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Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Work In My Pajamas
If you hate working in an office , shop, hotel, lab, garage, hospital … pretty much any traditional working premises, then you’re not alone and you can also do something about it which you couldn’t have done a couple of decades ago: you can become a freelancer. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as buying a laptop, sitting in your underwear, and watching the money roll in. Becoming a successful freelancer takes a lot of time and effort and there will be a long period of uncertainty before you can settle into a steady work flow.
What Is Needed
First things first, what are you going to freelance in? Not every job is suited to being done from home with a laptop and an internet connection. You need to know what jobs out there need doing and whether you’re the person for the job. Here’s a list of some of the more common freelancer positions:
- Copywriter (including blog writer and ghost writer)
- Website Designer
- Editor and Proof Reader
- SEO Expert
- Graphic Designer
If you can do one of these things, then maybe you’re onto something … read on.
Find Where The Work Is
Finding the work is the hard bit, at least at first. There are many, many freelancing platforms on the internet that are brimming with jobs for those skilled enough to take them on. Places like Upwork, for example allow for browsing and applying of hundreds of jobs that are updated hourly, especially for high-demand work like article writing. It’s pretty cutthroat to start with, so don’t expect to be making a fortune, you will probably do a lot of work for not a lot of money at first, but I’ll get onto that in a bit. Another avenue of finding work is to pitch directly to companies who might need your services. You can even hire a freelancer to write you a great email template that you can send to companies.
Build A Client Base
Doing lots of work for little pay doesn’t sound like a nice job, I admit, but by doing it you will get your name out in the open and people will start to remember your name and trust you. If you do a good enough job in these early days then a client base will start to form, whether by word of mouth or by repeat business by the clients who were pleased with your work … which means you will need to do the best work you can possibly to do to make sure you hook them all.
Get A Website
I know many freelancers who don’t have a website, but I think it’s pretty vital, especially if you’re going to be a website or graphic designer. You need a place for prospective clients to come and check you out, maybe see some examples of past work or client recommendations. Make sure you find the best web hosting has to offer, otherwise you’ll be sorry. A good web hosting company can and will go a long way to the success of your enterprise.
As with many things in life, freelancing depends on hard-work and motivation, as well as immunity to rejection. You will be rejected many times, but don’t let it stop you trying to achieve the best you can.
Image Source: Pixabay
