Start as a freelancer successfully

Language: German

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer

Starting your own business - are you still toying with the idea or are you already well on your way? Whenever you want to start your own business with your idea, this tutorial will answer your what and how questions. The positioning of your services or products on the market, customer acquisition, finances, business practice and legal challenges - trainer Jan Brinkmann bundles all the important aspects for your self-employment in a single course. You will receive practical decision-making aids and concrete recommendations for getting started as a freelancer. A few example topics: Calculating hourly rates, writing quotes and invoices, keeping an eye on private and business finances and liquidity, pensions, insurance, taxation and legal forms ... Beforehand, you will receive extensive information on market analysis, customer acquisition and marketing. These nine training hours with 62 lessons save you the tedious and time-consuming task of doing your own research!

Preparation: How to successfully position yourself on the market, analyze it and win customers.
Finances: How to protect yourself, avoid payment defaults and keep an overview.
Freelancer practice: How to retain clients, write quotes & invoices, calculate your hourly rate.
Law (as at 25.5.18): Act with increased certainty with regard to legal forms and taxation, among other things.

Avoid the big and small mistakes right from the start when setting up your own business - if you're going to be self-employed, do it right!

Details

content: 10 h Video training
Licence: private and commercial Rights of use
Bonus: including working material

Positioning

free of charge

Business start-up & customer acquisition: 1.1 Basic idea of positioning

You need to be perceived as an expert in your niche. This is not possible if you simply offer everything. In this chapter, you will learn the basics of positioning.

Business start-ups & customer acquisition: 1.2 Digression: Why "follow your passion" is bad advice

Follow your passion - common recommendation and yet bad practice. More on this in this lesson.

Business start-ups & customer acquisition: 1.3 Building your personal brand for easier success

A personal brand with your name or rather an artificial brand like Apple & Co? Here's a tip on how to make it easier.

Business start-up & customer acquisition: 1.4 Be perceived as an expert with specialization

Specialization is the way to position yourself well in the market. Set yourself apart from your competitors. Find out how to do this.

Business start-up & customer acquisition: 1.5 The economic balance between specialist and vendor's tray

Extremely specialized, but unfortunately only two customers a month? This video explains how to find a healthy balance.

Business start-up & customer acquisition: 1.6 Analyzing the market for a niche

Market analysis is extremely important. Here I give you various measures with which this really works objectively. Not just "wishy-washy", but very concrete ideas.

Business start-up & customer acquisition: 1.7 Positioning backwards

Evaluation of your analysis and the resulting positioning. We are now developing this here.

Business start-up & customer acquisition: 1.8 Developing your sales message

How do you actually sell your services? This is where you develop a message for potential customers.

Business start-up & customer acquisition: 1.9 Developing unique selling propositions (USP)

Go to the supermarket and buy some water. It's all just H2O - by definition. There you will experience unique selling points in action: filtered through volcanic rock & co. And that is exactly what you are now developing for yourself.

Business start-up & customer acquisition: 1.10 Tasks for chapter 1

So that it doesn't stop at theory, here are some very specific tasks.

Business start-up & customer acquisition: 1.11 Bonus: Examples with positioning/USPs

There are examples relating to positioning and USPs.

Acquisition

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.1 Basic ideas for online acquisition

Online acquisition - this is what it should look like: Bringing customers to you and not chasing after them.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.2 Important principles for acquisition

Get to know a few important principles of customer acquisition.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.3 Availability by phone

Being reachable by phone is good, but not around the clock. Here are a few tips.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.4 Contact form vs. 30-minute consultation

Learn to position your contact form and offer it at a high value - that's the difference between half a liter of tap water (cents) and a bottle of Evian (approx. 1-2 euros).

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.5 Emotionally charging the "About me" page

The "About me" page is an important factor in marketing as it makes you tangible as a person. Get to know a few tips (including a book tip).

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.6 Customer awareness: choosing the optimal approach

Addressing the right topics in advertising is not just about experience. You have to consider the customer. Find out more in this video.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.7 Copywriting tips for freelancers

You can find the basics of copywriting here.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.8 Inbound marketing

Overall, the different versions of inbound marketing help you with acquisition. Here is an overview.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.9 Blogging

A great form of content marketing: your own blog. Learn about the important factors here.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.10 YouTube

A YouTube channel is also great for acquisition. Learn a few basics here.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.11 Facebook ads

How can you structure advertising campaigns on Facebook? Get started here.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.12 Google AdWords

AdWords is an important advertising channel. Learn how to use it strategically.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.13 Email marketing

This is all about email marketing for freelancers.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.14 Networking

Networking can also help. Since it is not directly part of the acquisition strategy - really more for inspiration than with exact strategies.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.15 Platforms Twago & Co

Several students have secured jobs and customers with five-figure revenues via job platforms. Not to be underestimated, especially when starting out.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 2.16 Tasks

There are also tasks for you in the second module.

Finances

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 3.1 Overview of the finance chapter

Finances are a special topic for the self-employed. Here you will learn how to deal with them properly.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 3.2 Securing your personal finances

How can you protect your personal finances properly?

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 3.3 Precautions

Preventive care is extremely important. While this is all very individual, here are a few ideas to inspire you to take action yourself.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 3.4 Financial runway

How long can you survive without more income coming in? Here is the basic principle. While the math is relatively simple, you should still do the math.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 3.5 Business finances

You can also protect your business finances in business. Find out how this can work.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 3.6 Avoiding payment defaults

Customers who don't pay are annoying. Find out how you can reduce the risk here.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 3.7 Cash flow

Everything stands and falls with your liquidity. What good is an order for €50,000 if the money is only paid after 6 months? Is your landlord also waiting that long for his money?

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 3.8 Keeping an overview

You need to have the numbers under control, not the numbers you. Here are a few very pragmatic approaches.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 3.9 Further tips

A few more tips that didn't fit into their own category.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 3.10 Financial tasks

One student wrote after the first live webinar: 'Just because of the overview he now has, the course was worth the money. And that's exactly what this is all about: sorting through your finances and getting an overview.

Business as a freelancer

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.1 Overview of the business chapter

There are many everyday aspects that this chapter deals with. A brief overview? In this video!

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Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.2 Retaining customers in the long term

How can you inspire and retain customers in the long term? Here are a few ideas. Simple means - great effect.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.3 Your hourly rate

An extremely exciting topic: the hourly rate. Often too low for newcomers. An enormously important lesson for this reason alone.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.4 Writing offers

How do you improve your chances of attracting new customers? If you can quote good prices. Great offers are important for this. Get to know the basic idea here.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.5 Writing invoices

Job done. Now you write an invoice! What sounds simple can also be optimized. Here are a few basic ideas.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.6 Finding the right clients

You don't want to do every job. Sometimes it's just not a good interpersonal fit. Here are a few suggestions on what you should look out for.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.7 Tapping into additional sources of income

Always dependent on customers? Find out how you can tap into other sources of income.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.8 Leaving the 9-to-5 job behind

The time to take the plunge is entirely personal. Here is a little encouragement so that you are not put off by the wrong impression.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.9 Conducting sales talks

When acquiring customers via inbound marketing, you have relatively easy sales conversations. However, here are a few tips on how you can improve this.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.10 Productized Services

Do you have services that are always in demand? Turn them into a product!

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.11 Further business tips

More tips for your everyday life as a freelancer.

Starting a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 4.12 Business tasks

Practical tasks that you should definitely do.

Legal questions

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.1 Overview of legal issues

An overview of the following chapter.

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Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.2 Business plan

What role does a business plan actually play?

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.3 Financing

Finance it yourself? Get outside capital? What's the advantage? Here are a few thoughts.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.4 Possible legal forms

Which legal form for newcomers? Here are some aspects to consider.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.5 But a GmbH?

A limited liability company can make sense. Here you can find information on provisions & Co.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.6 Taxation as a sole trader

Taxes are a particularly vexing issue for newcomers to self-employment. This gives you full control right from the start.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.7 Business name vs. company name

A name for your business. This is how it works (and you need to keep this in mind).

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.8 Do I need general terms and conditions?

What role do the GTCs play? Do you need them?

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.9 Insurance

Which insurance policies make sense? You can find ideas here.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.10 Legal pitfalls on the web

There are a few traps on the internet. You can avoid a few of them with these tips.

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.11 Contracts

What role do contracts play as a service provider?

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.12 Dealing with digital documents, emails & co

How should you deal with digital documents & co?

Setting up a business: getting off to a successful start as a freelancer: 5.13 Tasks on legal issues

More tasks for your business.

Details of the content

Becoming self-employed as a freelancer - this is important!
Do you want to take the next step in your career and become self-employed? But you're still unsure, have unanswered questions or lack a holistic overview? Then replace uncertainty with knowledge, get answers and gain a clear view of the really relevant aspects of setting up your own business.
Over 9 hours with 62 video lessons sounds like a lot? Yes - but it's nothing compared to the time you would have to invest to research each of the topics compiled here individually. Set off on the path to self-employment with Jan Brinkmann:

Position yourself as an expert & win customers with a sophisticated marketing strategy.

Hone the idea you want to start your own business with and position your business specifically on the market. This requires a few preparatory measures. In the course, you will learn how to analyze your niche and develop your brand, unique selling points and target group-specific messages on this basis. Your trainer will then provide you with numerous recommendations on how to acquire customers. What is the best way to approach customers? How should you design your contact form and your telephone availability? How do you operate successfully with your blog, on YouTube, Facebook & Co? - Get strategic tips for your marketing.

Keep track of your finances and know your rights and obligations.

"You need to be in control of the numbers, not the numbers in control of you." - As a freelancer, you know the opportunities and risks of your business. Jan Brinkmann shows you how to operate as safely as possible in this environment. Learn methods to avoid payment defaults and keep your private finances and liquidity under control. Find out what precautions you should take and what insurance you should take out. Retain the right customers, write correct offers and invoices and know the legal pitfalls that you will encounter again and again (note: as of 25.05.2018, the GDPR information is not taken into account).

What will you gain from this course?

Overview and clarity for your business start-up - acquire knowledge and practical methods for starting your own business. This compendium looks at all the important aspects that play a role before and during your freelance work - for more security in terms of finance and law as well as more know-how in terms of customer communication and marketing.

Note: The "Positioning" chapter corresponds to the first chapter in "Customer acquisition via Facebook and Google AdWords" - a training course that introduces you to a marketing strategy for acquiring new customers.