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Creating a personal brand as a freelancer or self-employed person

31 Jan 2018

More and more, the world of freelancers and freelancers is booming. Starting your professional career with this profile is both a personal and risky decision, but who said that doing what you love was easy? Let's talk about personal branding. The effort that a freelancer has to make in order to carry out a project is sometimes much greater than that of a large company. This freelance profile operates in the professional environment in which he/she has been trained or in the one in which he/she feels most comfortable. It is most likely that a freelance or a freelancer carries out different tasks at the same time and possibly performs them for different companies without explicitly belonging to any of them. For this, the worker must differentiate himself from the rest and make it clear who he is and what sector he works for. And the best way to stand out is by personal branding. This weapon is nothing more than your hallmark that makes you unique among the crowd, as essential as your skills in the sector in which you move. Because every freelancer would like to be recognized just by hearing their name or nickname by which they identify themselves; every freelancer would like to feel continuously appreciated and called upon for their creative skills in their sector; every freelancer would like their work and effort as a freelancer to be valued. Although there are many definitions that explain what personal branding is, we find one of the most accurate ones cited by Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon:
»Your personal brand is what they say about you when you're not around.» Jeff Bezos
  Well, now we ask ourselves how to get started in this world of personal branding and some doubts arise.  

Do I use my name or a nickname?

This question is important to get started in the freelancer world. Although the decision is yours (remember that it will be your personal brand), the truth is that it is very advisable to use your own name. This is not only positive for your dealings with other companies or people. "Showing your face" with your name brings transparency, closeness and trust when it comes to establishing ties. In the world of work, it has always been preferable to deal with people and thus relate to each other. On the other hand, using your name as a personal brand will be negative if in the future you decide to expand your staff or create another business. You should also consider what you call yourself, as there are names so common that they could confuse you or you may have a name that is very complicated and difficult to remember or pronounce. This is something to think about.  

What aspects should I take into account?

Above all, start by planning. Nothing comes out of nothing. Every successful project has been previously clarified and built based on objectives, so the first step you should take is planning. Why have I decided to use my name instead of a corporate one? What field of work defines me or in which one I feel comfortable working? How will I manage relationships with other people? What strategy is the most suitable to carry out my profession? These are some of the questions you can ask yourself to begin to define the planning of your personal brand, the one that will define you to the world.  

Do I need a lot of time to create my personal brand?

Personal branding requires a lot of work and concentration. If you are creating your freelance profile from scratch, think that it won't build itself in two days. It will probably take you a couple of years to establish your brand in the market, identify yourself as such, find attractive projects, connect with influencers... but as we said at the beginning of the post, nobody said it would be easy. Your effort and work to create your personal brand is essential to start in this world. It will be important that you establish contacts and be constant; for this, you need to be patient, very patient. Lean on whoever you need the most and don't give up, because your passion for your profession will define your path to success. At Aticco Barcelona we have a advisory service in which professionals of our coworking give you a hand for your beginnings as a freelancer. You can contact us by e-mail at hola@barcelona.com or by phone. 932 710 007. We will advise you according to your profile and project. Shall we talk?

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