You’re tired of your current 9 to 5 office job. You want to freelance instead. Before you jump into the exciting world of freelancing, you should read these simple freelancing tips first. They’ll help you get ready for the big transition.

1. Get Insured

Most Americans get their health insurance through their employers. Freelancing doesn’t come with this safety net.

You don’t want to be without any coverage. Without coverage, basic healthcare treatment could become completely unaffordable for you. Going without coverage isn’t just a financially risky decision — it’s a medically risky decision, too.

So, what can you do without employer-sponsored insurance? You’ll have to get a different type of coverage.

These are some options that you could look into:

• Get a private plan through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
• Get covered through a spouse’s employer-sponsored plan.
• Get a private plan through the Freelancer’s Union.
• Get coverage through COBRA.
• Get coverage through Medicaid.

2. Make an Emergency Fund

Health insurance isn’t the only safety net you should set up for yourself. You should also put together a reasonable emergency fund before you start freelancing full-time.

As a freelancer, you won’t have tech support nearby to help you fix your computer or smartphone when something goes wrong. You will have to travel to the nearest tech repair place and pay to fix your urgent problem right away.

An emergency fund will get you through this tech crisis much faster. You can withdraw the necessary savings for the repairs, so you can get your essential equipment fixed and get back to work right away.

Without an emergency fund, you might not have enough money available to repair a malfunctioning computer. You could try applying for a same business day loan online as a solution, as long as you meet all of the qualifications.

If you’re approved for that same business day loan, you could use the borrowed funds to manage the emergency in a short amount of time. Then, you could follow the straightforward repayment plan.

While business loans are potential solutions, they shouldn’t be the first solution you turn to in a crisis. That should be your emergency fund.

3. Set Your Rates

Calculate your hourly rates before you start accepting freelance projects. You’ll want to calculate something that matches your work experience and skill level. So, if you’ve been in the field for a decade, you’ll want your rates to reflect that.

Whatever you do, don’t undersell yourself. It might seem like a good business tactic to set lower rates to reel clients in, but setting your rates too low is going to backfire.

You could drastically reduce your income and add unnecessary financial stress to your work life. Get paid what you’re worth.

4. Build a Website

Build yourself a professional website. Use it to showcase your skills and display your past work. Give out important information like projects that you’re willing to take on and rates they can expect to pay. You can even use it to show off positive reviews and recommendations from pleased clients.

A professional website is a resume, a portfolio, and a business card all wrapped into one neat package. Don’t start your venture into freelancing without one.

These four simple tips will help you start this new line of work. Once you’ve crossed them off your to-do list, you’ll be ready to freelance.

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