How to become a freelancer: complete guide to success

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Mis à jour le Monday 08 July 2024

Publié le Monday 08 July 2024

How to become a freelancer?

If you want to leave your salaried job; To stand on your own two feet, becoming a freelancer could be an excellent option for you!

However, be careful of disappointments! Becoming an entrepreneur does not happen overnight, it is important to prepare this new professional project well, otherwise you will be disappointed. &Be at home his account means not only putting up to date; take advantage of your skills (developer, computer scientist, programmer, graphic designer, web designer), but also take on the role of business manager - yours in this case. You will therefore have to juggle two hats and carry out several functions simultaneously.

Being an entrepreneur has the advantage of being free from any subordination, of being able to organize your working time, of selecting your collaborators, of choosing the missions that you like and of working from home. you if you wish. However, there are also counterparts, such as insecurity in the workplace. income, modulation of social security contributions, and accounting management. Many specialized organizations can help you succeed and manage your transition as best as possible.

Follow our advice: we respond to your needs all your questions!

What is freelance status?

The word freelance or free-lance comes to us from the United States and designates an independent worker, who works “ his account. “Freelance” is not legally a legally binding status. strictly speaking, but a designation that has become part of current professional language.

The freelancer is subject to a different regime from that of the employee. The first is free from any legal and hierarchical subordination while the employee is is subordinate to à his boss. Thus, the employer has the power to give him orders, to control him and, if necessary, to sanction him in the event of serious misconduct.

The freelancer can choose his working hours and days as well as his holidays, but he is also free to choose his place of activity, his clients, his services, his prices, his conditions of sale.

It is not linked to the by an employment contract with its clients. There is therefore no subordination link between the service provider and its client.

To become a freelancer, you must meet at least one of the following conditions:

Be registered in the trade and company register (RCS) or the national business directory (RNE) or the register of commercial agents (RSAC);
&Being a business manager;
Exercise an activity falling under the micro-social regime. You therefore have the obligation to create a legal structure that allows you to carry out your activity. and go freelance.

Freelance IT professions

The IT, information technology and digital sectors are conducive to the status of independent worker. The entire web sector lends itself well to wage portage careers.

Freelancing in the IT field is commonplace. With the rapid development of technologies and the exponential needs for networks and data, IT profiles are in constant demand:

Full Stack Developer: the king of developing web or mobile sites or applications, front-end and back-end (expert level knowledge in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Java, Python, Angular, Symfony..) ;
Data analysis is a key point of the course. in business development (optimization of sales and customer experience), also Data scientist are very popular;
Cybersecurity is at the heart of marketplace issues and the cyberattack experts are the guarantors of security. of business IT systems;
The boom in NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and cryptocurrencies requires the skills of a Blockchain developer who masters Solidity, Python, C++;
The market explosion ; of the Cloud (AWS, Google or Microsoft environment) requires the increasingly frequent intervention of Cloud architects;
AI, artificial intelligence at the heart of issues and debates: more and more AI project managers are being called upon to develop innovative AI projects. deeptech ;
IOT (Internet of Things) or connected objects: hardware and software engineers are in high demand for their Python, C++ skills;
UX Design and web design: designers specializing in user experience, customer journey and purchasing funnel work on all technical projects;
Network IT and project manager: IT consultants are in high demand in the market.

How to start freelancing?

Prepare your project

Clarifying your ideas, your desires, your ambitions, your objectives and your motivations while taking into account obstacles and realities will allow you to succeed in your professional transition. Here are the steps to follow: follow to lead to your business creation project:

Build a business plan: what is your business model? Have you prepared? the list of your expenses and your forecast account? What turnover do you aim for?
Define your target: who are your future customers? Start-ups? VSEs/SMEs? Big groups? Who are your contacts? Business leaders? SSII or ESN (Digital Services Company) directors?
Define your offer: what type of services do you want to offer? Do you work on quotes? Package? À the day? Do you offer other additional services such as maintenance or hosting? Do you want to work in all sectors of activity? Or do you prefer to specialize in aeronautics or health? for example?
Prepare your legal and administrative documents: write your general conditions of sale (you can benefit from the free help of a lawyer in your CCI - Chamber of Commerce and Industry), choose your invoicing software (free or paid), prepare your quote and commercial offer models.
Develop your commercial strategy: how will you find your customers? Word of mouth is a very effective way, but you have to start with a first customer. Make your network work: family, friends, loved ones, former colleagues, former bosses... Join networking groups: they are more and more numerous and sometimes very targeted.
Develop your marketing communication strategy: choose the name of your company (proper name or brand name?) and create your identity ; visual (logo and graphic charter). Then decline your communication tools: website, Google referencing, Google establishment profile, social networks (Instagram or Linkedin depending on your target). Communication is a profession! Trust professionals to put in place efficient tools corresponding to; your expectations.

How to set your freelance TJM?

How to determine your pricing? Before you start, do some market research. The most important point is to analyze the
competition and identify the expectations of your future customers.

Which companies offer the same services as you and which are likely to use your services? these services? If the supply of services exceeds the demand, it will be more difficult for you to sell your services well and position yourself on the market. It may be more strategic to specialize in a tool, a working method, a sector of activity or a sector of activity. or another catchment area. Learn how to highlight your strengths and your differentiating factors. Be unique in your profession!

Your TJM (Daily Rate Maverage) will be based on several points:

Your skills (diplomas, training, etc.);
Your experience: in terms of years of expertise (junior, senior), but also in terms of type of position, company or sector activity ;
Your availability and your responsiveness: the quicker you respond to your questions. a request, the more likely you are to win the contract;
Your turnaround time: Customers will appreciate rapid support, responsiveness and responsiveness. and compliance with announced deadlines;
Your project management method: your personality, but also your organization of the project stages will be assets for your clients;
Your catchment area: rates are higher in large cities like Lyon or Marseille and lower in smaller cities or geographically weaker sectors economically.

Concretely, it’s up to You can also anticipate and calibrate your projects to define your TJM IT. Learn how to Evaluate the working time necessary for each of the tasks inherent to the project. Evaluate how many projects or work days you need to get through each month. Freelance IT rates for example can vary from 120€ à more than 1000€ ! The average being 350€/day for a junior and 600€/day for a senior.

À It is up to you to position yourself according to your ability. work, your catchment area and supply and demand. Be careful though: it is always possible to modify your prices, but it must remain consistent. This seems complicated; to go from 120€ TJM at 800€ in one month.

Create your freelance business

Legal forms of companies

To start your activity, you must create your structure. There are several legal forms for being a freelancer depending on your forecast turnover and the level of social coverage.

Micro-enterprise or self-enterprise (Individual Enterprise with flat rate deduction)

It is more of atax regime (micro-enterprise) than a corporate structure. entirely part. As a service provider, you can practice after registering with us. condition of respecting the ceiling of &euro 77,700; for your turnover.

The advantage of this status is that you only pay contributions if you have collected your contributions. money. If you do a month at 0€, you will have nothing to pay. pay out. Furthermore, the amount of contributions is very low (around 23% compared to 45% in the real plan). You pay your income taxes.

As a micro entrepreneur, you are not subject to tax. VAT. Until’à a certain turnover! You become subject to VAT when you start reach €35,000. Contact an accountant in this case to find out the steps to take. perform.

The EI: Individual Company in reality

To become a freelancer, it is one of the best options available. choose. The formalities are simple and quick (there is no need to draw up statutes like for a company). You are the direct representative of your structure. You are subject to the social regime of TNS (self-employed workers). The amount of social charges will be calculated depending on your income. Attention ! These charges represent approximately 45% of your income excluding tax. Before you get started, make sure you have an economical model that holds up.

L’EURL: Single-member company Responsibility Limited

The sole proprietorship responsibility Limited (EURL) is a privately owned company. à responsibility limitede (SARL), made up of a associate; unique. The advantage of the EURL is that you have great freedom. decision, because you have no decision;other associates with whom to manage the structure.

The advantage is that your personal assets are separated from each other. of the company's assets, you are thus protected. in the event of non-payment Or other. You can easily bring in partners to transform it into an SARL. You can opt for IR (income tax) or IS (corporate tax). The disadvantage is that the social regime is that of TNS and that your responsibility is that of TNS. can be engaged.

SASU: Company by Simplified Single-Personal Shares

The SASU (simplified single-member joint stock company) is an independent company. which only has one partner unique(unlike SARL or SAS). This type of status allows great flexibility, because theassociate uniquehas full management powers over its company. The advantage of thislegal formis that the manager is assimilated into the company. employee and therefore has remuneration with affiliation to the general regimeof security>. social. The disadvantage, as it is a company, the creation is more complex because it is necessary to write statutes and call on the help of a company. a lawyer. Your accounting It must also be reviewed by an expert. Note that the tax on profits is either at corporate tax (IS), i.e. at income tax (IR).

Salary portage

Becoming a freelancer therefore implies a legal commitment by choosing your type of structure. There is also the choice of salary portage which simplifies all your procedures. The principle of salary portage is that you go through a company. intermediary without working directly for your clients. This intermediate structure “carries” as an employee on a fixed-term or permanent contract to carry out missions on behalf of a client. Portage allows you to work for different end clients and various missions, while benefiting from the advantages of employment. You therefore maintain good social coverage and security. of remuneration. The downside is that you have a little less freedom, but it allows you to make your transition to freelancing smoothly.

Administrative procedures

To make the right decisions before going freelance, seek advice from professionals. The Chambers of Commerce and Industry will be able to guide you on the steps to take. follow. Don’don’t hesitate to join us! solicit business lawyers and accountants to set up your business model and ensure your transition is successful.

Since January 2023, formalities have been carried out at the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property) one-stop shop. You can create your account directly online and let yourself be guided. The INPI is also available by telephone to answer questions. your questions. Once your structure is created, think about it. make yourself known and create your spaces online on the URSSAF website (or URSSAF self-entrepreneur) and with the tax authorities for professionals.

The different types of help when you're a freelancer

As a business creator, you can benefit from support for your business. the creation of a business, under certain conditions. These supports are available in different forms:

Financial contribution - repayable or non-repayable: grant, loan, advance, loan guarantee, scholarships... ;
Tax benefits: tax deduction or credit;
Exemptions from social contributions;
Funding training or coaching;
Desk an attractive price;
Support in setting up the “economic and financial project.

Certain devices will be granted according to criteria linked to:

In the sector of activity (agri-food, BTP, health);
At the location of the company (economic zone to be revitalized and energized);
Your current status(support for job seekers);
To your profile (help for women business leaders).

For example, if you are looking for a job, you can make a request to France Travail:

Arce (Aid for business recovery or creation) : financial payment from France Travail to amount of 45% of your rights to unemployment insurance;
Acre: exemption from social charges for the new business manager;
Maintenance of payments within the framework of unemployment rights (if the entrepreneur does not choose Arce);
Solidarity honorary loan zero rate.

Special mechanisms exist for the creation of innovative businesses and startups:

French tech or French tech emergence scholarships (Bpifrance);
Start-up loan to prepare for fundraising (Bpifrance);
Research tax credit.

To be able to benefit from it, you often have to complete complex and complete files. Don’don’t hesitate to join us! ask for advice from the CCI, the BPI (Public Investment Bank) or your France Travail advisor.

&Are you made to work as a freelancer?

Who can become a freelancer? A priori everyone!

But before launching into salary portage or freelance, take the time to reflection.

Whatever your situation: graduate student who is starting out in working life, salaried worker, job seeker, you can work on your business creation project. Beyond of your professional skills, also think about your professional skills. your personality, your desires, your needs and your ambitions in the context of work.

What are your motivations for becoming a freelancer? What is your desire for personal and professional life? What are your priorities and life choices? What are your financial needs?

What are the advantages of becoming a freelancer?

Be free in your working hours and days as well as your holidays;
Enjoy mobility geographical;
Having the choice in your commercial strategy: selecting your clients and projects, specializing in certain sectors of activity;
Carry out varied missions with different clients;
Enjoy maximum autonomy to optimize private and professional life.

What are the disadvantages of becoming a freelancer?

Feeling alone when facing work, facing decisions or conflicts;
Having to face customer management;
Manage the entire contractor part: prospecting, quotes, project management, delivery notes, invoicing, accounting, communication;
Let professional life spill over into personal life;
Living in insecurity financial situation and the lack of future regarding the missions.

Freelance in salary portage

What is salary portage?

Salary portage is a new economic model that allows independent workers to remain employed. Salary portage is ideal if you no longer wish to be subordinated to your employer. à a boss but you don't yet feel ready to go freelance. This status allows you to benefit from your independence and all the advantages of a professional structure, on the legal, commercial, social and administrative levels.

The operation is based on the contractualization of a mission between the “port” (you) and a client (who orders a mission) via a umbrella company which takes care of all the issues inherent to this management. This contract drawn up between the 3 parts can be presented under the form Term of a CDD (Fixed-Duration Contract) or even a CDI (Indefinite-Duration Contract).

What are the advantages of salary portage?

Choosing salary portage when you want to become a freelancer means choosing security. Integrating this type of structure has many advantages:

Freeing oneself from entrepreneurial obligations: the umbrella company portageit relieves you of the administrative burden and takes care of all legal, legal or logistical aspects;
Be better protected : as “port” You benefit from all the social benefits of an employee. : Security social, responsibility civil insurance, negotiated mutual rate, retirement, unemployment rights;
Benefit from the company's commercial strategy portage: the structure can put you in touch with clients to land missions. You are thus liberated. prospecting stages;
Take advantage of a structure that welcomes you, helps you and supports you in your efforts so that you don't feel alone. A real opportunity to succeed in your independent launch!

Choose my statusWage portage