Meet Harsh Bhavsar: A Full-Time Freelancer
Ditching a full-time job at a company and starting a career as a full-time freelancer is not easy.
When someone asks me “How do I start a freelance career” I always envision a Boromir meme with the text “one does not simply become a freelancer overnight.”
And, that’s true.
It takes lots of hard work and planning before you start building a freelance career.
But, seriously, how does one become a successful freelancer?
Harsh Bhavsar (harshbhavsar.me), our prospective .MEr and a full-time freelance web designer and developer, can answer that question for you.
Who Is Harsh Bhavsar?
Harsh Bhavsar is a full-time freelancer, web developer and web designer, based in Ahmedabad, India. This young and prospective .MEr earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Computing at the Gandhinagar Institute of Technology in 2015.
He is passionate about developing mobile apps on Android and iOS platforms. With 6 years of experience in mobile development and 3.5 years of experience in flutter development, Harsh also has experience in managing teams and project handling.
From An Agency Employee To A Full-Time Freelancer
Once he obtained his degree in computer science, Harsh first worked as an Android developer at renowned IT companies, such as EQuest Solutions and Interix Solutions.
Since January 2020, Harsh has been pursuing his journey as a full-time freelancer, working to expand his knowledge in mobile development. Harsh has been working in Flutter with Dart since the alpha version of the technology.
His areas of expertise include social media apps, image-video editing apps, survey apps, chat apps, location-map-based apps, various management apps, and BLE-based apps. He also performs requirement analysis and app design, development, and deployment for a range of clients.
The Services This Full-Time Freelancer Offers
Harsh has worked on more than 14 successful projects. His services include web development, graphic design, and mobile app development.
Web Development
This full-time freelancer provides various website development services, including eCommerce website creation, landing page creation, CMS development, and so forth. In addition to creating websites, he also provides complementary services such as website design, development, testing, support, and maintenance.
This Full-Time Freelancer Also Offers Graphic Design
Harsh is also a hell of a designer, focused on helping brands develop strong product strategies and development. And, he covers it all – from ideation to final polish, he focused on producing user-centric mobile solutions that delight website visitors and help brands enhance their reputation.
Mobile Development
Harsh’s mobile development services include end-to-end mobile app development, from BA and UX/UI design to the deployment and online market publication.
Kickstarting A Career As A Full-Time Freelancer: 101
Making a transition to a career as a full-time freelancer is never easy.
There is a bunch of questions you may be asking right now, and some of them are:
“How do I land my first client?”
“How can I make myself visible?”
“What can I do to stand out from a bunch of other freelancers offering the same or similar services?”
That’s true, starting a freelancing career can be stressful. And, it requires lots of planning and strategizing. However, you can never experience its benefits unless you step out of your comfort zone and give it a shot.
Here is what you can learn from Harsh about starting a freelance career:
Build A Personal Website
Most professionals across various industries start their freelance careers by building and polishing up their LinkedIn profiles.
Unfortunately, that is often not enough to stand out and gain traction as a full-time freelancer in the overcrowded digital ecosystem. Why? Because all LinkedIn profiles look exactly the same. No matter how hard you try to personalize it, showcase your industry experience, and publish relevant posts, you are limited by the social network’s strict design.
What you need as a full-time freelancer is a portfolio website.
A personal website is an opportunity for personalization.
Most importantly, a personal website comes with a plethora of branding opportunities. It lets you build and control your personal brand, making you memorable and helping you build trust with your target audience.
Harsh’s website is a perfect example of how this works. He created a simple, one-page website that makes it easier for his potential clients to learn everything they wanted to know about him.
Start Blogging As A Full-Time Freelancer
Once you land on the website of this full-time freelancer, one of the first things you may notice is that he blogs regularly.
“Should I have a blog even though I’m not a freelance content writer,” you may ask. And, the question is simple – yes.
Having a blog is immensely beneficial for freelancers across various industries. Your blog is yet another opportunity to build relationships with your target audience. Most importantly, by writing relevant, fresh, and detailed content about your industry, experiences, trends, and past projects, you establish yourself as a thought leader and gain industry credibility.
Blogging also does wonders for your overall website presence. When written well and optimized for search engines, your content will rank high on Google for relevant search queries. That is how you increase your site’s visibility in the online world and increase its organic traffic. Quality content also earns lots of quality backlinks, which indicate that your website is a relevant source of information and tell Google to rank it high.
Wrapping Up
Making the transition from a full-time job to a career as a full-time freelancer is a daunting but rewarding experience. For many young professionals, the mere idea of leaving the stability of a regular paycheck for an uncertain freelance career may be a bit too much. However, with the right planning, preparation, and mindset, the transition can be smooth, fulfilling, and successful. And, Harsh’s example proves that!
Keep rocking, Harsh, we are proud of you. Thanks for choosing .ME as your digital home!
