Freelancing is becoming increasingly popular among people of all ages, and people are looking for ways to earn money online. Amidst rising inflation, people are looking for different ways to make money. After COVID, remote jobs became more common than ever. By the end of this article, you will know everything you need to know about freelancing and how to earn money through freelancing. Whether you are a beginner or trying to gain more insight, we are here to help you on your journey to becoming a freelancer and earning freelance income.
What Is Freelancing?
When someone tells us that they are freelancers, the first question that arises is: What exactly is freelancing? Simply put, in freelancing, an individual offers their skills and services to a client or business or on a project basis without being employed by them. Freelancers can work with several clients of their own choice at flexible times and earn money accordingly. In short, people use their talents to earn freelance income without being tied to a traditional 9-to-5 job. Sounds good, no? There must be a lot of questions bothering you right now. Don’t worry; this article will answer them all. Just keep reading.
Where to Start?
Now that we know what freelancing is, the question is: where to begin? In six steps, we will guide you on how to earn through freelancing and different ways to make money easily as a freelancer.
- FIND YOUR NICHE
The most crucial step when beginning freelancing is finding your niche or your skills. For that, you need to ask yourself a few questions, like, what are you good at? What do you like doing? What skills do you have that people will be willing to pay for? There are many creative ways to earn money online as a freelancer. Take your time and write down everything you believe you can do. It doesn’t need to be related to your certification or degree.
Once you have listed them down, rate each of them out of 10 based on how good you are at it. Now take the one you are best at and start looking for more information about it. Go through the online freelance job opportunities on freelance websites and search that niche to understand how much people are getting paid for that particular skill. There are many ways to make money online as a freelancer. Once you have gathered the information, choose the best option out of them; it could be the highest-paying one or the one you enjoy the most.
A few of the popular freelance niches are: graphic design, content writing, social media marketing, web development, social media management, virtual assistants, e-commerce, photography, online tutoring, etc. Identify your niche and interest, build a strong portfolio of your work, and promote your skills/services to attract clients.
- MAKE A GOOD PORTFOLIO
Now you know what you are good at, but you need to show people that. For that, you need a portfolio, which will be a representation of your skills to others. Some people use portfolio websites like behance.com or dribble.com for freelance portfolio development, while others make their own website. In the long term, websites are obviously a better option, but you can always start with the platforms mentioned above. While creating a good portfolio, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
- Attractive Profile: Your profile needs to be attractive, which means it needs to look professional. Your profile picture should have a professional look. Clients are more likely to trust people who display their own picture rather than some wallpaper or logo. Your content should be well-organized and easy to access.
- Include Contact Information: Provide your active contact information on your profile, including your work contact number or email. So, people can easily contact you for work.
- Strong “About Me” Section: Your “About Me” section will tell the clients all about you. Remember, they don’t know you personally, so they will be judging you through that. You need to impress the client through that paragraph.
- Display your Best Work: Only post your best work on your portfolio, and make sure to write a few details about it, like, who did you make it for? What was the purpose? For example, if you are a graphic designer and you design a logo for a food company, so, you will be mentioning that in the description. Make sure to mock up your work before posting.
- Update Regularly: Once you have created your portfolio, you need to keep up with the trends and update it regularly. It is not a one-time thing.
- Seek Feedback: Seek feedback on your work from your clients, family, friends, or mentors. Constructive feedback is the best way to improve oneself. Remember, there is always room for improvement. Freelance portfolio development is a crucial step in getting you good freelance job opportunities.
- SET YOUR BOUNDARIES
After your freelance portfolio development, set your boundaries. You need to decide how much time you will allot for work. Freelancing requires commitment, time management, and consistency. Even if you are a student or someone who is currently employed but wants to start freelancing as a side hustle, you need to set your priorities to be successful. There might be times you need to say no to less important events.
- CHOOSE YOUR CLIENTS
When people usually start freelancing, they start accepting random offers, and that could result in exploitation or fraud. You need to decide first who you want to work for and what industry is your main target. For instance, if you are a graphic designer, you need to know who you want to work for. If you wish to work for small businesses or large companies? Do you want to work project-based or not? Having a clear vision will help you bid for clients and discover freelance job opportunities accordingly.
- MARKET COMPETITIVE PRICES
Having a good grip on your niche is very important. You should research the amount people are charging for certain types of work on the freelance marketplace. There is a different price based on the level of skill; you will be offered a lower amount for a beginner-level skill as compared to someone who is a professional in that field. If you charge more than market prices, you won’t get the work, and if you charge less than the charges people are offering, there is a chance clients might not trust you or you can get exploited. Remember that you do not have to be the cheapest. Your time and your skills should get the recognition they deserve.
- DELIVER TOP QUALITY WORK
Never compromise on the quality of your work. In the long run, it will help you gain success. It is always quality over quantity; if you work for 20 plus clients in a month on freelance marketplace but the majority of them are unsatisfied with you, it is not far that you will stop getting work, and will be left with no means to generate freelance income. Having a few clients who are satisfied with your work is much better because customer satisfaction will lead to customer loyalty. You can even ask your loyal customers to refer you; in this way, you will be increasing your network.
Remember, it is essential to market yourself and your work. Use social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. to showcase your work and achievements to people. Build connections and start socializing. Even when you begin to generate online freelancing income, make sure to tell people about it; it is easier to get work from people you already know.
How to Find Clients?
There are various freelance job opportunities available online. Finding the right client could be tricky at first. If you are just a beginner, you can ask people around you to give you work instead of directly opting to freelance marketplace. For example, if you are interested in social media management, you can ask people, such as your friends or family who run businesses, and offer them your skills for handling their social media platforms while promising them visible results. You can also create profiles on freelancing websites, which are usually gig work platforms, and bid on clients there.
Some downsides of freelance websites are that you need to pay them a certain percent of your pay, but it is always better to start from there as they are a verified platform and have authentic clients; it will help you gain experience. It is important to understand that there is no overnight success. You need consistency, devotion, and commitment. There will be trials and errors; you need to learn from them and move on.
Best Freelance Websites
There are many freelance website that can help you earn you money from your home. There are many self-employed earning methods and websites.
GENERAL GIG WORK PLATFORMS:
- Upwork
- Elance
- Freelancer
- Guru
- Toptal
- PeoplePerHour
- Demand Media
- Project4hire
- SimplyHired
- Fiverr
- CloudPeeps
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC GIG WORK PLATFORMS:
Graphic Designing:
- 99designs
- Crew
- Dribble
- Behance
- DesignCrowd
Content Writing/ Blog/ Editorial:
- Problogger
- Freelance Writing Gigs
- Demand Media
- Journalism Jobs
- BloggingPro
- Freelance Writer’s Den
- SimplyHired
- FlexJobs
- FreelanceWriting Morning Coffee Newsletter
Programming/ Web Development:
- GetaCoder
- io
- Codeable
- StackOverflow
- GitHub Jobs
Real Life Freelance Success Stories
- ABBEY ASHLEY
Abbey Ashley is a successful entrepreneur and the founder of The Virtual Savvy, a platform that helps aspiring virtual assistants and freelancers start and grow their online businesses. She began her career as a virtual assistant, offering administrative services remotely. During this time, she gained valuable experience and insights into the world of online business and freelancing.
- RYAN ROBINSON:
Ryan Robinson is the founder of ryrob.com, a blog where he shares insights on entrepreneurship, freelancing, and online marketing. Ryan is also the host of the podcast; “The Ryan Robinson Show”. He started his freelancing journey as a college student. While he was still in school, he began offering freelance services in the fields of content marketing, copywriting, and online business strategy. He utilized platforms like Upwork and Fiverr to find his initial clients.
- BRENNAN DUNN:
Brennan Dunn is a renowned entrepreneur, author, and speaker in the freelancing and consulting industry. He started his career as a freelance web developer and designer. Over time, he transformed his freelancing success into a thriving business. He founded Double Your Freelancing, a platform that offers courses and resources to help freelancers increase their rates and find better clients.
Advantages of Freelancing:
Freelancing is full of advantages. Earning as a freelancer means you are your own boss, you don’t have any time restrictions and extra work load. You can take work load as much as you want. Freelancing offers many advantages such as work hours flexibility, the ability to choose your projects, and clients, as well as your earning. As a freelancer you have the potential to earn a higher income than regular employment.
Hopefully, you will find this article helpful in answering questions regarding freelancing and will help you learn freelancer earning tips and tricks. Freelancing offers immense opportunities for individuals to earn a sustainable income while pursuing their passions. With effective communication, continuous learning, and good financial management, you can build a successful freelancing career and achieve financial independence. Always remember, freelancing requires consistency, hard work, and dedication, but the results will be significant. Start working on proven ways to make money easily as a freelancer by sitting at your home from today!
FAQS:
- How much does a freelancer earn?
It varies from person to person. It depends on the niche, skill sets, experience, industry demand, work quality, etc. According to the surveys, freelance income is more than regular 9–5 job holders.
- Should I quit my job and start freelancing?
No, it is better to first start freelancing as a side hustle, and eventually, once your freelance income is stable enough, you should quit and do full-time freelancing.
- How do I freelance as a student?
It is the same for everyone. Students just need to learn to manage their time more effectively, be consistent, find their balance, polish their skills, and they can easily find freelance job opportunities.
- What skills are required for freelancing?
Anything that you are good at, you need to do good freelance portfolio development and market yourself. Some popular niches for freelancing are graphic design, content writing, and social media marketing, web development, social media management, virtual assistants, e-commerce, photography, online tutoring, etc.
