How to start Freelancing in Malta – What worked for me best | Beginners Guide 

In recent years, I have been working different jobs and wondering – How could I start making an extra income doing what I love? That is where I found out about freelancing. I wondered if freelancing in Malta is a thing, keeping in mind that trends tend to change and if it is actually the right time to start freelancing as some countries evolve slower than others – due to economic growth. I have researched quite a lot and today I will share with you my complete guide on how to start freelancing in Malta. 

STEP 1: Analysis 
  

In what do you excel the most?  

Start listing everything you love. The list is endless, if you love to do something there is most probably a freelance market for you. Whether you’re a Plumber, do Plaster work, Paint houses, Illustrator, Accountant – the list is endless! You are your only limit. So which questions should you be asking yourself?  

• What do you enjoy doing the most? What would be something that you would do in your free-time, that would be a benefit to society? Even if there is no one doing the same freelancing in Malta (or anywhere for that matter), don’t hesitate to be the first. If you’re passionate on what you do, that’s enough to be a recipe for success  
• Strength vs weaknesses analysis. This will help you analyse what could be a reasonable market to target rather than diving right in blindly.  

Top tip: Do not do anything that you don’t particularly enjoy doing, as this will show in your performance. It has been proven over and over again– that work that’s done against your true will, will eventually result in failure in the long run. You need to be satisfied in anything that you do, not only just freelancing.  

To further prove my point, I made the same analysis 3 years back down the line. I finished my exams, enough to get me through university and begin my journey as an accountant. I found myself a job as an accounts/office clerk to fund and start ACCA rather than go to university. As I started this journey in accounts, I soon found out this wasn’t something that I imagined myself to do 10 years down the line. I changed my route completely and studied a whole lot after work, today I am working as a designer within the igaming sector. 

Tip No.2: Invest in yourself. Study if you need to, put in the time. There are A-WHOLE-LOT of courses online which are not expensive (YouTube and forums are a very solid way to start). Don’t worry to maybe “take a step back” and start getting experience as an intern. All of this will definitely pay dividends. 

We have structured out guides to help you getting started into following what truly intrigues you. We really believe that the opportunities in this life are endless. Not only in Malta, but around the world in general.  

STEP 2: Structure
  

All of this leads me perfectly to this next point. 
 

Make a plan. 

Phase 1: Getting Started. 

• Take your time into analysing step 1 as best as you can. 

• See if you are qualified enough, and if you are not taking the necessary courses. Input the time, work and perseverance. 
• Get on the internet and stay updated with what’s happening. Get inspired. Live by a “you never know everything” mentality. 
• Widen the workload range and portfolio. Create time and work overtime for your goals and dreams. 

Phase 1.5: Find a Creative Mentor/s. 

A creative mentor will shed light on stuff that you might not know about. You could find them in forums and groups. Usually, if you post a question, there will be people willing to give the right answers. Example: An idea regarding rates. Courses to take. Leads to clients. Anything.  

If you are willing, you will attract the same energy. These people will have A LOT of experiences. Being freelancing in Malta, anywhere or anything. There are a lot of very good-hearted people in the world willing to share and willing to care! Don’t let the noisy negative energy effect you. 

Phase 2:  Market your Product.
 

• Expose yourself. Don’t be scared. Spread your wings, there will be doubters, but your will is MUCH bigger than what people think. You are your only limitation. Fear is the no.1 killer of dreams. 
• Work for free (To build your portfolio). Provide your service to NGO’s. You’ll help a good cause and it will widen your portfolio. Win-win situation. – To discuss this further down the line. 
• Get on Social Media & the Web – Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, tminta, LinkedIn – Anything where you could create a profile of any kind. This will help you connect with clients all across the board, widening your portfolio. 
• Create a personal brand – There are a huge number of videos out there suggesting on how to build a brand. We suggest the following points: Standard colour palettes, how the logo is being used, and the general feel of the brand. 
• Invest in your brand and business. Buy a domain, a website. If you don’t have time to build it yourself, there are a whole lot of people who supply this service. Buy products to progress forward, but be diligent – Don’t go in blindly. Assess all the revenue that you are generating and if you need this product for your business to thrive. Example: buying a MacBook pro (€1800) Vs an MSI (€1000). They are both excellent machines, but do you really need to buy a MacBook at that certain stage to get going? What could you do with that 800 and invest it somewhere else? (outsourcing a website for example). It is essential to invest, but always be diligent. Go with what you need not with emotions.  

Phase 3: Handling critique 

Know that you’re never truly complete. Life would not make sense if you don’t chase growth. Meaning lives within growth and going forward. Learn to balance between critique and going forward.  

Do not just take in a critique because it will suffocate you. Learn to be bold at times. This instinct will only come by experience. Thus, further proving my point. Get yourself out there. You don’t know what you don’t know, so do not just make up assumptions. 

It is good to assess a critique, but keep in mind that doubters are very noisy. There is a very fine line between knowing who is giving you good guidance and between those who are just trying to inflict doubt of any kind. I personally take these generic personas to analyse who is trying to inflict damage vs those who aren’t. (Keeping in mind that each situation is subjective, but they are a good rule of thumb to follow.) 

Who are the people who are assigning the critique? 

Family Members – They are usually the most protective. Having different experiences attached to personal emotions. So, I am usually cautious when filtering through. As I know, what they are saying is usually full of love, however, they usually take a protective approach. So, through a hindsight analysis – Usually the safest, but it is your life for the taking. I personally belief that you never truly live if you stay always on the safe side. Switch on all the buttons. Learn to take risks and approach life through different perspectives.  

Friends vs true Friends – A delicate subject I must say. Not exactly the same as family members but they share some similar traits. Personally, I have got a lot of friends, but I keep very few close. I know who are those who are always criticizing others and never themselves. A good rule of thumb is to keep close those who try to get the best out of me and out of themselves. Those who are trying their very best to succeed and to strive forward. Those who when I’m near them give me a meaning to be there, a meaning to strive forward and grow much bigger. So, as you may well have noticed, these are the friends who I really accept criticism from. 

So, this leads me on to the next point.  

Phase 4: Find a personal mentor. 

A personal mentor will keep you accountable, will guide you and help you stay on a good path. It does not matter who they are; being, it doesn’t matter if they share the same profession or not. It is a good practice to have some counselling, a person from the outside who could give you a good holistic view. This person will help by listening and providing feedback – providing the light and guidance when chaos arises. Be open and honest. I personally have a very good mentor from outside both my family and friends’ niche. He provides me with the best answers when the going seems too rough. For me he is a priest whom his name will be disclosed, but he is a very influential person when it comes to my career and personal endeavors. 

STEP 3: Applying for opportunities and Accepting Opportunities. 

This might sound simple, but it really is not. There are a lot of people who are not willing to do stuff in the expense of their own personal ego. It might be a small job to take or even an unpaid one for a specific NGO(Non-government Organisation). To get yourself out there, you definitely need to start taking any job you can get your hands on. It takes some time until you could start monetizing and seeing some solid revenue. This will require you to take on smaller jobs and going out of your way to push further. This will definitely pay dividends in the future, both in freelancing and even in showcasing your work.  

Start Applying for jobs. Small, Big, Any kind. Get your name/brand out there. Be present. After taking all the suggested steps – Portfolio, certifications, anything – you’ll be more than equipped to start freelancing in Malta, any anywhere for that matter.  

A portal like ours will definitely help you get your name out there and in the right direction. 

STEP 4:  Establishing yourself. 

These are the steps that I used to finally arrive and start seeing some actual revenue. After 3 years of investing good amounts of time and money, I’ve started to see some good revenue, succeeding in both freelancing in Malta and working as well.  

Tax and VAT for freelancers 

Usually, this should not be a huge issue. We believe that it’s good to start thinking about having all the right paper work in line. It is always important to pay your taxes but, in some cases, the amount generated is lower than approx. 10000 euros, so, therefore, there would not be the need to pay any taxes. We suggest contacting the tax and revenue department to be 100% sure that you are tax compliant and safe guarded. 

• To check the amount of tax payable, Click here.
• To Contact the right gurus for tax and VAT, Click here. 

Conclusion 

Here at tminta, we believe in each and every skill. We believe that it’s a waste to hide your skills. Showcase all that you know. Start today and do not be shy. We don’t have time to be shy. Start living and be happy of what you do. Be proud and live up to your inner ambition.  

We believe in you. Start today.