Freelancers and gig culture is the new way to work! India contributes 25% of freelancers in the workforce across the world! It is reported that 23% of all freelancers across India have the potential to earn up to a whopping ₹ 60 lakh per year. Tempted to go solo with freelance now? The freelance work culture has invaded every industry in the workforce, including the hospitality industry. In this piece, let us discuss the ways in which you can explore the freelance market in hospitality and acquire the freedom to be your own boss and work for brands across the world.
Well, before you even begin to think of freelancing in this industry, make sure that you are ready to face tough competition and your pre-requisites, such as a degree from the best college for hotel management. Let’s discuss 7 clear cut points for becoming a freelancer in the hotel management industry.
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- Brace Yourself – The path to self-employment is beset on all sides with the inequities of poor preparation and a hasty start. Blessed is he, who in the name of making it work, prepares himself for the haphazard and free-flowing world of freelancing. Spend some time on creating a brand image for yourself, a thing that distinguishes your work from established organizations and other freelancers. Crafting a business plan by taking tips from other accomplished freelancers will give you a fair idea of how to go about in the world of freelancing. In the beginning, you might witness the growth to be relatively slower, but as time passes on, organization and planning will help you skyrocket your freelancing career to great heights
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- Be a Brand – Your brand is your identity. Once you establish yourself as a high-end professional, there is no stopping you from getting amazing opportunities to progress your boss-less freelancing career. Marketing your services, is in a nutshell, marketing yourself. Haven’t you heard the terms, “You don’t sell a service or a product, you sell yourself”? Showcasing your personality could help you win your clients over by establishing an emotional connect with them. These are essential for skills like travel blogging, hotel reviewing, etc. since it might help you establish a ‘you-centric’ brand which is essential for becoming an influencer.
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- Document, Document, Document – Creating a stunning portfolio is like bread and butter for your freelancing career, and the same goes for the hospitality industry. Showcasing the kind of work and businesses you want to drive via samples of your previous work will not only showcase your skills but also literally represent you as a person who means serious business.
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- Planning! -. You have to be organized like a well-oiled machine. A personal business plan is important, as it actually keeps you floating when you are drowning in a sea of different projects and need to keep your head over. Combine these plans successfully with your life goals: how much do you want to earn, how many hours do you want to work for? Set your prices, and under no circumstances are you allowed to budge! Financial and mental peace is why you’re doing this after all!
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- Get Clients, Duh! – If you’re freelancing, it goes without saying that you need clients! Let’s face it: you get clients by word of mouth and referrals the most. The plan of action should be something like this: first and foremost, tell your near and dear ones that you’re flying solo and the best way to do it is: You guessed it, Social Media. Start spamming those stories like you just don’t care! Another helpful way is to start posting your portfolio on freelancing and other related gig-based websites/apps.
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- Get that Money! – Finances are as haphazard in the freelance world as is acquiring clients. When you’re working in an organized setup or a company, you enter straight after placements from a college offering Masters in Hospitality Management in India, your finances and payments are done in a well-defined manner including taxes, invoices, insurance, medical, etc. Freelancing is a whole other ball-game; everything is on you. You work to get paid and manage everything on your own. Stay on top of your money pile, always! Get online accounting software or platforms which help you do the same.
- Love yourself – Sometimes, the freelancing world might make you feel like hating yourself. A simple, yet tough advice is don’t, don’t hate yourself! Have faith in your abilities and you have to really be confident enough to give yourself an emotional, physical, and mental boost to fight through the hardships that come along with being your own boss.
Godspeed, and let’s help you get started on the road to being an awesome freelance boss for yourself!
