Freelancing is not a career path that you should ignore anymore – it is in full swing. It is not something limited to people in the ‘creative spectrum’ of jobs either, because project managers are doing it too – and the same applies to accountants.
There are some factors that are driving this change in the job market today. One is the increasing frequency of online collaboration activities, which connects people from diverse places and makes it easier to work with them on projects. The other factor is the subscription software popularity – this allows an independent contractor to use an enterprise-level software program without paying exorbitant fees for it.
However, how do you know the best ways to find a freelance accounting job? The process can seem overwhelming at first, until you realize it is not as bad as you think. Read our tips below for that.
Using the common websites that cater to freelancers
If you are a complete beginner, it can be intimidating putting yourself out there to people you are unfamiliar with – but the best place to start is a freelance website like dormzi which provides online accounting jobs as well as other freelance jobs, regardless of the area of freelancing you want to get into.
The freelancing websites are a combination of 2 approaches:
- Freelancers advertising their services and letting clients reach out to them
- The clients post the jobs, and then freelancers contact them to bid on these jobs (common for beginner freelancers)
All freelancing platforms have their pros and cons, so aim to pay attention to each and choose the option that works best for you. As time goes on and you gain more experience in freelancing, you can eventually branch out and market your skills on specific platforms that relate strongly to accounting jobs.
Build your website
Before you begin sourcing out clients, it is important that they have somewhere where they can learn about what you can offer – regardless of the industry you work in. owning a website makes you seem more professional.
The good news is the availability of website builders, even many that offer their professional website builders for a low cost – meaning you do not need to spend so much money just hiring a website builder, and they also allow you to set up the website according to your preferences, buying a domain name, and so on.
Connecting through social media
Everyone either has a love or hate for social media – but regardless of your feelings on it, it still remains an excellent way to do your business. After all, you never know who could need your services, or who your friends could market to.
Ensure you spend some time spreading the word about your freelance accounting ventures on your pages, and create professional pages to post work-related issues on them, such as your LinkedIn profile. To expand your network through these platforms, you can also connect with other businesses, do accounting tasks for them, and ask past clients to leave their reviews on your professional pages and website.
Advertising your services
We understand that it is difficult to sustain your accounting work while still competing with other accountants around the world, and this is part of why people are put off by freelancing gigs. However, you can minimize the competition by advertising your services to your own community, which helps to build your reputation.
These options include:
- Talking to local business owners (especially small and medium-size businesses) and seeing if you can partner with them
- Placing business cards and flyers on community boards and public places like coffee shops
- Putting an ad for your business in local publications
There is an advantage that comes with local advertising efforts like the ones we outline above – many people are more willing to pay when they are supporting a local business, as opposed to a business they do not know about. Once the local community sees you as an essential component, it will become easier to gain new clients through word-of-mouth, and establish your freelance accounting business.
These tips may seem challenging to fulfill, but they will play a major role in attracting clients and new jobs in the long term. Once you are comfortable with freelance accounting tasks, you will consider more ways of increasing your business.
