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Hello dear friend and welcome to the club! Hopefully this reply will help you out.


First, and solely based on what you've asked, you're not ready.

But that doesn't mean you can't be ready sooner than later. I am assuming that by freelance you desire to make a full-time income, grow you income over time, and possibly even leave a legacy for loved ones. My answers reflect that assumption and are not geared towards somebody interested in freelancing as a side-gig or just for some extra cash.

1. How do I know I am ready?

I'm not going to say "you'll just know." Anybody who made the full-time jump into freelancing as their main source of income never felt ready. Frankly, it's pretty scary to think about getting off your employers teet and being responsible for your own income. At a conference table a multi-millionaire business owner once said that regardless of his time owning his business, the processes in place, the great employees, and his confidence, sometimes the scary thought would still enter his mind that it could all just come crashing down. Being responsible for yourself, your own income, your quality of life and possibly of others is no small task. It takes guts, confidence, patience, and thoughtfullness. You can do it if you believe in yourself though.

Here's some advice...

Being ready has nothing to do with your skillset in design, development, writing or whatever craft you're involved in. Absolutely zero. Calvin Coolidge said "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

Here's a few reason why your skillset is not a significant factor in your preparedness to freelance:

a) Our industry changes faster than we can learn. By the time you start feeling confident in a specific skill, you've already got 10 other things on your radar that you would like to learn. It never stops. You just accept it and choose which skills are the most important to focus on. Anywhere you decide to draw a line in the sand and say "that's what I need to do to be ready" is just arbitrary. You made it up and there is no logic or metric to base it on. It is actually an avoidance technique. It reflects a lack of confidence. You will soon find out though that this too is just in your head. Every single job in freelancing is a new challenge. You don't need confidence in your ability - you need confidence in yourself.

b) Success in freelancing or running an agency boils down to people skills. Communication, soft skills, time management, and networking are the factors that determine your success as a freelancer. There are freelancers with skillsets that haven't been updated in a decade who are very successful because of people skills. There are also extremely talented people on the cutting edge of their skillsets but lack people skills and therefore never become successful freelancers. Some people can sell water to a whale while others could't sell water to a millionaire dying of dehydration in a desert.

If there is a catalyst for feeling prepared to jump into the world of freelancing, it's improving your people skills. This should be practiced as much, if not more, than learning your tools.

Here are some resources to get you going and I'll keep it short because actually using these resources is more important than just collecting them:

Books:
How to Win Friends & Influence People - Dale Carnegie and
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Steven Covey
These two books cover what makes people trust and how you can change the lens through which you see life plus much, much more.
The Game of Numbers: Professional Prospecting for Financial Advisors - Nick Murray The title says financial advisors but the content applies to anybody who is prospecting for clients. Nick Murray is very candid and direct. There is zero sugar coating and he will instill confidence in you to get past rejection and to embrace what prospecting really is - a game of numbers. Murray also covers avoidance techniques - like thinking that just one more javascript course is what you need to feel confident to start prospecting.

Team Treehouse (I am not affiliated in any way):
These courses provide some of the highest value I've ever received for each dollar spent. The section you should look at is the "Business" section. Don't get sidetracked by all the other "skillset/tools" content just yet. In the business section, take the courses on "Soft Skills," "How to Freelance, "How to Run a Web Design Business," and "How to Market Your Business." These courses will provide enough information for you to assimilate the big picture of what freelancing is and will help instill confidence in you.

That's it for the resources. It's not much and if you dedicate some time and focus on these resources you will know where to go to continue building your people and business skills. Once you are engaged and truly understand that this business is about people, you will have the confidence to carve out a path towards full-time freelancing.

2. When you submit a project to a client what files do you give them?

There is absolutely no hard and fast rule to answer this question. This is between you and the client and will often be handled on a case by case basis.

It is common for contracts to stipulate that the client owns the rights to everything you have created but they do not own the unique design you created. To wit, they cannot turn around and sell your design to other people. But again, this is not a hard and fast rule.

Here's what is more important regarding your question - WHEN do you give the client whatever files you agreed to give them? The answer: After the final payment. It doesn't matter what the contract says, who said what, how much has been paid, if the client is your own mother or if you have a check in your hand already - you do not give the client the final product until there is money in your bank account or hard cash in your hand. This is a simple concept observed and accepted in almost all other businesses but people get screwed all the time in freelancing. Even a drive-thru worker holds the food until they have your cash. There is not logical reason for doing it any other way. Any client who is proposing otherwise is not a professional business-person.

3. Can I start freelancing as a front-end developer without knowing backend? (I have recently started learning Rails)

This is very similar to number one in that it doesn't matter. If you don't know the backend, then you say you're a front-end designer. If you also know the back-end then you do both. If you can write a sentence you can call yourself a copywriter. If you can build a site in Wix or Weebly you can call yourself a developer. If you can draw a box in MS Paint you can call yourself a designer. There is no line in the sand that you cross over to be an "official" freelancer, developer, designer, or copywriter. Anybody telling you otherwise is mean, ignorant, not a professional business-person or some combination thereof.

From Wikipedia, "A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a person who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long-term." If you're not committed to a particular employer long-term and you make money through short-term contracts scooping up dog poop at corporate campuses, guess what? You're a freelancer.

What matters for obtaining clients is that you can sell yourself. What matters for keeping clients is doing a good job.

4. Should I freelance under my real name? Or incorporate?

Your business name is a matter of personal preference. The only question to ask yourself is "if I grow a lot and hire employees, do I want the business to still be my own name?" It's your call whether you'd want employees working for Joe Smith LLC or whatever it might be. But keep in mind that it can be a real pain and very costly to change business names several years down the road.

What's important here is regardless of name, what business entity are you set up as? You can read about those by Googling "business entity." Sole proprietor, LLC, C-Corp etc. There are no hard and fast rules. The implications of your choice affect how taxes are paid, what happens in a lawsuit, etc.

If you aren't comfortable digesting that sort of information then a couple hundred bucks spent on an attorney is in order. Depending on which entity you choose, you might be able to fill out and submit the registration paperwork yourself.

My pleasure!

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All that is awesome! Your response means you're doing everything right as far as I can tell.

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Maybe illustration doesn't have "trade shows" but maybe there are more art shows to get involved in? Even if it's just volunteering to help work the event if there's no room to post your art.

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Competitions can be expensive but I think personally that the ROI would probably be way worth it. Don't quote me, but I'd be willing to bet that you could probably write off the entrance fee as a business expense on your taxes, which makes it "free" :D

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For art hanging, if after 6 months to a year I would move it to another place. Oh! Afterthought! You could potentially have the opportunity to hang your art at one of these new businesses, maybe they'll even want to purchase it themselves if they're still settling in.

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I'm not familiar with MailChimp but it should be like any other mass mailer. Do you have the automation set up for different types of outcomes? For example, if the person doesn't open the email it sends a follow up message. You can get really intense with these and following up is important. I would also make the emails seem as personalized as possible.

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If you like to read about sales stuff I would love to recommend this great read to you!

Tom Hopkins is killer. He's smart and has sold a ton of different things and is an authority on selling. (He once sold 365 houses in a year)

I don't think you should be worried at all about asking your freelancing friends questions as long as you don't ask in a way that makes it seem like you're asking for their clients. You're new-ish at this, everyone needs a little help now and again :)

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I think your last thought about reaching out is a good idea! With your own personal flair you can be like:

• If they're local - "Hey [Name], it's been a bit since our last project. I was gonna be in your neighborhood around X time and would love to catch up over coffee/lunch if you're available!"
  
• If you work remote for them - "Hey [Name], it's been a bit since our last project and I just wanted to check in and see how things were going. I've been doing some cool [work] and thought you might like to check it out. Any cool projects going on on your end?"
  
• If you're cold emailing/calling - "Hi [Name], I'm Whinyartist and I do x work. I like your company/business/past work and would love to collaborate with you on future projects. Would that be something you're interested in?"
  
• If you're cold emailing/calling #2 - "Hi [Name], I'm Whinyartist and I do x work. I like your company/business/past work and would love to collaborate with you on future projects. Would you be available for coffee on x day or x day to talk about how we could help each other out?"
  
  • \^These last two need finessing lol but you get the point I hope.
    
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Glad it proved useful!

> You mention also exercises you do during day to stay fresh. Can you point some exercises to recover yourself?

Have experimented with a couple, but here's what I've found:

Walking

At the start of the day (if still tired after waking and drinking a full glass of water) or after lunch a walk helped me reset and regain focus. Even if I had been dealing with stressful issues, getting out of my environment, paired with mild exercise, was enough to get me over the hump for the rest of the day. Going to a natural area was the most helpful, and a duration of about 15-20 minutes I found was ideal to gain the benefits without feeling like I was falling behind on the days tasks.

Some notes on why this might be the case: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-you-think-better-after-walk-exercise/

Standing

I'd noticed a trend where my focus was drifting after lunch and thought a standing desk might help. Picked up a MultiTable (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NJUQVG/) with my cheap-o Ikea desk top. Tried to enforce a schedule where I'd stand after lunch but got distracted with leg/foot tenderness. Picked up a fatigue mat (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V3TO9EK/) that helped a bit.

Standing does seem to help a bit, the shift in position does work to wake up and regain a bit of focus. But not as effective as movement exercises I've found, or especially going outside and getting fresh air.

Stopped Heavy Weight Training

A few times a week (ranged from 3-5 times per week) I'd go to the gym for weight training. I'd been doing a pretty intense program with regular heavy lifts and I was pretty unproductive on workout days. No matter what I ate, how rested I was, I would return from the gym and not be able to truly focus until after lunch. By then I was feeling rushed to get things done.

I scaled things back to workouts that took effort, but without pushing myself to my limits each time. Also cutting back weight training to 3 times per week max. Others may have better luck with lifting, I just found I couldn't maintain that level of effort and expect quality productivity for a few hours.

Running

Recently I've started running as an experiment using http://www.active.com/mobile/couch-to-5k-app

I was never a runner, but it seemed a nice portable way to get some exercise so thought I'd at least give it a shot. I've been impressed with the impacts thus far. On non-weight training days I run in the morning and the productivity boost carries through the entire day, even into subsequent days. I'm not sure if it's the running itself, or the progressive structure of C25K that makes me feel I'm achieving something each workout, or some combination of both - but since starting running I've felt alert and focused throughout the week.

I'll have to see long term how this work, but so far been on it for 6 weeks now and benefits started around week 2.

I bought a mechanical keyboard (MK) about a year ago. I really, really enjoy typing on it - but that's about the only difference. Speed/accuracy/typing is about the same.

The one big thing about MK's is they're often a lot more customizable. Alternative layouts are very popular and shift layers are also very useful.

MK's are a bit of a rabbit hole. If you visit the mechanical keyboard sub-reddit, you can literally spend days trying to figure out which keyboard is right for you. At the end of the day, I've come to the conclusion that most MK's are exceptional quality compared to run-of the mill keyboards.

The biggest factor in a mechanical keyboard is the switch type (i.e. the color of the switch) and the manufacture. For the most part, Cherry Corp is considered to have the best/most reliable switches. Blue colored switches are considered the best for typing, but they can be a bit noisy for an office environment (I work from home so I can clack away). Browns are also good - they're a bit quieter (I'm currently building a keyboard with browns).

As long as you get Cherry Corp switches (Cherry MX), you can't really go wrong.

I have this keyboard: https://www.amazon.com/QuickFire-Mechanical-Keyboard-ActivLite-Technology/dp/B00M562EQU/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1479406219&sr=1-2&keywords=quickfire+rapid+i

It also comes in a version without a backlight for much less: https://www.amazon.com/Storm-QuickFire-Rapid-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B0068INSUM

Those specific models don't have the keypad (I bought a separate one to place on the left side of my keyboard), but the same series of keyboards offers several variations - including full-sized ones with number arrows and the keypad.

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One of the big things people look for in a programming keyboard is the ability to program shortcuts into it (I have symbols as a function layer on my home row - super handy for programming). While nice to have it built directly into the keyboard, I don't consider it necessary as you can do it on the computer side of things.

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I'd recommend spend some time in /r/MechanicalKeyboards to learn from other people.

Other recommendations:

• DAS Keyboard
  
• Happy Hacking Keyboard
  
• WASD Code Keyboard (http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/)
  
• Ducky
  
• Vortex
  
  Honestly, there are so many high quality brands that you can't really go wrong. I would try to avoid MK's from consumer brands like Corsair, Logitech, and Razer. You have to do your research with the major brands as they have some amazing keyboards as well as some terrible duds.

First of all, you need to invest in a copy of the Writer's and Artist's Yearbook.

The section for illustrators is very small, but contains excellent advice. It also contains a comprehensive list, with contact details, of all UK press and broadcast media. This is it's real strength.

It also contains advice regarding getting an agent (a good idea if you want to make a living out of illustration), what you can expect from them etc. It is the bible for self-employed or freelance commercial artists and writers. Well worth £15 or so.

I can't recommend an industry body to you, as I'm not an illustrator. But I can give you an example of a similar organisation to which I belong, which is the Society of Authors. I don't know if you'd be eligible for membership as an illustrator, but if you can find a similar, respectable organisation, I'd recommend it.

The W&A Yearbook should also contain a list of stock image libraries, although you can search for these online easily. Consider the type of work they do and perhaps, when you have little commissioned work on, maybe create images for a stock library. Most do not pay up front, but you will receive usage fees should they be licensed by a client.

Also, there is a W&A yearbook for children's publications. You shouldn't ignore this market. Children's publications consume a lot of illustration, as I'm sure you can imagine.

I've been working from home for around 5 years now, both salaried and freelancing.

I have a wife, a son and two dogs, so it's important to reenforce that separate between personal and professional time not just in myself but in my family as well.

I have the benefit of owning a large home with a separate office. My son and wife both know that when the doors are closed I am not to be bugged unless it's something important.

I also use a pair of great headphones and playing music to prevent being bothered by sounds outside my little bubble.

If you're still open to working from home and your main complaint is the lack of separation, try cordoning off a piece of your home as your professional office space and train yourself to do nothing but work from that spot. No gaming, no playing, just work and profit generation.

If that doesn't work for you, and you're in a small town with no true hacking spaces, local coffee shops are usually ok with remote workers as long as you continuously keep refilling your coffee cup with them.

I'd recommend purchasing some really good headphones with either integrated microphone, or a detachable cable that you can use a microphone with. Don't use the cables with the inline mics that don't extend away from the cable - I highly recommend the V-MODA Boom Mic. My headphones of choice at the moment are the beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus because of the size (I have large ears, these rest around my ears and not on them which is important) and comfort level. Also, they sound amazing with a small $30 amp.

Having the mic be directional so that you can put it directly in front of your mouth and circumaural headphones are both important for filtering out background noises.

With this you can now ignore your phone and use Google Voice, Hangouts, Skype, Slack for voice calls.

Anyway, good luck. We're counting on you.

There is a lot of help out there for Freelancers starting out, but I am going to recommend a few unconventional books - that although not directly related to client work or marketing - have helped me with the overall journey (although your mileage may vary)

• So Good they Can't Ignore You "Passion comes after you put in the hard work to become excellent at something valuable, not before. In other words, what you do for a living is much less important than how you do it."
  
• A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy - This one was great for me learning to focus on only the things you can change... very helpful for stress (which can be a large part of freelancing!). Stoicism in generally has some good, practical parts, such as visualising "the worst that can happen" to prepare yourself - again, when you are your own boss, not everything will go perfect. I don't follow this as a life philosophy - but generally found it a helpful book.

My backpack of choice is always my Swiss Gear computer backpack. It fits up to a 17 in laptop with laptop straps and also has a pouch for a full sized tablet. I've been able to fit a full sized laptop, tablet, DSLR with lenses, books, and other odds and ends all at once. At the same time it has straps that can pull the bag tighter when not to full capacity and keeps the bag quiet small. At max it's the size of a small suitcase but can be the size of a small bag.

https://www.amazon.ca/Swiss-Gear-Rainproof-Backpack-17-3-Inch/dp/B00SF8KY8C

I'm linking to Amazon because I can't seem to find it on the Swiss Gear site. Although they seem to have other nice bags, you might want to check them out. The quality is great.

These are there laptop friendly bags, if they are anything like the bag I have then they would be great for what your wanting. https://www.swissgear.com/backpacks/laptop-friendly/ Although the one I have and linked to seems to be a good amount larger and might work better if your trying to travel, take clothes, and potentially other needed items for a trip.

ReWork is a good read, but I'm not sure it's what OP is asking for...

I'd look into Michael Port's Book Yourself Solid.

He talks about a "Red Velvet Rope Policy". It's basically:

• Determine what inspires you >
  
• You’ll love what you do >
  
• You’ll do a better job at it >
  
• You’ll create more customer value and satisfaction >
  
• You’ll build a foundation of more loyal and profitable customers

I'm not a web designer, I do motion design. But a lot of this advice is universal for any visual creative freelancing field:
Start collecting inspiration pieces. Stuff you like, stuff that catches your eye, colors you like etc. Websites that "work" Annotate why you like them. Go back through them when starting a project and building mood boards. Always keep expanding. Pinterest can be a good resource for this.

Read. Trade magazines, Communication Arts, etc. Hit up the library and get some books on design fundamentals, composition, grid systems, typography and color theory.

Also, get some books on freelancing. I'd recommenced Creative, Inc. by Meg Ilasco & Joy Cho. This will help you clear your head and get in the "mindset" of freelancing.

Make an account at Adobe's Kuler this is my number #1 color theory cheat sheet, and helps me find color pallets that work.

Flash is going on the wayside, at least from an animation standpoint. Some knowledge might be useful, I rarely touch it anymore. Granted I'm a motion designer and stick primarily to AE, C4D etc. I'm not a webdev, so take that with a grain of salt. (Look into HTML5 maybe?)

Lastly, build some thick skin on taking critique. Knowing how to show your work to people, and work their suggested/requested changes to improve your design (and not take it personally) is very, very important.

I strongly recommend buying this book, or the equivalent book for your profession. It is the best business book I have ever picked up; it describes industry standard professional practices that protect both the client and designer, and ensure a far more efficient business relationship. It is also extremely clear and concise, with short chapters that get directly to the point.

It's worth every cent and won't take long to read and it will help you be a better client and a better vendor.

If you can't tell from the responses, networking (building relationships) is very important.

Being social, helping others, and letting others know specifically what you do and for whom is very beneficial. I've gotten a lot of referrals from my network.

You never know when someone that's a relatively weak tie in your network has an opportunity to refer business to you or send you introductions to others. If you can stay top of mind with those people, then you'll have access to more opportunities.

Here are some books worth reading if you haven't read them before:

• How to Win Friends & Influence People - http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034
  
• Never Eat Alone - http://www.amazon.com/Never-Eat-Alone-Secrets-Relationship/dp/0385512058
  
• Adversaries into Allies - http://www.amazon.com/Adversaries-into-Allies-Manipulation-Coercion/dp/1591846366
  
  Make sure that when you start "networking" you aren't just peddling business cards. It's about making a connection, adding value to others, and staying in touch. If you go to conferences, aim to meet and get to know a handful of influential people. Don't push 200 business cards onto others.
  
  If you have troubles staying in touch with all the people you meet or want a more efficient way then a text file or excel file, then try using a tool to help.
  
  I co-founded a SaaS that helps freelancers make sure they stay in touch with the important business contacts you meet, but that you don't see on a frequent basis. I use it to make sure I'm staying in touch with a large group of people that I've met in the past or want to build a better relationship with. http://relate.ly

Illustrator here - Decide if you REALLY REALLY REALLY want to freelance as an artist, because the honest truth is that you might never be able to freelance professionally full time, even if you are INSANELY talented, because convincing people to buy squiggles you make is very difficult to do.

Anyway, everything you need to know to starts with this question:

Who are you selling your work to?

From there, everything comes into place. Selling illustrations to businesses is a DIFFERENT business model than selling to consumers. Selling your illustrations to children book companies is DIFFERENT than selling to Tech companies. Selling your illustrations to old cat ladies requires A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM from selling your illustrations to metalheads.

"But I want EVERYONE to buy my illustrations!"

HAHAHAHA! Forget illustration, you should be a stand-up comedian, kid!

Read these:

Inside the Business of Illustration, by Marshall Arisman and Steven Heller

Breaking into Freelance Illustration, by Holly Dewolf

2013 Artist's & Graphic Designers Market

I don't charge differently per hour, I charge by project. Clients often have little or no understanding of what an hour of work means, and I shouldn't be monetarily punished for being efficient. I used to charge per hour and then I'd get inspired and bust out a flier or copy for a brochure in 20 minutes when I had quoted two hours. If I'm charging for time, I can't ethically take the whole two hours. But if I'm charging by project, I can take more projects and make more money by rewarding my fast work.

I use the Graphic Artist's Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines to price projects. This way, if they have any pushback on pricing, I can show them the exact page where I got the price for their project, so they know it's not just on a whim - it's the ethical price to charge. That's won me a lot of business.

I highly recomend the Graphic Artist's Guild "Pricing & Ethical Guidelines" that covers this topic pretty well.

Essentially what you should do in your contracts (I guess it might be too late for this job) is specify what mediums this logo is being used for. Anything else and they'd have to pay you more. NEVER just turn over full ownership like that. If you do, you best be charging a butt-load of money.

As an example: say a client approaches you and wants you to design a screen for a shirt. You do it for him, and price it accordingly. And then a few years later they are using that design for all of their print collateral, on their website, ad placements, tv commercials, etc. Protect yourself from this!

Instead of making money on royalties / equity, you might want to look into the idea of value based fees. Here is THE book on the subject.

You are correct in your assumption; Aligning your financial incentives with the client's financial incentives is a win for all parties involved.

Here's a few resources on the subject.

This is a guide to the average pay rates of certain design jobs. They also give the average freelance rates based on company (you might want to go a little bit below average, considering you're just starting out)

If you want to charge a lump sum instead, I suggest either just estimating your hours worked, or really just ask yourself what your time was worth. Don't sell yourself short, web design is a big job. This person hired you because you know what you're doing, and they don't.

If you're going to be doing this more often, I suggest this book by the Graphic Artist's Guild. It has tons of design jobs in it, and gives you a reasonable range of what to charge for each.

Good luck.

I like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Freelance-Illustrator-Graphic-Designer/dp/1581151993/ref=cm_lmf_img_2

annnnnd

http://www.amazon.com/2013-Artists-Graphic-Designers-Market/dp/159963614X/ref=pd_sim_b_6

That series (they put out a new one every year) is pretty valuable.

Charge more. Come up with a base fee and then tack hourly on top of that. As an example: $599 pase price plus $30/hr for 12 hours = $960 or whatever works for you.

Get this book: Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines

It explains how to price and what the average pricing is for different types of websites, among other extremely useful information.

Get the latest edition of the Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. It has excellent info on how to (and why you should) price your work appropriately. Specific section in there for just this issue.

Value-Based Fees is the one I swear by. Really shows how the relationship should be set up (for example using "we" instead of "you"). Definitely a good read.

Seems fair to me. I usually work $20-$30 hr with a $50 minimum. So that sounds about right. You might want to look into buying this http://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Artists-Handbook-Pricing-Guidelines/dp/0932102158 of course look for the most recent edition

Is this what you're talking about?

www.amazon.com/Graphic-Artists-Handbook-Pricing-Guidelines/dp/0932102166