Are you looking to move away from conventional office hours to arrange your own schedules, following a career that you are passionate about? If you have any of the following skills, perhaps it is time for you to start looking at freelancing work, as the market is demanding more freelancers in these particular fields.

Languages

- communicating effectively with our fellow humans worldwide is becoming more and more of a necessity as businesses become more international and travel is becoming more and more popular. Some people are looking for private tutors online to help learn or perfect a second language. Other people are looking for translation services, which can be done remotely from your laptop. There are even companies that connect language learners with native speakers, just to practice and refine their skills. If you are strong in your native language and like the idea of teaching it as a second language, particularly English, there is likely opportunities you can take advantage of. If you are fluent in two or more languages, maybe you can chase down some translating or private tutoring opportunities.

Writing

- there is a high demand for online content producers. It doesn't matter what you like to write about, there are likely employers looking for work in every field, and as long as you have excellent grammar, a large vocabulary, and a strong understanding of whatever language you are writing in, with an open mind you will be able to find work. You may have to start off writing about generic subjects set by your employers, but over time, with practice and with experience, you will be able to refine it down to something you are more enthusiastic about. You can use websites such as upwork.com to search for opportunities. There are also opportunities in proof reading, editing and copywriting for those who are more established in the field.

Marketing

- for those who have an excellent grasp at social networking and are good at selling products, there are companies looking for people to utilise these skills to help boost sales. Often payment for work such as this is done on an incentive scheme, and so you have to be really motivated to make a good income, but payment can be really high for those who are particularly successful. When you become more established, marketing director and managerial roles are also possible to work remotely.

Web Development

- do you have a knack for coding? Can you build websites from scratch? There is a huge demand for software savvy individuals as every new company is looking for an online presence but not everybody is computer competent enough to set this up themselves. Work can range from correcting errors on websites, general maintenance of websites, creating websites, coding and application development. As there is such a high demand for this work and not so many people able to deliver services for this, payment can be very high.

Accounting

- for many jobs that have, for years, been conventionally operated from an office, there is a general trend for people to start freelancing. Accounting is one of these, as almost everything can be completed these days through a computer, and so it can be done remotely. You will most likely require some professional qualifications for this, however if you wish to become more flexible with your schedule, it is possible to work as a freelancer and not in the office if you want to be an accountant.

Graphic Design

- it helps massively to have professional qualifications and experience, but graphic designing is a skill for which demand is forever increasing. You should establish yourself with an online portfolio and a strong website that shows your style and achievements if you want to work as a freelance graphic designer. As more companies establish themselves online, it helps them massively to have a strong brand and a strong logo, and if you are able to produce these professionally, pay can be really high.

Photography

- photography is a very popular profession for freelancers, but is very difficult to become established in. You will need to have a good knowledge of photoshopping and editing, you will need a strong portfolio, a passion for your skill and also a unique style to become noticed, as well as all of the equipment you require to create the most professional work possible. This may require investing in an expensive SLR camera and some expensive software, but if you become successful, the benefits and job satisfaction can be very rewarding.

One of the most popular professions to take on as a freelancer is writing, and with more and more companies relying heavily on internet usage, the need for online content has really boosted this sector in the world of freelancing. A lot of people dream of running a profit making blog, however these can take years to properly establish along with a lot of time and effort, and so often the best way to gain experience, refine your skills and to put your foot in the door is to work as a freelance writer.

Freelance writing comes in many shapes and forms. There is a huge demand for online content producers - for people to write blogs and articles for websites of all different kinds of nature. Often employers will ask for a number of short articles of a minimum of 500 words to publish on a website, sometimes asking for very specific content but also sometimes only providing a very generic theme for you to interpret in your own way. Writing topics can be about anything, but some popular themes are travel, fashion, business, food and music, although this really is just the tip of the iceberg. Payment varies drastically, but freelance writers can expect to make a minimum of $5USD for each article which means, depending on your typing and work speed, you can make roughly $15 - $20 USD per an hour when you are feeling motivated and working well. Payment rises for more experienced writers who can prove that they have an excellent grasp of the language that they are writing in (typically English) both in terms of grammar and vocabulary.

As well as content producers, there are a number of other jobs for enthusiastic writers who are looking to freelance. For those who pride themselves on being particularly strong in grammar and spelling can apply to proof read work. Again, this varies drastically, as some employers might ask you to be proofreading short blog style articles and others may well be asking you to proof read an entire book that they have written. This tends to pay a little better than content producing, but tends to be on a pay-per-project basis agreed with the employer before you start work. It helps to have experience in proof reading if you wish to follow this route, and if you have none it might be a good idea to start of producing content to add to your portfolio that you have very carefully double checked for grammatical and spelling errors to prove that you are competent enough to successfully fulfil your role as a proof reader.

Paying towards the higher end of the scale is copywriting work. This entails developing advertising concepts and requires a high level of creativity and original thinking. To become successful, you have to be able to put a unique and individual spin on briefs to develop your own personal style, all while maintaining your client's values and messages that they wish to portray to a target audience. Often you will have to provide several different proposals for one project and, after the client has chosen one, it is likely you will have to continue editing this before you help to oversee the production phase and checking that all the content produced complies with advertising practice regulations. As this is much more technical, experience is often required, as well as a strong portfolio to provide to potential clients.

There are many more freelance roles for writers to fulfil, and this is just a vague idea of the oceans of diverse and interesting work that out there to discover. Some companies can be approached directly, however most will operate through a website such as upwork.com which allows freelancers to create a profile based on their experiences, education and previous work, and to apply to job postings through the website, although they do take a small cut of the final payment as compensation for their services. Freelance writing is an excellent way to develop your writing skills and technique, and with so many styles, topics, and diverse clients looking for content, it is an excellent opportunity to make some money on the side or to start a freelance career.

So you have purchased all of the equipment that you require to work your new job with professional ease, and you are mentally rearing to get started on your new freelance project. You have set up an online portfolio, maybe even a website or some social networking profiles linked to your new freelance work, but there is one thing missing between you and achieving your goal - the work itself. Unlike most jobs with conventional hours worked in an office, freelance work doesn't just come to you, and it doesn't grow on trees, and so you have to really proactively go out and search for it.

Before you start approaching potential clients, it is important to be fully prepared and confident in your own abilities so that the client trusts in your pitch and picks you above all the other freelancers looking for work. Ensure that you have a strong portfolio, and also some good and clear examples of work that you can send to them upon request that are specialised in the field that you would be working for if they accept you. Be prepared with a cover strong cover letter that describes some of your experience, your ambitions and goals, why you would be suited to the project and also what will set you apart from everybody else applying for the role. While a lot of freelance work agreements can seem casual, it is important to take everything as professionally as a conventional job interview, because that is essentially what the client is doing when you offer your services to them.

Once you are ready to approach clients, the difficult task is locating them. You may have some people enquiring about your services if, for example, you have set up some social media profiles, and maybe some friends will recommend you to their friends and so on, but really, for the majority of your work, you will have to find it yourself, and until you build yourself a reputation and a brand for yourself, people are not so likely to come to you.

Some companies you can approach directly. They may be advertising on their websites for freelance work and will provide an email address or application form. You can target specific companies that you are interested in working for, and even if they are not advertising about vacancies, it may be worth asking anyway, even if just to leave your contact details with them for any upcoming projects you may be of use for. You have to push aside the idea that you are annoying as persistence is the only thing that pays off - you must go all out with passion and enthusiasm just to get your foot in the door. For freelancers working in a local setting instead of exclusively on the internet, this is often a better option, and for those jobs which require your physical presence, it often pays to visit the companies you wish to target in person so that they can get to know you.

Another method to obtain work is through freelancing websites. There are a number of different platforms where you can create yourself a profile page which reflects the work you are interested in, your experience, your skills and your personality, and then use this to apply to advertised jobs within the website with covering letters and possibilities to provide samples of your work to potential clients. A few examples are peopleperhour.com, freelancer.com and upwork.com which all operate in similar patterns. Most websites like this will take a small compensation out of the payment package to compensate for their services, and a few will ask for a membership fee as well. For those with little experience in freelancing, this is certainly an excellent way to start to gain experience and to start to build up a portfolio. Clients who are happy with the work you produce will often ask you to continue producing for them and so you can start to build a professional network of contacts that you enjoy working with and start to refine you work, which will likely start as quite generic, to something which is more tailored to your interests and the direction you wish to travel in professionally.

Depending very much upon your business and your profession, but if you are somebody who works from home, or somebody who is in charge of their own schedule, there will always be times when work is the last thing you want to focus on. One of the key factors to having a successful business is to stay motivated, and in some cases, a lack of motivation can have serious consequences on your monthly income. Sometimes we even start looking for distractions that we can use as an excuse to get out of progressing further, and we always hate ourselves later for wasting the time in retrospect, especially when we are forced to catch up during a time when we should be enjoying some time off. Here are a few tips for creating and maintaining motivation, that can also help you to manage your time.

Manage your time off - Time out of production may seem like a waste when you are driving to create a new business, but if you don't take time out to relax and to rejuvenate it will have a larger negative impact on your productivity and time. Make sure you build some time into your schedule to sit back and to relax and to do whatever it is you enjoy doing. When you do go back to work, you will return with a fresh mind and spirit and feel more motivated to push forwards with what needs to be done.

Do the hard thing first - Is there a big problem that is intimidating you and making you dread going back to work? Is it looming over you every minute of every day, following you around like a little rain cloud? Get it done! The quicker you can get that problem out of your way and out of your life, the better you will feel about working and the easier it will be to progress on with everything else. If you leave this until later and keep putting it off, not only will it bring your mood down, but it could hinder the rest of your work and productivity.

Work in the morning - Get up, have breakfast and go! Much like procrastinating larger problems, procrastinating your productive time means you are more likely to let it slip away and to just not bother in the end. If you start early and keep pushing through, you will feel a more positive vibe and feel more motivated to finish.

Avoid the impossible - Some things just can't be done, but if we hang onto these and convince ourselves that they are possible, we will just continue to hit brick walls. It seems obvious, but it's amazing how many people persistently insist that some things can be fixed. Focus on what you can achieve right now and get that done. This can all be done while keeping a larger and more difficult goal in mind, but the only way you will attack the bigger problems is by using small steps.

Stay healthy - Maintaining a healthy lifestyle in terms of regular exercise and food helps you maintain a positive mood. If you have a positive mood, you will feel better about attacking problems and large workloads. This goes hand in hand with ensuring you spend some time on yourself and doing what you love - a happy worker is a better worker. Staying healthy also ensures you minimise the chance of sickness and unscheduled time out, which can be a real killer when you are running your own business.

Make your bed - This is a bit of a strange one, but if you can visually represent to your subconscious that you are starting the day and leaving behind your sleep and the idea of being counter-productive (lying horizontally and sleeping being the opposite of getting work done) it can have a very positive effect on the mind. Generally speaking, being neat and tidy helps us keep a clean and tidy mind which helps when trying to organise thoughts.

Make a schedule - And most of all, stick to it! Manage your time in hourly blocks, but do remember to be reasonable and not to put too much pressure on yourself that you reject everything. Also make sure you schedule in time for scheduling time, which sounds ridiculous, but otherwise you will be behind before you've even started.

Reward yourself - You've completed some tasks. You've been productive. Give yourself a pat on the back! Self rewarding is a way to motivate yourself, and depriving yourself of little joys until you have finished what has to be done (providing you have the willpower to resist) should help you through big tasks.