Start your own freelance business successfully. Get paid for your talents. Discover how to be your own boss by branding your expertise and experience the freedom of managing your career as a freelancer.
Suggested by: Coursera (What is Coursera?)
No prior knowledge required
No unnecessary risks
Do you want to transition from surviving between jobs to having a steady stream of income from your own business? How about gaining the confidence to leave your secure but stifling job and launch a more rewarding career that allows you to pursue your passions? Then you’ve come to the right place!
In this topic, you will learn how to overcome imposter syndrome and get paid for your talents by equipping yourself with basic skills to manage your career like a business, thus avoiding running out of money through smart financial planning and a solid business plan.
Will your business succeed? You will develop and refine your business idea and assumptions during the first four courses of the internship, and end with a plan you can use immediately to launch your business in the fifth and final course of the internship.
Plus, you won’t be alone – there will be other freelancers in this course to help you practice your networking skills and provide support to others to win new business. You’ll improve your skills in evaluating potential business outcomes by reading your peers’ business plans, and ultimately build the self-confidence to jump into full-time freelance work, or maintain a steady stream of additional income through your side hustle.
The first course in the Freelance Career Building specialization is for freelancers who are interested in defining and reinforcing their philosophy, values, and goals for their future business. The course will discuss the importance of understanding the competition and market positioning to help them define their unique value.
The second course is designed for freelancers who want to incorporate financial analysis and strategies into their business. Learners will discover and apply accounting best practices by creating a budget and financial plan.
The third course will help learners prepare their business plan to be public-ready and begin job hunting. The course will cover topics such as how to set boundaries with projects and how to build a public portfolio.
The fourth course includes an overview of the laws related to freelance work and how to deal with them, how to prepare for taxes, intellectual property considerations, and how to protect your work through contracts and legal agreements.
As the final course in the specialization, learners will build on their foundational skills from courses 1-4 to develop a complete business plan, brand, and financial model for their operating business.
