What is freelancing?
Have you been dreaming of getting a side hustle, being your own boss, and setting your own hours? If yes, freelancing can be your path to that freedom and flexibility. In this article today we are going to talk about freelancing for beginners and the steps to your first client.
Freelancing is a form of self-employment. In it, individuals offer their services and skills to clients on a project-by-project basis. You are not permanently employed by a single employer, in this arrangement of working for pay. Freelancing involves working independently. There are no long-term commitments to a specific employer. Freelancing involves being hired to complete tasks and projects within a defined timeframe and budget.
Key Characteristics of Freelancing as a Side Hustle.
Freelancing has several benefits, which can be listed as its characteristics as follows:
- Freelancing has the flexibility of working. You have the freedom to choose your clients, work hours and projects. This allows for a better life balance.
- Freelancing provide a variety of choices. You can work on diverse projects for different clients. This prevents monotony and makes you intellectually stimulated.
- Freelancing enhances work independence. You are self-employed. You work from home or any convenient location. The work is said to be remote because you mostly work through the internet.
- The expected income is variable. The income can fluctuate depending on the number and scope of projects you secure. The income will also depend on your ability to market your services effectively.
- Freelancing makes you responsible for managing your own time, taxes, finances, and client relationships.
- Freelancing is project-based. You typically work on short-term projects, although you can get ongoing work with some specific clients.
- It usually involves multiple clients. You work with several clients at the same time. This gives you flexibility and variety in your work.
Popular freelancing platforms that you can use.
Freelancing has become increasingly popular in the recent years. This has been made possible mainly by the rise of online platforms that connect people through the internet. Most of these platforms come in the form of online websites that also serve as work communities. Examples of such platforms are:
On these platforms, people who have any work to do for pay are called clients. Freelancers are people who are waiting for the work to so that they get paid.
Some of the highest paying and in-demand freelance skills.
Working as a freelancer requires you to be driven first by passion. Secondly, you need to have some skills in the things you are passionate about. With these two, you will find various tasks and projects to work on the freelancing platforms, which may include:
- Freelance writing.
- Software development.
- Web/mobile development.
- Digital marketing.
- Graphics designing.
- Creative designing.
- Data analytics.
- Data entry.
- Freelance SEO.
- Social media management.
- Translation.
- Legal advising.
Some of the challenges you might face as a freelancer.
Getting your first freelancing job might be like solving a puzzle. It can be overwhelming and challenging at the same time. Although you may have the motivation and abilities, the following reasons and factors may make your attempt difficult:
- As a beginner, you probably have no recorded experience and, therefore no work portfolio. In this situation, you have nothing to showcase to your potential clients. Clients usually prefer to hire freelancers with experience and a record of successfully completed projects.
- As a beginner, you likely have very little reputation in the freelancing work. You usually need positive reviews of the past work you have done. You need testimonials as well as established online presence.
- You are likely to experience a lot of competition as a beginner freelancer. Established freelancers are usually highly competitive in many fields of freelancing. These experienced freelancers have already built their own client base. You will likely be competing for the clients they have already been working with.
- As a beginner, you will likely fail to determine the right prices and rates to charge for your work. Sometimes you may charge too little to attract clients. If you do so, the work you get may be more than proportionate to the pay you get. That is, you will have undercharged for the work. If you ask for a very high price, you will likely not get any clients to accept your offers.
- As a beginner, you may be able to promote and market your skills well to potential clients.
- You will also face challenges looking for clients and opportunities due to a lack of networking.
The good news is that these obstacles can be overcome. Overcoming these obstacles needs some ingenuity and the right approach. With them, you will soon be on your unique path to a fulfilling career and land your first gig within no time.
Steps to begin your freelancing career and get your first client.
Step #1. Select your niche to decide which services to offer.
Selecting your niche is important because it will allow you to narrow down to the field(s) you will be working for. You need to select activities in fields you have passion in. Carry out thorough market research to determine all the opportunities available in those fields. Using platforms like Google Trends can give you insights into what potential clients are searching for. Identify sub-categories that have high value client projects but relatively low competition. A sub-field with minimal competition will show you little entry difficulty. Ensure that you have the right skills needed to work in the field identified. Using
Step #2. Build a professional portfolio to showcase your skills and experience.
For aspiring freelancers, having a great portfolio is a must. A portfolio is a tool that the freelancer uses to present their qualifications to their clients. A portfolio shows how much experience you have. It lists important projects that you completed successfully.
Let our portfolio reflect your skills, experience, and the value you offer.
Step #3. Set the right rates to balance profit and competitive pricing.
Setting the right prices for your services as a beginner is sometimes a tricky affair. You want to attract your first clients as fast a possible. This may lead you to undervalue your services. Some other time, when you attempt to decide on a price, you set a very high price. Prices that are higher than the market average will possibly scare away potential clients.
Ensure that you have carried out thorough market research. Find out what others in your field are charging for the same services. Please visit Glassdoor to find some more insights about market research.
Then calculate the worth. Ensure that your rate covers your expenses, taxes, as well as providing the desired profit.
Consider the level of experience that you have on the field. If you are really good at your trade, you can charge as much as other seasoned freelancers. Otherwise, try to charge slightly lower than the market average. And lastly, practice transparency in your dealings.
Step #4. Market yourself on social media and other online platforms.
Promoting yourself can help you increase your chances of attracting potential clients. You should promote your skills not only on freelancing platforms but also on other platforms. Social platforms such as LinkedIn allows users to set up professional profiles. In them, you can showcase your skills, experience, and level of education.
Ensure that you participate in online communities. Join forums, Facebook groups, or other communities related to your niche. Participate by engaging in discussions, answering queries. Offer advice as well.
Step #5. Network to build professional relationships with potential clients.
In freelancing, “who you know” matters as much as “what you know” does. Networking enables one to meet new people who end up becoming potential clients.
As a new freelancer, it is important to attend workshops, conferences, or seminars. These events are where real networking happens. This is where you get to meet new people and build those professional relationships. This is where you will meet other freelancers who you can share ideas with and build connections with.
Step #6. Turn your initial rejections into future opportunities.
Rejections of bids are common in freelancing. Clients usually receive several bids for the work they post on the platforms. For a single project, a client will usually award his/her project to just one freelancer. As a beginner freelancer, be aware that being among the bidders rejected is not the end of the world.
If a client declines your proposal, politely ask for feedback. Check out SurveryMonkey to find out how to craft short and effective feedback forms.
Remember to maintain politeness and professionalism. Leave the doors open for working together in the future with the client.
Step #7. Write a great proposal for your first project.
The initial projects that you bid for should fit your abilities. As a beginner, the first project should closely align with your experience and capabilities. This will ensure a successful start for you. Look for projects that you feel confident that you can provide excellent services for. Submit the projects for bidding.
Some sites, like Upwork, provide great templates for project proposals that you can follow. A project proposal template gives the structure of a project. Ensure that your first project is well researched. Use the right level of language to communicate ideas in the project. And then ensure that you submit the project on time. Keep the deadlines.
Step #8. Create a relationship with the clients by requesting feedback.
It is important to develop a positive working relationship with your clients. Even though freelancing is project based, do not take the relationship as a one-and-done deal. Building a long-term relationship can come out of the first project you do for a client.
After successfully submitting the first project, attempt to request feedback from the client. Ask bout the areas that you may need to improve. Ask the client what he/she may want you to do differently on future projects. This will be the beginning of building a healthy professional relationship.
Conclusion.
Freelancing has many benefits. It enables people to explore their passions. Freelancers can be their own bosses while making money from their passions. There are, however, challenges that every new beginner faces, such as a lack of portfolio, among others.
This article has discussed all the basic issues that a beginner freelancer needs to know. The discussion has given a guide to enable the beginner to get his/her first client easily.
No that you know freelancing for beginners and the steps to your first client, also read Ethical Freelancing: Building Trust and Credibility.