More often than not, people spend a few years working full-time with a company to build up all the skills and experience they will need to bring to their very own company once they do decide to go freelance. So, which skills are transferable from full-time work to your home office? Here are just a few of them.
Time Management
Just like when working in an office, you will still have plenty of deadlines to stick to when you are working on your own at home. You just get the added advantage that you can do your work whenever you please, just as long as you hit the deadline.
freelancing
So, bringing your time management skills from your office job to your freelance life is a super idea. Often, freelancers get lazy when they work from home and start quite late in the day. However, it’s a good idea to try and stick to regular office hours as this can help you organize your time better and put you in a professional mindset ready for work.
A Professional Attitude
Speaking of a professional mindset, that attitude is extremely important as it can help freelancers create a structure for themselves. There are various ways you can help yourself develop a professional attitude.
For example, rather than sitting around in your pajamas all day, it’s important you still dress as if you are going to the office even if you have no reason to leave your house. You will also find it useful if you have a home office or dedicated work space for you in your home so that it still feels like you have an office to go to.
A Continual Training Program
When you are in full-time work, there are plenty of opportunities to train on the job and take courses funded by your employee. Once you are freelance, all your training is up to you.
Even though it may be expensive, it is still important that you take relevant training such as an operations management online degree and other further educational courses.
I recommend buying a subscription to a site like SkillShare. A premium membership gives you access to all of the learning videos. It’s one way you can edge past your competitors and be more attractive to clients than them.
Communication
Just because you don’t work in an office with other people anymore, there's no reason why you should neglect your communication skills. After all, you'll still need to keep in touch with your clients and customers via email, phone, and Skype. More importantly, you’ll need to maintain your communications with clarity and confidence and without any dropped calls or frozen video conferences. The best way to do that is with specialized internet services, for example, with internet for truckers or any other business vertical you may enter into. When you have clear connectivity and reliable internet service, you’ll be available to your clients at every turn.
Failing to stick to communication best practices could end up with you putting some of your professional relationships at risk. So, even though you might not use them on a day-to-day basis, don’t forget to take the time to brush up on your communication skills!
You might be surprised just how many of your office-based skills can be brought over to your freelance business. If you do transfer them successfully, your home-based business will certainly grow leaps and bounds!
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