Congrats! You’ve taken the first step towards becoming a successful freelancer by starting your own business. Isn’t it exciting? I know you’re probably thinking, “What do I do next?” When you first start out as a freelancer, it might feel overwhelming to find new clients. But don’t fret because there are millions of local businesses that need your services.
Whether you offer web design, SEO, or content writing, working with local businesses is a great way to grow your service-based business.
There are many ways you can offer freelance services to local businesses and make more money from your skillset.
Here are some common freelance services that most small businesses need:
- Social media management
- Web design and development
- Copywriting and content creation
- Graphic design
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
As you can see there is plenty of opportunity for freelancers within their local community and I want to show you how to get started by offering freelance services to these business owners so they can grow their business online.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Offering freelance services to local businesses can be a profitable endeavor. |
| 2. Understanding the needs and pain points of local businesses is crucial for success. |
| 3. Building a strong network and establishing relationships with local businesses is beneficial. |
| 4. Providing excellent customer service and delivering high-quality work can lead to repeat business and referrals. |
| 5. Pricing your freelance services competitively and showcasing your value proposition can help you make more money. |
| 6. Continuously updating and expanding your skillset can open up new opportunities and increase your earning potential. |
| 7. Marketing your freelance services effectively through online platforms, local directories, and word-of-mouth is essential. |
First Things First – Do Your Research
Before you jump head-first into a new project, you need to do your research. Your target market is obvious local businesses. But what type of business? And how can you create something that will make them money?
The first thing you should do is ask around for the local businesses that are in need of a freelance marketing service. I know this sounds like an obvious step and it’s tempting to skip it, but don’t. You’d be surprised at how much information people will give away when they’re asked the right questions.
People are mostly happy to help out, so schedule some time in your calendar every week to simply go from shop to shop, asking about their strengths and weaknesses and what they think could be done better (including their own marketing strategies). Most importantly what services could YOU offer local businesses that would improve their bottom line?
Are you looking to earn income by providing exceptional customer service? Discover valuable tips and strategies in our comprehensive guide on how to get freelance customer service jobs that will help you pay the bills and achieve financial stability.
Figure Out What You’re Good At, And What You’re Willing To Do
The only way to make a living from freelance work is to figure out what services you’re good at, and what you’re willing to do.
Don’t offer to do something you aren’t good at. If you can’t write, don’t offer writing services. If you can’t design logos, don’t offer logo-design services. (This may seem obvious, but when I first started offering freelance services, I decided that I could also fix computers. I’d always been able to handle problems on my own computer.)
Decide which skills are the most valuable and focus on those. If you have several talents that could be marketable as freelancing skills, focus on the ones that will bring in the most money and that are in highest demand by your clients’ businesses.
Be conscious of how many hours per week or month your freelance work takes up and whether it leaves time for your full-time job (if you have one) or for personal life activities like spending time with family and friends or pursuing hobbies. Don’t take on so much work that it’s impossible to properly complete your projects or burn yourself out before finishing them!
Consider whether there’s enough demand in your area for each service; this may influence which services you decide to focus on providing as a freelancer.
Choose How Much You’ll Charge Your Clients
When it comes to pricing, there are two main pitfalls to avoid:
Charging too much. If your rates are too high, you’ll price yourself right out of the market—so be sure the rates you set align with those of other freelancers in your area. Check out websites like Upwork or Freelancer and see what industry-standard prices are before deciding how much to charge.
Charging too little. One way to ensure that you’re not undervaluing your time and skills is by calculating how much work will go into a given job, then multiplying that by your hourly rate.
This can help you determine whether you’re being paid less than minimum wage and give you an idea of whether or not a job is really worth taking on in the first place. In addition, consider what kind of impact this work will have on future clients and projects; if a prospective client seems unlikely to become a repeat customer (or provide referrals), it may be smart for everyone involved for them to pay slightly more per hour for your services.
Maximize your earning potential as a freelance customer service representative by implementing effective strategies. Our article on how to make more money from your freelance customer service work provides practical tips and insights to help you increase your income and achieve financial success.
Create A Landing Page They Can Visit
A landing page is a simple webpage that’s intended to tell the visitor exactly what you want them to know and do. Because of its simplicity, it can be very effective in both communicating what your business does and making it easy for visitors to take action and connect with you. A good way to think about it is as a short, high-level summary of your services, with an accompanying call-to-action that would entice the reader to move forward in working together with you.
Some key elements for creating a landing page worth visiting:
Keep things clean and simple. Don’t try to cram every single detail into this page remember that your goal is just to give them enough information so they’ll feel compelled to get in touch or learn more by checking out the rest of your website.
Be clear and concise. The last thing you want is for someone reading through your offerings on their phone while on public transit only to get confused by what they’re seeing or worse yet, lose their interest after the first paragraph because it felt like a chore getting through all those words!
Have a clear call to action. “Contact us” doesn’t exactly inspire people who are casually browsing websites on their phones during lunch break at work or while waiting at the bus stop on their way home from school (which we all do).
People need something more compelling than just “contact us,” such as “schedule an introductory meeting today!” or “get started now!” Don’t be afraid of sounding too salesy here this is one place where this really isn’t going overboard if anything else seems too subtle!
Once You’ve Decided On A Price, Nail Down The Details Of What That Price Will Cover
Next, it’s important to nail down the details of what your price will cover. This is a critical step in the process and shouldn’t be underestimated. Clarity here is key because you want to be clear about what your services do (and don’t) cover.
For example, if you’re offering a website building or design package, are you also responsible for helping my business curate content? Are we providing all of the images? What about hosting? Data security? All of these things can impact both the cost and timeline of a project.
If you think these details through early, before any payments have been made or contracts signed, it can prevent misunderstandings later on when people feel like they haven’t gotten their money’s worth even though they actually have! It also helps ensure that you price yourself accurately and can avoid expensive surprises along the way.
Consider offering different packages to cater to the many businesses in your area who may be curious about hiring you.
Offer a variety of packages to cater to the many businesses in your area who may be curious about hiring you. At the very least, include a minimum number of hours or completed tasks in your package. You can also offer different levels of service and price points, as well as packages geared towards different types of clients. Consider offering a retainer if there’s enough interest from local businesses and if your workload allows this.
You’ll have more financial stability when you offer freelance services to multiple local businesses on an ongoing basis as opposed to just one-off projects that have no guarantee for future work.
These multi-client arrangements will earn you more money in the long run, not only because you’ll be able to start thinking about more than just what’s coming up next month but also because it will be easier for you to spend less time hustling for new work and more time realizing projects that local businesses need to be completed.
Looking to expand and scale your business? Explore a range of specialized freelance services that can take your business to new heights. Discover how outsourcing certain tasks can enhance productivity, efficiency, and overall growth.
You Need A Proper Contract
It’s time to get serious. When you’re ready to start writing, you should have a contract with all the details of your business plan in mind. The purpose of the contract is to ensure that you’ll be paid properly for the work that you do and also to establish a clear division of responsibilities between both parties. Here are some tips for drafting contracts for freelance services:
Think about what your contract should include. There are many sizes and shapes of contracts, which means there is no standard model or way to design this document. Take into account what type of service it is (are you doing work at the client’s home?) How long will it take? Is there a long-term commitment? (In this case, make sure your terms are written in stone.) What payment schedule has been agreed upon?
Include everything that needs to be in a contract even if it seems irrelevant. Even if things aren’t likely to ever come up during your working relationship, it’s useful information that could help prevent future problems down the line.
For example: Are you required to complete an invoice each week? If so, make sure this is included as part of your contract so that both parties know exactly how much money they’ll be paying out on each project and how much money will be kept as profit by the company or individual hiring you.
Set Up An Easy Way For Them To Send Money To You
Setting up a streamlined payment system is essential for your freelance business. You need to be able to receive payments from clients and make sure that the money gets to you safely. You also want to make it easy for your clients so they’ll be willing to pay you quickly and won’t be discouraged by complicated payment processes.
There are several options open for receiving payments as a freelancer, including PayPal and Venmo, as well as direct bank transfers or credit card transactions through Square. Most freelancers use PayPal because it’s simple, accessible, secure, and reliable.
You can easily set up a PayPal account in five minutes: just go to PayPal and click on “sign up.” Select which type of account you want (I recommend personally), then fill out the form with your name, email address, and password.
Click “next step,” then choose whether you’d like to link your bank account or credit card number with your PayPal account or simply use it as an online wallet service with however much money you deposit into your account over time. That’s it! Your new Paypal account is ready for use!
Make Sure This Time Around Is Different Than The Last
You probably got into freelancing in the first place because you weren’t happy with how things were going at your previous job. Maybe you resented the layers of bureaucracy or the way coworkers would never do their share. Whatever it was, a freelance career is a great way to avoid those problems and more, but only if you’re careful not to make the same mistakes again.
When freelancing for local businesses, make sure that this time around is different than the last. Don’t take on more clients than you can handle; don’t take on clients that you don’t like working with; and above all, don’t be afraid to say “no.” Work within your limitations and keep things simple so that your expectations are in line with reality.
Don’t overcommit yourself or make promises that you can’t keep. By doing all of these things, you’ll find that freelancing will be much easier (and more profitable) this time around than it was when you were an employee.
Are you a freelance writer struggling to find clients and generate leads? Our guide on how to generate 50 leads per month as a freelance writer offers proven strategies and tactics to attract high-quality leads, build a strong client base, and thrive in the competitive writing industry.
You Can Earn Extra Money By Making Yourself Available As A Freelancer To Local Businesses
You can earn extra money by making yourself available as a freelancer to local businesses. If you don’t know where to begin, consider the following steps:
Figure out what kind of services you’re offering and how much you’ll charge for them. Be careful not to undercut your competitors and make sure that what you’re charging is more than what it takes for you to do the job (which might include materials, transportation costs, taxes, etc.).
Make it easy for potential clients to get in touch with you and sign up for your services. Consider making a website or social media page that features your rates and contact information. Update these regularly so potential clients will know the status of your offerings and include any testimonials from happy customers!
Keep track of all the details, including how you will receive payment. For instance, if a client wants you to send them an invoice after every job, make sure this is stated clearly in writing on your website or whatever other means they use to contact you. Additionally, be sure they understand which forms of payment they can use (e.g., cash vs check).
Thinking of starting your own freelance customer service business? Get expert guidance and practical advice with our comprehensive article on how to start a freelance customer service business. Learn about the essential steps, best practices, and key tips to establish a successful and profitable venture.
Final Thought
To sum up, there are numerous possibilities when it comes to freelance work. As a designer, there are no restrictions on what you can do. It’s not just about brochures and business cards it can be anything from posters to websites to logos for local businesses or even for fun.
You don’t have to confine yourself either; there are many ways to make the most of your skills as a designer, no matter where you live. You may even find that people will come looking for you if they see the quality of your work and how it can improve their own businesses.
The important thing is to present yourself in a professional way and seek out opportunities that match your skill level while also remaining enthusiastic and passionate.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:
Freelance Services to Offer: A Comprehensive Guide: Discover a wide range of freelance services you can offer to clients. This comprehensive guide provides insights into different service options and tips for success.
7 Ways to Grow Your Freelance Business: Learn effective strategies to expand and enhance your freelance business. This article offers practical tips and actionable advice to help you achieve growth and success.
10 Top Sites for Freelance Services: Explore a curated list of reputable websites where you can find freelance gigs and connect with potential clients. This article provides an overview of popular platforms for freelancers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do Freelance Consultants Work?
Consultants work for themselves and are not a part of an agency or company. They set their own hours and work from home. They get to interact with clients in person, which is really fun!
What Is The Best Way To Find Freelance Work?
The best way to find your first client is through word-of-mouth advertising. Your friends will probably be so impressed that they’ll tell their friends and acquaintances about you! You can also post ads on Craigslist and your local newspaper’s classified section. The most important thing is to be patient you might have to wait months before someone hires you. But the wait will be worth it once you land your dream job!
How Do Freelance Consultants Find Work?
This ties into my previous answer: by networking, mostly! It’s all about having good references who are willing to spread the word about how wonderful you are at what you do.
You should also keep your eyes peeled for job postings on Craigslist or other local papers’ classified sections try checking them every day until something pops up that interests you! And don’t forget that there are plenty of places online where people post ads seeking consultants; try reading them regularly just in case one happens by chance.”
What are the key benefits of offering freelance services?
Freelance services provide flexibility, autonomy, and the opportunity to work on diverse projects. They allow you to be your own boss, set your own rates, and choose the type of work you enjoy.
How can I determine which freelance services to offer?
Consider your skills, expertise, and passions when deciding on the freelance services to offer. Identify the services that align with your strengths and have market demand. Researching industry trends and client needs can also help guide your decision.
How do I market my freelance services effectively?
To effectively market your freelance services, create a professional website or portfolio showcasing your work and skills. Utilize social media platforms, network with potential clients, and leverage online marketplaces to promote your services and attract clients.
What should I consider when setting my freelance service rates?
When setting your freelance service rates, consider factors such as your experience, expertise, market demand, project complexity, and industry standards. Conduct market research, evaluate your costs, and ensure your rates align with the value you provide to clients.
How can I ensure client satisfaction with my freelance services?
To ensure client satisfaction, maintain clear communication, set realistic expectations, and deliver high-quality work within agreed-upon deadlines. Actively listen to client feedback, address concerns promptly, and strive to exceed client expectations to build long-term relationships.
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.