How to become a freelancer: complete guide to success

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!