The secret to being a successful freelancer | The Way We Work, a TED series

Transcriber: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Camille Martínez

I used to be really bad at earning money.

Translator: Candela Gómez Reviewer: Xosé María Moreno

Adoitaba ser pésima en gañar cartos.

Early on, I was a junior financial planner,

Antes era subalterna en planificación financieira.

and my job was to help people manage their wealth.

axudaba á xente a xestionar os seus cartos.

But my salary was so low that I started riding my bike to work

Mais gañaba tan pouco que ía ao traballo en bici

to save money on gas,

para aforrar en gasolina,

and I started a garden to save money on food.

e fixen unha horta para aforrar en comida.

Now I run a bookkeeping agency

Agora teño unha axencia de contabilidade

that specifically serves creative businesses.

que axuda concretamente a negocios artísticos.

[TED: The Way We Work]

[TED: como traballamos]

[Made possible with the support of Dropbox]

[Faino posible grazas a Dropbox]

This might sound strange coming from a former financial planner,

Pode que resulte estraño da boca dunha planificadora financieira,

but I'm not a fan of capitalism.

pero non son fan do capitalismo.

Almost everyone I work with and know and love is an artist, including me.

Case toda a xente coa que traballo, coñezo e quero son artistas, eu tamén.

So I know, the way the system is set up,

Así que coñezo como funciona o sistema.

freelancers and artists are too often way underpaid.

Os autónomos e os artistas adoitan estar moi mal pagos.

They often feel like focusing on money will corrupt their creativity,

A miúdo cren que pensar nos cartos vai corromper a súa creatividade

or they think they're just not that good at making money anyway.

ou simplemente cren que non son bos nos negocios.

But the truth is, we can be good at it,

Pero o certo é que podemos ser bos niso,

and in fact, we have to be,

de feito, temos que selo,

because our freedom is at stake:

porque a nosa liberdade depende diso:

our freedom to create, to influence

a nosa liberdade de crear, de influenciar

and to use the power of money

e utilizar o poder dos cartos

to change the very exploitation that keeps artists broke to begin with.

para cambiarmos o sistema de explotación que ten aos artistas na ruína.

I'm not struggling anymore,

Xa non teño problemas

and I've learned a lot since being a financial planner,

e aprendín moito dende que son planificadora financieiera,

and I just wanted to share that knowledge.

e agora quero compartilo convosco.

So here's what I've learned and done.

Isto é o que aprendín e o que fixen.

One: what you do.

Primeiro: o que farás.

When it comes to your offer,

Cando recibas unha proposición,

you have to be able to answer the following question:

deberás responder esta pregunta:

Why would anyone hire you over your competition?

Por que te elixirírian a ti antes que ao resto?

If you can't answer that question, neither can your potential clients,

Se non podes responder a isto, tampouco poden os teus posibles clientes,

which means you can't charge more for the thing that makes your work special.

polo que non poderás pedir máis por iso que fai especial o teu traballo.

Price becomes a differentiator, and bidding becomes a race to the bottom.

O prezo é o diferenciador, subastarse implica ir á cola.

O que te destaque poder ser o que fagas, por que o fas ou como o fagas:

What sets you apart could be what you do, why you do it or how you do it:

a string quartet that arranges and plays hip-hop medleys

un cuarteto de corda que toque mesturas de hip-hop

or a branding firm that has a unique way of marketing technology to Baby Boomers

ou unha marca que sexa única publicitando tecnoloxía para a xeración do Baby Boom

or a prop and set designer

ou un escenógrafo

who's known for crafting beautiful papier-mâché miniatures.

famoso por confeccionar miniaturas en papel maché.

Two: who you do it for.

Segundo: para quen o fas.

After you determine what sets you apart,

Despois de definir o que te fai diferente,

position yourself for your ideal customer.

atopa o teu tipo de cliente ideal.

In order for this to be effective, you must narrow your focus.

Para maior eficacia, tes que limitar os teus horizontes.

Without focus, you try to be everything for everyone,

Sen un obxectivo, tentas ser todo para todo o mundo

and you end up being nothing for nobody.

e rematas sendo nada para ninguén.

Then, use the kind of language that appeals to your target customer.

Logo, utiliza a linguaxe axeitada para atraeres o teu cliente obxectivo.

Create the kind of marketing materials or the kind of portfolio that attracts them.

Elabora o tipo de publicidade ou traballos que máis os atraia.

Then be in the real-life and virtual places they are.

De seguido tes que ir onde eles están, virtualmente ou na vida real.

For example, if you're a videographer

Por exemplo, se es un videógrafo

and you want to work with mission-driven companies

e queres traballar con compañías comprometidas

that bring clean water to places where it's scarce,

para levar auga potable a lugares onde escasea,

create a video trailer that shows exactly how the power of film moves people to act.

fai un video que mostre o poder das imaxes para facer actuar á xente.

Three: when it's time to talk money, understand the real value that you create.

Terceiro: cando toque falar de prezo, ten en mente o valor real do teu traballo.

You're not just being compensated for the time that you work on a project.

Non só te pagan polo tempo que dedicas a un proxecto.

You're being compensated for everything you've learned

Tamén por todo o que aprendiches

and everything you've done over the years

e todo o que fixeches ao longo dos anos

that make you excellent at what you do.

que te fai bo no que fas.

Ask yourself questions like:

Pregúntate o seguinte:

How does your service impact a customer's bottom line?

Como o teu traballo impacta no balance final do teu cliente?

How do you create efficiencies that generate cost savings?

Como o teu traballlo pode axudalo a aforrar?

How much money can your customer make

Cantos cartos pode gañar o teu cliente

from a product that you helped them create?

co producto que lle axudas a crear?

For example, if you're a freelancer that helps YouTube creators

Por exemplo, se es un autónomo que axuda aos "youtubers"

develop merch like T-shirts and dad hats,

a comerciar produtos como camisetas ou gorras

mention how much money you've helped your clients generate.

menciona o beneficio que axudas a xerar aos teus clientes.

Or, if you've created a diversity and inclusion training program

Ou se creaches un programa de adestramento en diversidade e inclusión

for corporations,

para empresas,

talk about how much time and money a company saves purchasing your product

menciona cantos cartos e tempo aforra a empresa grazas ao teu producto

instead of developing their own.

en lugar de crear o seu.

Four: make sure your price includes your taxes, your overhead and your profit.

Cuarto: que o teu prezo inclúa impostos, gastos xerais e o teu beneficio.

When you're a freelancer, you are your own business,

Se es autónomo, ti es o teu negocio,

so you're responsible for marketing,

polo que es o responsable da publicidade,

accounting, taxes, legal, insurance,

contabilidade, impostos, temas legais,

overhead and profit.

seguro, gastos xerais e beneficio.

If you price too low,

Se pos un prezo demasiado baixo,

you've already negotiated against yourself.

xa negociaches na túa contra.

And if a potential customer balks at your pricing,

E se un posible cliente se queixa do prezo,

don't apologize.

non pidas perdón.

Just say that you're running a business

Dille que tes un negocio que xestionar

and you can't afford to do the work for less.

e que non te podes permitir traballar por menos.

Instead of corrupting your creativity,

En lugar de corromper a túa creatividade,

focusing on making more money could actually enhance it

centrarte en obter máis diñeiro pode estimulala

by giving you the freedom of choice.

ao dáreste a liberdade de elixir.

Because when you earn enough working with clients that value your work,

Porque cando gañas dabondo traballando para quen valora o teu traballo,

you don't have to compromise by working with clients who don't.

non tes que facer concesións con clientes que non o valoran.