3 Ways That Can Help You Increase Your Income

According to a study conducted last year, more than half the freelancers interviewed expected to continue to increase their income, while over a third of them indicated an increased demand for their work.

What’s their secret, and what does it mean for you? There’s actually no secret at all. It’s a simple fact that 2016 is a great time to be a freelancer, especially a web design freelancer. The demand for the type of work you do is there, and it is increasing. The market is changing, not only domestically, but globally, and you can be a part of it.

There are things you need to do that will involve some effort on your part. That’s doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need to work harder, and for longer hours. It simply means that you need to take the time and effort to find out what seems to be working for others, and apply those techniques to your own freelancing efforts.

Here are several of the most important things you need to begin doing right away.

Try Working with Pre-Built Websites

Time is of the essence when you’re freelancing. Try as you might to schedule your time productively, an hour extra spent working with an unhappy client can really impact your workflow.

Fortunately, you can make time your friend by using pre-built websites to optimize your design processes, and their associated costs.

We’re talking about cool pre-built websites like this one.

Using a pre-built website has major advantages:

The total time it takes to build a presentation website can be dramatically reduced.
Your starting point is an editable layout; something a client can easily relate to.
Since UX rules and principles have already been taken into account, you can focus on what you enjoy doing most – design.
If, as an example, you selected Be Theme, you will have more than 210 of these customizable, pre-built websites to work with. If a client doesn’t like something, it can quickly be changed. This will please your client, and save both of you time.

With so many topics to work with, you’re in a better position to take on more work from a wider range of clients. Here are three examples of the various topics pre-built websites address:

Be VPN

Tech agency websites need not be boring.

Be Car’s Smooth Effects

Images can sell.

Be Minimal

Minimalist = Elegance

Think About Ways to Acquire a Passive Income

One way to create a passive income is to create something that others can use and are willing to pay for. You might create something that is evergreen, or something that requires periodic changing or adding too; but is still something that brings in income “while you sleep”.

This approach can free up time to devote to other pursuits, learn a new skill, or allow you to be more selective about the work you want to take on.

Create products follow designers can use – icons, vectors, mockups, and the like.
Start a blog, or create an advertising or affiliate site. Advertising the right product line can be a real moneymaker.
Write a book, based on your design experiences, and what you’ve learned from others. Just remember that the content must be real, valuable, and based on a good deal of experience.
Try selling your photos online. This can also be a moneymaker, but you’ll want to check the guidelines first.
If your design skills lend themselves to t-shirts or coffee mugs, consider opening up an online shop, using a pre-built website like this one:

Lower Your Risks

It’s one thing to try to increase your income by looking for new clients, or trying a new freelancing approach. Working harder is not always the best approach however, and you might benefit more by analyzing your freelancing from a business perspective.

Business 101 teaches us that time is money. Improving aspects of your work that are not all that efficient could transform everything. Maybe charging a small fee for some things you do, or changing how you charge your clients will make a difference. Small tweaks can sometimes have huge effects.

Looked at from a slightly different perspective – try to avoid the risks associated with working harder instead of working smarter. If you work smarter, by using pre-built websites for example, your client may not be aware how much less time you spend working on a project, but will definitely notice the outstanding quality of your deliverable.

Many of those who go into the freelancing business do so because they want to work for themselves, and on a schedule of their own choosing. That’s fine, but not all of them treat freelancing as a business – to the detriment of their potential income.

Lower your risks by acquiring a business mindset.

Increase Your Productivity

The hardest part about freelancing is seldom the work. Most freelancers love what they are doing, and although the work can be challenging at times, that is not what’s hard for many. It’s the discipline that’s required.

With improving your productivity as your goal, you need to analyze what you do and how you do it. Here are some helpful guidelines:

Can you set a work routine, and stick to it? If you work from home, that can be difficult to do, even if you live alone. Sticking to a routine can be hard, boring, or both; but from a productivity standpoint, it’s essential.
Are you great at multitasking? Once upon a time, multitasking was looked upon as a skill. For the freelancer, it’s best avoided, since it can be a drain on your energy.
Can you organize your work? Trying “touch something only once” can be a great productivity booster, but you first have to organize and prioritize. While you’re at it, renounce the social networks, so you don’t end up spending time working when you really shouldn’t be, like this:

Spend some time investing in the space you spend the bulk of your time working in. It could involve anything from purchasing a comfortable chair to eliminating distractions.

2016 is a good time to take up freelancing as a way to increase your income, or, if you are already freelancing, to look for ways to earn more. One way would be to direct some of your freelancing effort toward building a passive income. Write an e-book, create and sell product designs, or built an affiliate website.

There are also tips and techniques you can employ to lower your risks and increase your portfolio. Try spicing up your landing pages. The best way to do that is to build your design on a pre-built website.

Be Theme offers more than 210 of these pre-built websites. Put them to good use, and you’ll find yourself doing far better work in far less time. Your clients will take note of your improvements in quality and productivity as well. Your reputation as a web designer will take a boost, as will your income.