Thinking about starting a new career as a freelance designer? We've gathered advice from six pros to help you navigate through what can be at times tricky waters.

Chris Spooner of SpoonGraphics

Getting into the blogging and social media is of supreme importance for keeping up with the latest changes in the industry, and to give yourself the opportunity of getting the spotlight positioned on yourself. You don't need to be awesomely talented -- just by associating yourself with the right content and developing a name for yourself in the community can lead to amazing opportunities.

Collis Ta'eed of Envato

One useful piece of advice I would give is to have a good safety net of cash stockpiled up. A hard truth I had to learn as a freelancer was that there is a difference between having an invoice out and actually getting paid. The gap between these two sometimes led to cash flow issues because let's face it, your landlord isn't going to accept your invoices as rent payment!

Jacob Gube of SixRevisions

The best piece of advice I can give a freelance web designer is to focus on the quality of your portfolio. It's better to have five great projects to show off, rather than 20 mediocre designs. If I had to do the freelancing thing again, I'd definitely be more picky with the projects I took on and the people I worked with.

Jon Phillips of SpyreStudios

Focus on your network and be genuine. Don't be afraid to voice your opinions. You cannot please everyone, not everyone will like what you do, but those that do may become friends. Focus on long-term relationships rather that short-term ones.

Jacob Cass of Just Creative Design

The biggest piece of advice that I would give an upcoming designer comes in a ‘package’ based on the little things that I have learned over my short career as a designer. Don’t undervalue your work. Seek criticism, not praise. Always keep learning & don’t be a static learner… do this by reading books, magazines, blogs and by practicing. Collect & share things. Teach others. Never give up. Keep practicing. Again, keep practicing.

Chris McConnell of C McConnell Design

I would recommend staying as organized as possible, just like if you worked at an advertising agency. Develop a consistent naming system for your files, have a place to store information about clients, create some in-house check-lists for your different projects as you start to develop a system. Remember, freelancers have to pay taxes just like everyone else and being organized throughout the year will make tax time a lot easier. Being organized will really pay off when you are switching back and forth between multiple clients, especially if you haven't worked on a particular project for a month and need to start it up again. Your clients will also appreciate how organized you are. If you treat your clients well, they will come back again and again.