Freelancing is very attractive to those looking to make money online because it’s a relatively easy way to get started. If you have a skill you can use to help other people or businesses, then it’s possible to find work and earn an income from home. With the right approach and attitude, it’s also possible to turn your freelance earnings into a full-time job, though it does take hard work and dedication!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Setting specific, achievable goals can drive freelancing success. |
| 2. Prioritizing high-paying projects can accelerate income growth. |
| 3. Efficient time management is essential to maximize productivity. |
| 4. Leveraging niche expertise can attract premium clients. |
| 5. Consistent dedication and hard work can lead to rapid financial gains. |
1. Remember It’s Not Easy Work
It can be difficult to remember that you won’t get rich overnight. The idea of working from home, setting your own hours and getting paid for it will make many people fall victim to the myth that they’ll be able to generate a full-time income with just a few hours of work each week.
However, this isn’t always the case. It takes time and effort to build up a client base and even more so if you’re new to freelancing and many people find themselves working late into the night at first just trying to meet their basic needs.
If you’re not prepared for this kind of commitment and hard work don’t start freelancing! You need an iron will to succeed as a freelancer; otherwise, there are too many distractions and false promises out there tempting you into thinking that things will be easier than they are (e-mail marketing scams anyone?).
Check out our comprehensive guide on Time Management Tips for Freelancers to boost your productivity and achieve your freelance goals efficiently.
2. Pick A Niche
When it comes to picking your freelance niche, you have to be careful because many factors need to be considered. Here are a few things that you should keep in mind:
Find a good market. It goes without saying that if you want to make money as a freelance writer, then the first thing that you have to do is find out what people are looking for. If they’re looking for content related specifically to cats and they’re willing to pay $50 per article, then this is the niche for you!
Be unique. Just because there has been no demand for cat-related content doesn’t mean that there can’t be any you just need some creativity! If nobody else has written about cats on the internet yet (which is certainly possible), then this could be your chance at glory as an expert in all things feline!
Passionate about cats? Enjoy writing about them? Then why wouldn’t anyone else love it as well?!
3. Offer to do a trial for free
When you’re new to an industry or just starting as a freelancer, no one knows who you are yet. You want them to trust that your work will be good, so let them know what their expectations can be by doing a trial for free.
Tell them about how this is your first time working in this industry and that you’d like to build up your portfolio with some samples of the quality of work you can provide.
Also mention that it’s important for finding work where clients have confidence in your abilities, so if they’re willing to give feedback on how well their tasks were completed then it would help both of us out!
4. Have A Business Plan
A business plan is a great tool to use when you’re starting as a freelancer. It’s a blueprint of what your company will look like once it’s up and running, and it can be used to get funding from investors or banks.
Here are some tips for writing your own:
- Start by researching what other people have done with their businesses.
- Make sure every part of the business is included in your plan – from who you’ll hire (if anyone) to how much money will be spent on advertising and marketing.
- Once it’s finished, send it off to potential employers who might be interested in hiring you as one of their employees!
Ethical strategies can lead to a thriving Upwork career. Learn how to attract clients without compromising your integrity in our article on How to Get More Clients on Upwork Without Lying, Cheating, or Stealing.
5. Start With Your Existing Customers And Contacts
It’s easier to sell to people who know you.
You’re much more likely to get a sale from someone who knows you and trusts you than from someone who doesn’t. This is why it’s so important to build relationships with people in your industry or niche. The earlier you start building these relationships, the better off you’ll be later on when it comes time for sales and marketing.
So if there are any customers or contacts that have done business with you in the past, reach out now! Ask them if they could refer other businesses like theirs to work with you as well (or even just send their friends over).
6. Put Yourself Out There
At this point, you should be prepared to share your work.
You’ve done the hard part and created something of value. Now it’s time to put yourself out there and share what you’ve created with the world.
In digital marketing, this can mean sharing a blog post on social media or emailing a link to some colleagues. In copywriting, this could mean writing an article for a popular site like Copyblogger or submitting it as a guest post on another site’s blog (like mine). The possibilities are endless!
7. Use Networking Sites Such As Linkedin
LinkedIn is a social network for professionals that are used by millions of people to find jobs, build their brand, and make connections with other professionals. It can be a powerful tool for finding work as a freelancer because it allows you to stand out from the crowd in your niche.
The first step is to create an appealing profile on LinkedIn so that potential clients know who you are and want to hire you. The second step is networking with others in your field who might be able to refer business your way (we’ll cover how this works later).
Avoid the biggest pitfall faced by Gen Z freelancers. Discover the mistake to watch out for in our post on The Biggest Freelancing Mistake that Gen Z Makes and pave your way to freelancing success.
8. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Referrals Or Introductions
If you’re new to freelancing, or just want to build your network and get more clients, it’s helpful to ask for referrals and introductions. Here are some ways you can do that:
Ask for referrals from people you know. You can say something like: “I’m looking for new clients and would love to hear about any opportunities or potential jobs that might be available.” The person might know someone who is hiring a freelance writer or could introduce you directly if they think it would be helpful.
Ask for introductions from people who are similar to you (e.g., artists). If someone else in the industry has connections with companies that need help with their marketing strategy, they might be willing to introduce them because they have a vested interest in making sure their community thrives!
9. Build Trust Online And Offline
You can build trust online and offline. It’s not easy, but it’s worth the effort.
When you’re building trust with people, you need to be honest and transparent about who you are and what you do.
Be open about what your strengths are as well as where there are opportunities for improvement in your work. When someone asks if they should hire you, don’t say that their project would be an easy one it won’t help them know if they should trust you or not!
You can still be confident without being cocky or arrogant by simply saying something like: “I know my skills very well because I’ve been practicing them for years now.”
When building offline relationships with potential clients, try being even more open than usual when talking about yourself so they get a better idea of who they’ll be working with on their project!
Don’t forget that honesty isn’t always necessary (in fact, there will probably come a time when it’s better NOT to say everything), but make sure YOU believe 100% before trusting someone else!
10. Make Sure You’re Charging Enough (Or Too Much)
The most important thing you can do when it comes to pricing your work is to make sure that you’re charging enough. You need to understand what the market will bear, and how much value your services bring to the table. To ensure that your rates are on point, see if any of these scenarios apply:
Are you charging too little? If so, consider raising them by 10-20% and see if clients come back begging for your services.
Have you been competing on price alone? In this case, there’s a chance that some of your competitors are offering lower rates for them to win the job. If this sounds like a situation where higher prices might be warranted (it does), then consider raising yours accordingly!
Getting lots of inquiries from potential clients? Great news your skills have attracted attention! Now it’s time for some pricing strategy: decide whether or not it’d be best for both parties if one party overpays slightly more than usual during negotiations by being generous with discounts or other incentives (such as paying half upfront).
This could lead down an interesting path where everyone profits from their generosity and everyone else lose out big time because they didn’t know about this trick until now.
Win that dream freelance job with a compelling proposal. Check out our 14 proven tips on crafting persuasive proposals in our guide on 14 Proven Ways to Write a Freelance Proposal That Gets You the Job.
11. Don’t Forget The Local Papers
They depend on local advertising, which means that they need to fill their pages with content from freelancers. The biggest advantage of writing for newspapers is that you’ll make a decent profit per article, even if your articles aren’t anything special.
You can also pitch them ideas for features and make more money in one go than with small-scale gigs like articles or blogs (although obviously, it’s not as easy).
12. Get Blogging! (If It Makes Sense For Your Business)
Blogging is a great way to build your brand and get your name out there. It’s also a great way to build your credibility, which is the foundation for any successful business.
If you’re in the freelance or consulting space, blogging can help you get new clients. If you’re an author (like me!), blogging can help you get more exposure and sell more books.
If blogging isn’t part of your expertise yet, now might be a good time to start!
13. Be Prepared To Work Hard
This is the most important part of earning money as a freelancer: you need to be prepared to work hard. It’s not just about having a good idea or being able to create something that people want.
Those things are probably the easiest parts of this whole thing! You also have to have an incredible work ethic it needs to be top notch if you want your business (and bank balance) to succeed.
So how do you build this kind of killer drive? Well, there are no shortcuts here. Hopefully, by now we can agree that “hard work pays off” is more than just something parents tell their kids before bedtime…but what does it mean for your freelance career?
14. Make Sure You Know What You’re Talking About (Even If You Fake It Till You Make It)
There’s nothing wrong with admitting when you don’t know something, but there is this weird culture of pretending to know all the time in the world. When I first started freelancing, I made sure to do my homework and learn everything before I went into an interview or meeting.
Then I’d pretend like I knew what the hell was going on even though I didn’t have a clue. This felt pretty good at first like an accomplishment but then quickly became exhausting.
Not only did it take way more energy than necessary to keep up this charade, but whenever anyone asked me any questions about what my job entailed (which was often), my mind would go blank and panic overtook me as waves of “I have no idea” crashed over me again and again until finally one day when someone said, “Can we talk about your work?”
And instead of answering with “Oh yeah! Let’s get started,” it came out more like “Ummmmm ……… uhhh…. uhhhhhh…..”
15. Find Training That’s Right For You And Your Industry-It An Investment In Yourself And Your Career/Business Now And In The Future!
When it comes to learning new skills, there are many ways to do so. You can enroll in classes at a local college or university, take online courses from providers like Udemy or Coursera, or attend conferences that offer workshops on various topics.
If these options don’t work for you, try reaching out to someone in your industry who has experience teaching others about their field of expertise. Many freelancers enjoy sharing their skills with others and will be happy to do so if they know it will help someone succeed as a freelancer!
Embrace the evolving landscape of work through freelancing. Our article on Freelancing Is Causing a Fundamental Shift in the Way We Work explores how the freelance economy is reshaping traditional employment paradigms. Adapt and thrive in the changing world of work.
16. Be Confident In Your Abilities, Even When You’re Just Starting (And Especially When Pitching For Work!)
- Be confident in your abilities, even when you’re just starting.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals or introductions.
17. Creating Your Job Board
You can find freelance opportunities by creating your job board on Craigslist or your website. Or, you can post jobs on Facebook or Twitter. You could even create a job board specifically for the niche in which you specialize and offer it as a service to other businesses or individuals who are looking for writers, designers, developers, and so on.
If creating a job board doesn’t sound like something that would interest you or if you don’t have enough knowledge in this area to start one yourself yet there are many free tools available online which will allow anyone with some basic HTML skills (or not) to create their online platform for posting jobs.
18. Asking For Referrals From Friends And Family
- Asking for referrals from friends and family
- This is a super simple way to earn money as a freelancer. It’s also the one that takes the least amount of effort on your part. All you need to do is ask people around you whether it be your friends or family, or even strangers to refer you to their friends and family!
Here’s how it works: You know someone who has something new going on in their life (for example, maybe they just bought a house), so they’re looking for a contractor/landscaper/carpenter/etc. Whoever it may be, let them know that if they recommend your services when they’re making calls to potential clients, then there might just be some cash in it for both of you!
19. Replying To Job Postings On Craigslist
The next step is to write your reply. You’ll want to make sure that you’re specific and clear so that the employer knows exactly how you can help them and what they can expect from you. Here are some tips:
Use a good headline and description. Make sure that the headline is relevant, and try not to get too long-winded in the description. It’s fine if it’s more than one paragraph, but don’t go overboard or else your message might get lost in an essay of its own!
Be specific about why you’re a good fit for this job (and why they should hire YOU). Do your research on the company and make sure that what they’re looking for matches up with what skills you have! You might also want to include any additional information about yourself or past experiences that could be useful here as well — just keep it relevant!
Be specific about what YOU can do for THEM specifically? What makes YOU stand out from other applicants? This helps employers feel confident hiring someone who specializes only in certain areas rather than everyone else who may lack focus or interest areas altogether…or worse yet: potential clients being completely unsure if they need freelancers at all!
20. Posting To Social Media,
Posting on social media is a good way to reach a lot of people. It’s also a great way to get your name out there. If you have an idea for a product or service and want to see if it’s worth pursuing, posting about it on social media can give you valuable feedback from potential customers.
This method works best if you have an existing audience on the platform that you plan to use as your marketing channel, like Instagram or Facebook. You can post your content and see what people think of it before spending money on ads or promotions for your business, so long as the audience that follows you likes what they see!
Conclusion
I hope that this article has given you some valuable insights into freelance life, and helped give you a roadmap for how to go about becoming a freelance designer.
There are lots of different ways to find clients online: through word of mouth, Craigslist, portfolios, Freelance Switch, and DesignCrowd the list could go on. The point is that a lot of people do it every day, and with hard work and perseverance you can too.
Further Reading
How I Earned $1000 on Two Freelance Projects in One Week: Learn valuable insights from a freelancer’s experience on earning $1000 in a week through two freelance projects.
27-Year-Old Quit Her Job with No Backup Plan, Now Earns $100 a Month as a Freelance Writer on Fiverr: Discover the journey of a young freelancer who took a leap of faith and now earns as a freelance writer on Fiverr.
How to Earn Your First $1000 as a Freelancer: Get practical tips and guidance on how to kickstart your freelancing career and earn your first $1000 as a freelancer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Get Started As A Freelancer?
It’s pretty easy! You just need to set up an account with a site like Upwork and start taking on projects. You can search for jobs that appeal to you, and when you find one, you can apply and negotiate the terms of your job.
Once you accept a job and start working on it, you’ll be paid through your online account. The money will show up as soon as your client approves your work!
I’m Worried About Getting Paid For My Work. What If The Client Doesn’t Pay Me?
Don’t worry! Upwork has a system in place so that clients can’t pay their freelancers without approval from other people at the company so no one can cheat the system. If someone tries to take advantage of this system, then Upwork will make sure they get caught and are punished accordingly.
You’ll always be protected when working with them because they have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to fraud or theft of any kind.
How Do I Start?
It’s simple. You just need to sign up for a freelancer account, and then you’re ready to go!
Do I Have To Be An Experienced Writer?
You don’t need any previous writing experience to get started, but it certainly helps! We recommend that you get in touch with us before starting your first project so we can give you some tips and best practices for how we like our writers to work with us and produce high-quality content.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.