
You may be wondering why it is simpler to establish your name rather than a separate entity. It’s because everything you do, you will get known for. Post an awesome picture on Flickr or a funny tweet on twitter it’s your name they are going to know. Where as having a separate entity it will only be known as a web development business.
Another reason for choosing personal in my opinion would be that it is just that: PERSONAL. Now you may find it strange but I would prefer paying Brian from Millwall to do my design work than “Shady Business” from somewhere in the vicinity of the USA. This is because I know if Brian tries to run away with my money I know his address, where as if “Shady Business” ran away with it they may have given me an address or a rough guide to where they are situated but you can’t always trust that.
A slight downfall to giving yourself a personal brand would be that if you hire someone else to do your work then they tell someone you may get called a fraud. I have found this when I have outsourced work when I have had too much on.
When you become bigger and more well-known becoming a non-personal brand is more likely. Starting out personal is what most people do and it will help them project their identity onto their non-personal brand. As you get more popular personal become harder to maintain.
Whether you’re a designer, a coder or even a writer having a name in the industry no matter how big or small it is, is very important. I’m sure a lot of you who have been freelancers for a while shall remember what it was like to start out and no one knew your name and now realise how much easier it is now that they know your name.
A good way to establish your brand is to start a website and show what you have done before. A portfolio to be precise. No matter what kind of freelancer you are it is important to only showcase your best work. If you are showcasing bad work people won’t hire you. You need to show what you can do. When they do hire you, you must make sure that your work is of the best quality you can provide. If they see this they will recommend you and hire you again. This is one of the best ways of establishing your brand as word of mouth is very powerful. If John tells Jane you are a brilliant coder and that you made him this brilliant site then Jane may hire you. Especially if she likes the work that was done on the site.
A top tip from me would be that when you do start and want to build a portfolio do not be afraid to do some free work. Not something huge for them but a taste of sorts. If they see you are good they will be willing to pay for you next time and you will have a valuable piece of work for your portfolio.
Thats all I have to say on personal branding for now. Thank you for reading.