How to become a freelancer in mechanical design and if you do.

Today, we are going to discuss the "How to become a freelancer in mechanical design and if you do.The story of "The

*This article is always rewritten with the latest information. (Please check the update date for the rewrite date)

In the mechanical design business, each engineer wants to design various machines and products, or wants to earn more money, etc.Thinking ahead.　I guess,thereinGo freelance or start your own business in mechanical design　I think there is an option to do this.

Sometimes it's good, sometimes it doesn't work out.　In this article, we will talk about what you need to do to become a freelancer, the advantages and disadvantages of actually working freelance, and other real-life issues.This is a bit of a long article, but please take a look at it.

Freelance mechanical designer

(1) Preparation and specific methods for becoming a freelancer

Let me quickly note the preparation and specifics for becoming a freelancer.　・・・・・Let's call it a method,To become a freelancer, all you have to do is register to open a business.　So it is not particularly difficult.　The cost is only the cost of mailing the documents.

Today, there are web services that can handle everything from opening a business to daily accounting and filing tax returns, so there is no need for difficult accounting.

I'm going to talk about substantial preparation and timing for freelancing here, though,Three points to prepare for freelancing in mechanical design　I believe that the

1. About our customers at the time of independence
2. CAD Preparation
3. Preparation for Attracting Customers

It is.

(1) 1-1 About customers at the time of independence. 2 routes should be acquired.

First, when working as a freelancerMove to acquire or take at least 2 routes.　is necessary.I'm using the expression "pattern."One is the customer who actually submits the work, and the second is the customer who serves as a conduit.It is.

The general independence of mechanical designers is because they often work alone,You will be in a situation where you have to choose between two or more customers who are willing to offer you work.　In the beginning, because of theJust one company that might give us a stable job.　I think.

If you have not found this one company, you should not go independent.

And is one company the only customer that will actually give us work?　Some of you may be worried about that,If you repeatedly finish the work you are given, you will be able to create an environment in which it is easier to get work.　And,In many cases, clients who like the designer will hold him or her until freelance retirement.

But that wasn't enough, so the secondCompanies that can serve as a pipeline　You also need to interact with　This was the trading company that I frequented on site.

I happened to get a job right away from a client who said he wanted to give me a job when I quit my job,Some people don't get the jobs that were supposed to come to them.The first is that it is a very good idea to use the same type of equipment as the second.

Freelancing is honestly not sweet, so that's what happened.For the sake of time,The key point to keep in mind when becoming a freelancer is to build a good relationship with one customer who has promised to place an order in advance and a company that has a strong pipeline that may connect you to other customers in the future (a relationship that can be a win-win-win).I think it is.

I'm trying to build a relationship here, but I usuallyThe most natural way to build in a salaried job.I think it is, but this is often a contractual issue with the company you are currently employed with, so it is a good idea to start slowly by following social networking sites and acquaintances to get a second job.

1-1-1 There should be more than two patterns of operations.

Even if there are two actual acquisition routes, there is still a risk if the work is the same or similar.　The global impact of the coronavirus epidemic that began in December 2019 impacted the manufacturing industry more than Japan.　One of the most significant impacts was the shortage of components and materials.

I've been lucky.The design of new machinery and the design of existing remodeling got these two patterns.The shortage of parts and materials had a major impact on our business, and we were able to earn a good income from remodeling work.

For freelancing in mechanical design,In addition to working in your area of expertise, the desire and movement to obtain work in other genres where you can use your skills or have done so in the past will stabilize your freelance activities.I think.

①-2 CAD Preparation.　Times are concerned about large ongoing expenses with subs.

Major changes are taking place with regard to CAD after 2020.Traditionally, work could be done on a buy-out (stand-alone) basis, but CAD is also becoming subscription-based.　This is to say.

This is a significant cost increase for all companies that handle CAD as well as us freelancers.

Of course, you can get by with preparing a CAD system that you are good at, or with an offer to rent from the start if you have a specific client in mind, but then you will be working without any guarantees, so if you are thinking of going independent with SolidWorks, for example, you will need the courage to subscribe to a subscription. If you are thinking of going independent with SolidWorks, for example, you will need to have the courage to subscribe.

①-3 Preparation for attracting customers.　It is desirable to be prepared to attract customers through SNS and blogs.

If you are independent, please do this for sure.　The reason for this is to hedge risk.SNS operations will be one of the ways to get the jobs that come up later in the year.

We recommend that you have a social networking site X (formerly Twitter) and a blog, and that you have a dedicated account.It is.

In fact, I operate X (formerly Twitter), but I tweet private content but later erase it or color the account as machine design.I think having this X account is a must if you want to be a freelancer in mechanical design.　However, I am inclined to make blogging my main focus in attracting customers,Since 2024, X is for information gathering use only and one word is done on the TOP page of the blog. (This is different for each person).

Other: No need to prepare equipment to validate the design.

I'm worried about being a freelancer.I'm worried about whether my design is correct when I'm exposed to an area I don't know.This is to say.

There are times when I work on a wide range of tasks as a freelancer that were divided among different departments when I was at the company.　There are also times when I feel I have to do the verification work myself, which was done on-site for me.

However,There is no end to the collection of verification equipment.In addition, I think it is unnecessary to have a verification device that can only measure a rough standard, as it is not effective.What we designers are looking for is a machine that will work stably over a long period of time, and that long-term verification can only be done on site.The first is the

Therefore, my theory is that preparation in this area is unnecessary.Better to have tools ready to assemble together on site than equipment to validate the design.I am sure you will.

Other: Minimum design skills required but that level is high.

The minimum equipment required to open a business is a CAD system and a PC, which can be purchased for as little as 2 million yen.

How much design skill is needed for design independence?I am also wondering if this is the case,In conclusion, if you have only the minimum necessary design skills, you can be a freelancer.

This minimum is ambiguous, but the ability to complete the work oneself is a minimum requirement.　Conversely, it is sufficient if you have the level of knowledge that the client is looking for.　Of course, there are times when I am not sure if it is enough, and I will probably find out what I need to know when I actually start,That's something you'll learn then.So starting is important and the most important action.

Just,If you want to design production equipment but have only designed jigs in the past, you will be a bit reckless and independent.Therefore, I think it is a good idea to attack your area of expertise when you start freelancing.

(2) Actual freelance work

2-1 Actual annual income

My monthly/yearly income when I freelance."(hourly rate x hours worked) - expenses - taxes = take-home pay"It is.

If I tell you my results (hourly rate x hours worked), the first year, 2018, sales 10 million, the second year, 2019, 8 million due to Corona, the third year, 2021, 12 million, the fourth year, 2022, 19 million, and the fifth year, 2023, 32 million.

In my case, I sometimes assign work to subcontractors, which increases sales, but is normal for my personal income.If you become a freelancer in mechanical design, the unit price per design is 3000-3500 yen, and no product sales for one year,For simple man-hour billing, if you have a full job, your annual income will almost always top out around 12-13 million.　

However, in this area, the tax burden is getting bigger.Simple calculation: (Sales - Expenses - Deductions)/2 = Cashwill be.

In fact, in 2023, when we recruited the design members and worked like gangbusters, we exceeded 30 million in sales,My personal income did not change due to the fact that I alone had limited man-hours. (If anything, my income decreased because I was traveling all over the place and because of increased discounting due to adjustments to the appropriate man-hours.)

In other words, freelancing in mechanical design is a tough world because there are only limitations and the risk increases when trying to increase sales.

Just,Freelancers have the advantage of being able to adjust their time allocations freely, so they cannot simply be compared to company employees in terms of annual income,In my case, I maintain my freelance work because the time benefits other than annual income fit my family situation.

(iii) Finally.

I have more things to gain from being a freelancer.　Unlike when I was a salaried worker who was constantly working overtime, I now have more time to spend with my family.Of course,I have lost a lot of things, such as anxiety when there is no work and the guarantee of income, but I am enjoying what I am doing.

I know we in the manufacturing industry have a lot of problems,I think one of the solutions to this problem is to enhance our mechanical design freelancers.　I will continue to work hard as a mechanical design freelancer and will continue to share my learned experiences and useful information.

Specific ways to attract customers areseparate articlePlease check if it is OK with you.

That's it.