Becoming a freelancer is not easy, particularly if you have zero experience. The pandemic has made it impossible for many people to earn money the usual way. Online earning tools are now in higher demand than ever. Blogging, trading, graphic design, and other avenues may bring you a steady income without the need to visit an office. But how does one get started?
What Freelance Is All About
Freelancers enjoy flexible schedules, and they are also fully responsible for their income. Although there won’t be any company perks like a paid vacation or medical insurance, you will be the one to handle tax deductions by yourself.
If as a parent you seek financial freedom, a freelance career is a way to go. It will help you break free from constraints set by employers – you even enjoy spending enough time with your kids at home. You will choose who to work for, how and when, this sounds interesting to you as a parent right?. Essentially, as a freelancer, you are your own boss. If you have never done any freelance work, here is how to get started.
1. Psych Yourself Up
The first prerequisite is the right mindset. You may be surprised, but it will dictate your success or failure. Before you start assembling your portfolio, make sure your confidence and determination are strong enough.
Some of the most toxic stereotypes are that making money is difficult and that you do not deserve it. If you think no one will buy from you, no one will. Negative thinking prevents people from achieving what they really want. It is self-sabotage. Identify any limiting beliefs you may have and work to eradicate them.
2. Pick a Niche
What exactly will you do as a freelancer? If you render services, what particular needs will these meet? What problems will you solve? Choose your specialization carefully, considering popular and therefore potentially lucrative fields.
You need perfect clarity on who you will help. This way, it is easier to position yourself as an expert and find potential clients. You cannot provide a service that will suit everyone’s needs. This is simply impossible. Narrow down your vision.
You may decide that you are not going to help anybody at all. After all, there is always the option of becoming a self-employed online trader. In Nigeria, this segment is booming. With a free Forextime account, you may access the largest financial market with 6+ trillion US dollars in daily turnover.
This way, you will work for yourself buying and selling assets, but without the need to search for clients and satisfy their requirements. Forex trading is appealing to free-spirited individuals. All they need is knowledge of market trends like the bearish candlestick pattern.
3. Identify and Develop Skills
List your current skills and identify those which are relevant for the niche. Then, see where you need upskilling. Think about ways to fill those knowledge gaps, and do it
4. Create a Website
Creating a website is an important investment that will pay off in the long run. You need to secure a domain, so your emails look more professional. A website will reinforce your position as an expert, and it will capture the attention of potential customers. Besides, it is an easy way to showcase your portfolio.
You can use services like Squarespace to create an inexpensive website quickly. The system will provide a range of templates, professional email, website analytics, integration with email marketing tools, and more. Make the most out of SEO features, so your website ranks higher in Google. Finally, the website must be optimized for mobile screens.
5. Determine Your Pricing
How much will you charge for your work? Look at the current industry benchmarks to get an idea of a competitive range. A rule of thumb is to choose a number that challenges you but is still realistic. For example, if you would feel perfectly comfortable charging $50 for a course, why not raise the price a bit — say, to $80? If you have zero experience, you could also work for free temporarily, collect testimonials, and transition to a paid mode later.
6. Promote Yourself
Create your elevator pitch and polish it. You will use it later to write cold emails, fill your LinkedIn profile, do podcasts interviews, guest posts, etc. The pitch must convey what you do and how your services help others. Freelancers with no experience may create samples and place them on their website. Cover the following points:
- What problem do you solve and how?
- Why are you an expert?
- Back your claims with case studies, testimonials, etc.
More Steps to Take
These are just the initial steps in a freelance career. You will also need to manage your social media presence and tie all the business processes together. Once it is done, you can finally welcome your first client.
