Home based jobs have been a subject of great discussion in recent years, the recession has hit household incomes hard and many are now using the power of the internet to find alternative income streams to supplement their recession hit salaries. Offering skilled services on a freelance basis is a great way for many to use their skills to earn that second third or even fourth income.

The freelancing industry is experiencing rapid growth, and employers are benefitting greatly from the flexible services and skills offered by individuals from all walks of life. Students, Retirees and individuals with extra time have come to appreciate the independence and flexibility the freelance lifestyle offers.

Freelance opportunities include but are not limited to: graphic design, content writing, proof reading, photo editing, data entry, and web development, design, and SEO and many others. Freelancing also provides a steep learning curve for many who lack real world experience, which is great for students or individuals who are looking to switch careers. Freelancing requires a lot of dedication but the long term rewards can be fantastic.

Freelancing can be very competitive and you may at times have to compete with individuals from all over the world for projects. The internet has created an environment that allows for individuals from all walks of life including third world countries to compete on projects providing they have the required skill-sets. A passion for what you do is crucial if you are to compete on a global scale, the rest is a lot easier.

Organization is a critical prerequisite for any budding freelancer, scheduling and prioritizing tasks will allow for you to become more efficient and earn more in the long. Punctuality and professionalism will bring credits irrespective of the job category. Many will find periods in which they are overwhelmed with work, followed by periods of reduced work.

Reworking and constantly learning will greatly help any budding freelance professional. Constantly improving on skills will keep clients happy as your work reflects your skills, thus increasing the supply of steady work from happy clients. Delivering great quality work outside of the planned timeframe will loose you credibility and clients, so maintaining and accurately estimating delivery timeframes is very important.

So it is always advisable to keep track of the deadlines and work accordingly. Set up a calendar with deadlines marked against the delivery dates. Make sure the task is accomplished well before the delivery time, and always allow for some revision time just incase changes are required. Do not hesitate to revise the final deliverables more than once as great results are just as important as delivering on time.

Make it a point to do a spell check, and grammar check before sending any articles or emails. A complex sentence structure would always leave the reader confused so don’t over complicate your sentences. Freelancing doesn't offer pay raises like a normal job would, but you have the ability to set your own fees - this can be tricky as you have to remain affordable at the same time as earning a decent income. I would also recommend that you maintain all bill invoices and correspondences so you can refer back to them for review.