As a lot of work became virtual recently, many professionals have seen the benefits of a freelance career. They can choose which jobs and how much work they’re willing to take on, dictate their own working hours, set their own rates, and stay safe and healthy while they conduct business from mostly at home.

If, like others, you’re also considering pursuing freelance work, AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurance providers, shares these important tips to help you become successful at it:

Cherish connections.
It’s an advantage if you have friends, former clients, and colleagues who are already familiar with your work. Maintain these connections, so when you put the word out there that you’re available for work opportunities, they will consider hiring you since they can trust you to do deliver the work they require.

Have a portfolio.
As a freelancer, you must be able to present a body of work to prospective clients. Not only will this establish you as a reliable freelancer, but it also gives clients an idea of how you work. If you’re a writer, for example, have an easily accessible online portfolio that includes copywriting, technical writing, and/or social media content. That way, they can easily look at your writing style and what they can expect from you. Having a portfolio is also a good way to see if you and the company are a good match since they’ve already seen your previous work.

Set up your own financial processes.

Before pursuing a freelance career, make sure that you’re prepared for it. You must have an organized financial process so you can keep track of the income coming from various clients, operating expenses, and miscellaneous expenditures. Check with your local government for registration requirements for freelancers to legitimize your small business. If your business is still small, it will be easy for you to do your own accounting and computation of taxes, but as your business grows, you may need to seek the help of an accountant to help you prepare financial statements for tax purposes.

Create your own benefits.
One of the downsides of freelancing is that you usually don’t get to enjoy employer benefits like paid leaves, bonuses, and health insurance. But the great thing about working for yourself is you can set up and dictate the terms of your “employment” benefits. At first, you may not be able to do this because you need to focus on building your clientele. But as your freelance work progresses, it’s a good idea to set aside vacation days and establish milestones for giving yourself a “bonus.”

A benefit you should give yourself like any regular employee is health insurance. Having a health insurance is important because you need to have coverage to protect not only your wellbeing, but your hard-earned savings in case of unforeseen health emergencies. One of the best options you can consider is AXA Health Care Access, a comprehensive and affordable health care plan that offers coverage for individuals ages 15 days old to 75 years old for up to P5 million. Its benefits include inpatient care, outpatient care, 24/7 teleconsultation, emergency care, preventive care, a Longevity Health Fund that can be used for future medical needs at age 76 onwards, and life and accident insurance. Moreover, with AXA Health Care Access, you can add your family members as your dependents so they can enjoy the same health care protection that you have.

To know more about AXA Health Care Access, visit https://www.axa.com.ph/health-protection/health-care-access.

You must hustle! In order to be a successful freelancer, it’s also important to stay motivated and hustle hard. Because your income as a freelancer is unpredictable and clients may come and go, you must be willing to market yourself and find clients in whatever way possible — whether it’s through making professional “cold calls” or sending out emails with your portfolio and contact details to your prospective clients.

Freelance work may be daunting at first, but hopefully, these tips from AXA Philippines can help you eventually secure a stable freelance career.