The Beginning of the Freelance Journey and the Tunisian Context
For many Tunisian freelancers, the start of their career is a real headache. Take Amine, a web developer based in Tunis. When he started out as a freelancer, his priority was to get projects done quickly, sometimes at well below average rates. Like many, he needed to generate immediate income to cover his day-to-day living expenses. This is a typical situation for Tunisian freelancers, who often face financial constraints at the outset. But at what point should you change your strategy and start investing in yourself by developing your skills?
In a market as competitive as Tunisia’s, it’s crucial to know when to focus on developing your skills rather than seeking immediate income. This dilemma is particularly relevant in the Tunisian context, where freelance opportunities are increasingly numerous, but competition is just as fierce.
Improving Skills vs. Learning New Skills: The Right Balance
Take Hanen, a freelance graphic designer who started out offering flyer designs for small local businesses in Sfax. She quickly mastered this field, but realized that, to stand out from the competition, she needed to diversify her offering. So she decided to learn UX/UI design, a skill much in demand by tech startups in Tunisia.
At first, she was reluctant to invest time in this new skill, as it meant less time for immediate projects. But the decision paid off: a few months later, Hanen was able to raise its rates and attract larger customers, including international companies operating in Tunisia.
This example shows that it’s sometimes crucial to step out of your comfort zone and invest in additional skills to stay competitive. For a Tunisian freelancer, this could mean training in the latest technologies, such as blockchain or artificial intelligence, which are in high demand among local and international companies.
Should we focus on short- or long-term income?
For many Tunisian freelancers, it’s tempting to take on several small short-term projects for a quick income. Take Nadia, a freelance copywriter in Tunis. At first, she took on everything from product descriptions for Tunisian e-commerce sites to low-cost blog posts. But over time, she realized that these projects weren’t helping her build a solid portfolio or specialize in a specific field.
She therefore decided to rethink her strategy, concentrating on long-term collaborations with digital marketing agencies, which would enable her to stabilize her income. This change improved her quality of life and enabled her to devote more time to her personal development.
When should you raise or lower your prices?
Another key aspect for Tunisian freelancers is price management. Take the example of Ahmed, a mobile developer based in Tunis. Initially, he set low rates to attract his first local clients. Over time, however, Ahmed developed expertise in technologies such as Flutter, which is in high demand for the creation of cross-platform applications.
Rather than continuing to offer his services at low rates, Ahmed decided to raise his prices to reflect the added value of his expertise. This has enabled him to attract higher-quality customers.
Conversely, freelance translator Inès decided to temporarily reduce her rates to enter the international market via platforms such as Gig.tn. This strategy enabled her to quickly accumulate positive reviews and expand her customer base. Once her customer base was established, she adjusted her rates to reflect the quality of her services.
