How to Start Freelancing as a Specialist in CAD Design: What You Need to Know Before You Begin
The best thing about CAD tools skills is that they are highly marketable. You don’t have to work in an office or under an employer if it doesn’t suit you. If you are good at what your doing, there are many opportunities to freelance. Once you have established yourself, you should be able to maintain a steady flow of clients. If you are starting this freelance career from your regular job, here are some things to remember.
It’s not like working a full-time job
It is important to remember that this will be different from your normal day job. First, you have complete control over scheduling. While this can seem like a huge advantage, it can also be a curse if you are not good at managing your time. It will be necessary to manage the legal and accounting aspects of your business (more details below). This can quickly become a mess in certain niches.
Finance Your Setup
There’s also the issue of financing your work setup. If you work for a company, they are responsible for providing all necessary software and hardware licenses. If you are working on your own, you can do that. CAD software is very demanding and requires a lot of hardware. You might be able to deduct some of your purchase costs from taxes, but that’s not a guarantee. You should aim to cover at least these areas:
- Computers with high-end features
- Software licenses
- Chair and work desk
- Subscribe to Trello and other services
Do You Really Need an Office?
Working as a freelancer in almost any field is a great advantage, even if you are not a inventor designer. You can also practice your job at home. There are many benefits to working in an office, which you should not overlook. If your business is doing well, you might want to look into this. There are many benefits to working in an office:
- Clients can meet face-to-face easier
- Other businesses are within easy reach
- Professional presentation
- Potential tax benefits
- Education and Certification
Even though you may not be working for an employer, this doesn’t mean you won’t benefit from formal education. This can make you stand out in a competitive field. You don’t have to be an expert in CAD. You can choose from a variety of certificates and degrees that will be useful depending on the client you are working for. If your job is directly related to physical production, an online course in lean manufacturing from an accredited university such as Kettering University could prove very useful. You can brush up on skills that aren’t directly relevant to your job but could still be useful.
Finances and legal concerns
As we have mentioned, freelancers will also be concerned about their finances and legal issues. An accountant can help you with this, but it is worth having the contact information of an attorney. It can be very beneficial to have the additional protection that only a specialist can offer you when it comes to legal rights and intellectual property. These are topics that often come up in this field of work. There are companies that will exploit your ignorance to take advantage of any weakness. It is possible to ruin your business by filing a lawsuit. This is why you should do everything in your power to avoid it happening.
How to market your name
Marketing skills are essential for success, no matter what your skill level. It can be costly to hire someone to help you with your marketing skills. They take effort and time to develop like any other skill. You have many avenues to market your business, so it is a smart idea to be present on as many as you can. Here are some ideas:
- Website with a storefront
- Websites that offer freelancing
- Networking with current clients
- Social media
- Paid advertising
