Have you ever thought about freelancing on the side? Maybe you are curious about how to make a full-time living as a freelancer?
Whether you’re a writer, website architect, marketer, or graphic designer, freelancing is a profitable side hustle.
And the appeal of freelancing is clear. Freelancing allows you to take on projects to make money on your own time, and many people are even able to take on enough freelance work to quit their day job.
Freelancing has many benefits, but one big misconception is that it is easy to find freelance work. Many companies hire freelancers, but it is up to you as a new freelancer to market yourself and find clients.
If you’re just starting out in freelancing or just are looking for your first freelance job, here are 5 tips for new freelancers.
Remember, freelancing is a business
When you think of freelancing as your own business, you become empowered. You’ll want to work hard to provide the best service possible. This means networking to sell a service, communicating punctually with clients, and making adjustments as the client requests.
The best thing about freelancing is that it can always become more or less depending on what you want. You have control of what projects you choose to take on and what you choose to do. While this is highly desirable for many people, it does mean that you are in control of your own business.
Remember, a benefit of a side hustle is that it is something you could turn into full-time work if you lost your job, moved, or just wanted to focus on your business.
For me, freelancing gives me a huge sense of security. I keep the business-mindset and know I could grow my freelancing business if I wanted to.
Start a blog or website
No matter what freelancing service you specialize in, you need to have a blog or website to showcase your work. How else would a client find you?
Your website or blog is your freelancing resume, so make sure it represents who you are as a freelancer.
Freelancing also usually requires you to be at least a little bit tech-savvy. Most of your communication will likely be done online, so owning a well-designed website or blog shows that the technological requirements won’t be an obstacle.
Setting up your own website or blog is easier than you may think. Check out this post on how to easily create your own site.
Reach out to those you want to work for
There are two ways to network your way into freelance work. One is to contact people you already know. The other is to reach out to those people and businesses you want to work for.
Take advantage of your current network and shoot them a quick email to connect and mention that you are beginning to freelance and are available to work. Generally, people are more than happy to help you find work.
Conversely, you will want to be reaching out to new people to see if they are looking to hire freelancers. This can seem intimidating, but being a business owner requires a little bit of boldness sometimes!
Reaching out to a potential client is simple. Introduce yourself as a freelancer, mention you have been following their company (or blog, website, etc.) for awhile, and that you are available for freelancing with links to examples of your work.
Keep in mind, most companies or site owners are very busy and receive hundreds of emails a week. There will undoubtedly be some people who don’t respond. Don’t let yourself get defeated by this. Just keep moving forward.
Understand pricing
Pricing is the trickiest part of freelancing. Unfortunately, there is no magical number that is guaranteed to work for both you and your client (but here are some awesome tips!)
If you’re a new freelancer with zero experience or samples of your work, one other suggestion is to offer to do a few “trial” sessions with your client if you can. For example, if you’re a freelance writer, suggest to your client that you will write 3 posts for them for a lower amount. Once they get comfortable with you and approve of your work, then you can raise your rates.
This method gets your foot in the freelancing door, which is more valuable than money. You can always change your rates or find clients who pay more.
Have a service mindset
Above all, remember that you are providing a service to someone. Customer service is absolutely the most important part of being a successful freelancer!
Freelancing is a competitive business. You may be skilled, but there are other very talented people out there, too. In order to keep your freelancing clients, you must make their job as easy as possible!
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Freelancing as a side hustle offers the potential for high income and a lot of flexibility while doing so. It might take some effort to land that first client, but it does get easier from there. By keeping a few tips in mind, you’ll be able to start and grow your freelance career.
Are you a freelancer or wannabe freelancer? Share any questions or tips you have, as well as what freelance skill you market or plan to market
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Thanks for sharing, Rachel! I have done a little bit of freelancing work and pricing by far is the hardest part for me. I don’t want to charge too much but I also know my worth. I have joined a few groups with fellow freelancers which has helped to provide some ballpark figures for pricing.
Groups are an awesome resource to help with freelancing!
Thanks for the great tips, Rachel! I still feel a bit new to the blogging world, but once I feel like I have a good handle on the blog, I plan to do some freelance writing on the side.
Smart move. Blogging and writing is a lot, but once you get a pattern down, it’s worth it!
I only want freelancing to be a fraction of my online income as I progress. I love to write, but you essentially have multiple managers and are at the mercy of those companies for your income.
Totally understandable. There are many pros with freelancing but having multiple clients could be overwhelming! The good thing is there are other ways to make money online as well.
Starting a blog is the best tip for any newbie freelancer – you definitely need to have your own platform! I think the most difficult thing can be working out what to charge – a lot of people end up undervaluing themselves, which is unfortunate! I recommend joining some freelancing mastermind groups on Facebook – they can be a great way to get information on rates, taxes, pitching, etc.
Freelancing groups on Facebook have been so unbelievably helpful! Best part about working online is the number of resources you have.
I’m not quite ready to do freelance work but I am definitely bookmarking this for the future. Thanks for sharing this great information!!!
Great tips I’m still having freelance writing job as part of side hustle but these tips are great for new and old freelancers:P Thanks for sharing!
Glad to hear even an old freelancer found it helpful! :)
Great tips, Rachel. I think freelancing takes a bit of a thick skin, too. You will be rejected, but that doesn’t mean you’re failing. It’s all par for the course. You just have to keep trying!
Great advice, Kalie! You’re so right. Rejection isn’t fun but it really does make us better!
Starting a blog and having a service mindset are both very good suggestions. For me & others, a blog is the initial work samples to provider potential clients.
I also think being service-minded is important too. Being so, can help influence clients to give you a chance or give you increased responsibility (& pay increases) after working for them for several months.
Agreed! For me, having a blog has been imperative to finding work.