Freelancing can transform your career, allowing you to work on projects you love while controlling your own schedule. It’s an exciting path, but knowing where to start can be challenging.
In this article, we’ll walk you through seven crucial steps to kickstart your freelance career and set yourself up for success.
Step 1: Decide What Service You Want to Provide
The first step in your freelancing journey is determining what service you’ll offer. This decision will shape your entire freelance career, so it’s essential to choose wisely. Here are two main approaches:
Leverage your current work experience
Consider the skills you’ve developed in your current or previous jobs. These could be technical skills like programming or design or soft skills like project management or writing. Your professional experience can provide a solid foundation for your freelance services.
For example, if you’re a marketing professional, you could offer services like:
- Content marketing strategy
- Social media management
- Email marketing campaigns
- SEO optimization
Turn your hobby into a service
Alternatively, you might have a hobby or passion that you can transform into a freelance service. This approach allows you to monetize something you already enjoy doing.
For instance:
- If you love photography, you could offer professional photography services
- If you’re passionate about fitness, you could become an online personal trainer
- If you enjoy writing, you could provide copywriting or content writing services
Remember, the key is to choose a service you’re good at and enjoy doing.
Step 2: Choose a Platform to Freelance
Once you’ve decided on your service, the next step is to choose a platform where you’ll offer your services. Freelancing is becoming more popular, so new platforms and products are constantly popping up to meet the rising demand. But these are some of the most popular in today’s climate:
- Upwork: One of the largest freelancing platforms, offering various job categories.
- Fiverr: Known for its gig-based system, where freelancers offer specific services.
- Freelancer.com: Another large platform with a broad range of job categories.
- TopTal: A platform for top-tier freelancers known for its rigorous vetting process.
- LinkedIn: Uses your LinkedIn network to connect with potential clients.
- Facebook Groups: There are hundreds of Facebook groups where people post job listings, and others are welcome to pitch themselves. You should try to join a handful of groups related to your niche. Keep in mind that there’s less security and oversight on social media, though.
Don’t overthink this step. The most important thing is to choose a platform and get started. You can continually expand to other platforms or create your website later. For now, focus on building a strong profile on one platform.
Setting up your profile
When setting up your profile, there are several key elements to consider. Start by using a professional photo that presents you in a positive, approachable light. Next, craft a compelling bio highlighting your skills and experience, giving potential clients a clear picture of what you can offer. Don’t forget to showcase your best work samples – these serve as tangible proof of what you can do.
Finally, list your skills and any relevant certifications to further establish your expertise. Remember, your profile is often the first impression potential clients will have of you, so take the time to make it polished and professional. A well-crafted profile can be the difference between landing a job and being overlooked, so invest the effort to make yours stand out.
Step 3: Be Clear About Your Rates
Setting your rates can be one of the most challenging aspects of freelancing, especially when you’re just starting out. You need to find a balance between not undervaluing your work and being competitive enough to attract clients as a new freelancer.
Here are some methods to help you determine your starting rate:
- The Drop Three Zeros Method: Take your ideal annual salary, divide it by two, and then drop three zeros from it. For example, if you want to earn $80,000 annually, your hourly rate would be $40 ($80,000 / 2 = $40,000, then drop three zeros).
- Double Your “Resentment Number”: Determine the lowest rate you’d work for without feeling resentful, then double it. If you’d work for $15/hour, at the very least, set your rate at $30/hour.
- Market Research: Search for the average hourly rate for your service in your area or industry. This can give you a good baseline from which to start.
Remember, these are starting points. You can and should increase your rates as you gain experience and build a portfolio.
Some additional tips for pricing:
- Consider offering package deals for common service combinations
- Don’t be afraid to negotiate, but also know your worth
- Be clear about what’s included in your rate (number of revisions, etc.)
Be prepared for some trial and error at the beginning. Let’s say you’re interested in freelance social media work. You do some market research and see the average hourly rate ranges anywhere between $15/hour to $100/hour, depending on experience and job specifics. That’s a big range, and there are a lot of differing factors involved when deciding how much you should charge.
You might decide to start working for around $50/hour but you might find it close to impossible to find consistent work with your experience and skills especially if you’re just starting out, so you may have to slightly lower your initial rate in order to find your first few clients.
Negotiation skills are crucial whether you’re freelancing or working a 9-to-5 job. To help you sharpen these skills, I’ve created a comprehensive video guide on salary negotiation. This video isn’t just theory – it provides word-for-word scripts you can use when speaking with potential clients.
Step 4: Start Sending in Your Pitches
Now comes the crucial part: pitching your services to potential clients. A great pitch can set you apart from other freelancers and win you the job. Here’s how to craft a compelling pitch:
- Personalize your approach: Research the client and tailor your pitch to their needs. Show that you’ve done your homework.
- Focus on benefits, not features: Don’t just list your skills; explain how those skills will benefit the client. As the old marketing saying goes, “Buyers don’t want a new bed. Buyers want a good night’s sleep.”
- Show, don’t tell: Instead of simply stating you have “X years of experience”, provide concrete examples of your work. If possible, include a link to your portfolio or relevant samples.
- Include testimonials: If you have positive feedback from previous clients, include it in your pitch. Social proof can be very persuasive.
- Keep it concise: Respect the client’s time by keeping your pitch clear and to the point.
Structuring your initial pitch
When composing your initial pitch, follow a clear and effective structure to maximize your chances of success.
Here are the five things you need to sell the benefits of your services in your initial pitch:
- The introduction. You’re going to want to build rapport by introducing yourself and how you know about the client.
- The offer. Talk about them. What do you want to do for them? Why are you good for that role? You’re going to want to do some research on the organization to see what they need help with.
- The benefit. Walk them through how your work will benefit their company. Are you going to free up more time for them? Are you going to maximize profits by X amount?
- The foot-in-the-door. This is a classic technique that utilizes an old psychology trick to get the client to agree to a small agreement so you can ask for a larger agreement later.
- The call to action. Be clear with this and ask them if they would like to proceed. The call to action is a critical part of this script.
“Over-communication” is often appreciated when forming a new, professional relationship. If you have both reference letters with testimonials and relevant work samples, definitely share both. You should send everything you have at hand related to the position and be open to communicating about job expectations on both ends.
But don’t be fluffy–get straight to the point wherever possible and don’t write long pitches for the sake of it. Clients are often busy and won’t have time to read through a long pitch.
Step 5: Be Consistent
Success in freelancing doesn’t happen overnight. It requires persistence and consistency. Here’s how to stay on track:
- Set a daily application goal: Commit to applying for a certain number of jobs each day, even if it’s just one or two. This ensures a steady flow of opportunities and helps refine your pitching skills.
- Create a schedule: Treat freelancing like a job. Set specific hours for pitching, working, and administrative tasks to maintain work-life balance and increase productivity.
- Deliver quality work: Always aim to exceed client expectations. This leads to satisfied clients, repeat business and referrals. Try to finish assignments early and review with fresh eyes before submitting them.
- Communicate effectively: Keep clients informed about progress and respond promptly to messages. This builds trust and prevents misunderstandings.
- Meet deadlines: Reliability is crucial in freelancing. Deliver work on time or communicate early if there are delays. When possible, finish tasks before the deadline. When setting your own deadlines, pad your timelines. If you think a project will take a week, tell the client it will take 10-14 days. This gives you wiggle room for unexpected issues.
Consider this scenario: You’re an employer with two freelance hires on trial. They both produce similar quality work, but one freelancer is much more consistent, always hands in their work early, and is quick to respond to feedback. Which would you prefer? You’d most likely choose the more consistent freelancer because you can trust them to meet deadlines and communicate effectively.
Step 6: Reinvest Your Earnings For Your Own Growth
As you start earning money from freelancing, consider reinvesting some of it back into your business. This can help you improve your skills, expand your services, and ultimately increase your earning potential.
Here are some ways to reinvest in yourself:
- Take courses or certifications: Stay up-to-date with your field’s latest trends and technologies. Online platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or LinkedIn Learning offer a wide range of courses.
- Upgrade your tools: Invest in software, equipment, or subscriptions to help you work more efficiently or produce higher-quality work.
- Attend conferences or networking events: These can be great opportunities to learn from others in your field and potentially meet new clients.
- Hire a coach or mentor: Sometimes, guidance from someone already successful in your field can be invaluable.
- Improve your online presence: Consider investing in a professional website or upgrading your profiles on freelancing platforms.
Remember, continuous learning and improvement are key to long-term success in freelancing.
Step 7: Make Yourself Indispensable
The key to becoming indispensable is doing everything possible for your clients. Aim to produce work of such high quality and consistency that they feel they couldn’t possibly find someone else to replace you.
This can be challenging, especially in competitive fields. For instance, if you’re a content writer, you’re probably aware that thousands of other freelance writers are looking for work. However, you can set yourself apart in different ways:
- Never miss a deadline without open communication. How many freelance writers can truthfully say they’ve never missed a deadline? This level of reliability alone can make you invaluable to clients.
- Consistently deliver high-quality work that requires minimal edits or revisions and show improvements as you go.
Take the time to truly understand your client’s business, goals, and voice. This deep understanding will be reflected in your work and will make you harder to replace.
Be willing to expand your skillset for your clients
Don’t limit yourself to just what’s in your job description. Show an openness to learning and taking on new tasks. This doesn’t mean overworking yourself for free. It just shows that you’re flexible and willing to grow with your client’s needs.
For example, if you’re a content writer, offer to learn about SEO to optimize your articles. If you’re a graphic designer, consider learning basic web design principles to offer more comprehensive services. If you’re a virtual assistant, learn about social media management or basic bookkeeping to expand your value. And these skills will only help your future self, anyway.
Not only will your clients appreciate the motivation and hard work, but they will also be exponentially more likely to refer you to others.
Want to dive deeper into freelancing and career development? Check out these free articles I’ve written to help you expand your skills and opportunities.
