Over the nest two topics you will learn about  the seven most important things you need for a smooth online freelance career.

1. A reasonable personal computer or laptop

You need a computer that you can always be working on. It is advisable to get your own computer and not use one you have to share with your family or friends.

Work may become available at strange times of the day and the last thing you want is to have to fight to get online. No regular computer means missing out on potential work.

Do not rely on a tablet or a Chrome Book. Great as these are, they are more suited to leisure activities, such as browsing the internet and participating in social media.

A laptop is more flexible than a desktop. You can take it with you. And it will fold away when not needed. But the keyboard may be less effective, and laptops encourage you to adopt a bad posture.

2. A good internet connection

If you are living in a village with poor network connection, you will have a hard time connecting with your clients.

Get a broadband connection that will give you a good internet connection. Fast internet connection is crucial in this industry as the individual with the slow connection misses those key projects.

If you suffer from outages or load shedding as happens around the world, you need to make arrangements for getting work done when there is no power.

Having a spare battery for a laptop is one solution. Buying a generator is another, if you can afford it. You might also go to an internet café in other part of the city where the power is on.

3. Microsoft Office or free equivalent

Most, if not all clients prefer Microsoft Office Word for their projects. Invest in this so you do not run the risks of annoying clients with files they do not have the required software to open.

This irritates them, leading to the prospect of getting poor feedback on your profile. One negative comment negates the good that comes from several positive comments.

TIP: You can go on eBay or similar auction site and buy a second hand copy. Or you can download Libre Office or Open Office. These programmes will save documents in the .doc format which will open in Microsoft Office

Now watch this video about starting freelancing