I wish it were as easy as “Just do it”. When I got my first client, it may seem like just doing it was all I did – but I actually spent about 2 years in preparation.
This post is going to be a reflective one as I think about how my journey as a freelancer started right from the beginning – when I didn’t seem to have a monetizable skill.
In this post, I’ll talk about what I did in those 2 years that landed me my first client, and what I did after I got my first client to help me get many more.
I made a video on this topic on the Nomademy YouTube channel:
Here are the points mentioned in the video:
1. Value
Earning a wage is all about providing value in exchange for money. As a freelancer, you’ll be hired when you’re able to do the thing that the client wants you to do. If you’re able to add value to their business or solve some issue they’re facing, that’s how you get the job!
I understood that but the harder part was finding, choosing, and improving on a skill that I wanted to do as a freelancer. I had to do an audit of my past experiences and really reflect on what I liked to do, even if there was no money – because for the first few months, or years, (if you’re starting from scratch) there won’t be any monetary incentive.
So it’s important to figure out the service you want to provide and work on improving that skill. If you already have a skill, then we can go on to the next step:
2. Create a Portfolio
Nomademy is my business which is in the midst of becoming a space for freelancers, creatives, and curious people to get connected. But before Nomademy was created, I had my own freelancing website which you can check out here.
My website has been integral in helping me get clients! Not only does it showcase my work, it’s also an excellent tool for me to use when I’m at interviews.
There are many platforms where you can host your portfolio, which I’ll be mentioning in another blog post and video. I personally use WordPress for my personal portfolio.
3. Figure Out Your Rates
This is a whole topic in itself, so we’ll be making another post to go in depth on this. But if you’re starting from scratch, here are the steps you can take to decide how you’ll like to be paid:
- Research the market rates – this can be done on Glassdoor or just a simple Google search
- Decide how to set your rates – hourly, fixed (project-based), retainer
It’s also important to learn some tactful negotiation skills so that you and your client can come to a satisfactory agreement.
4. Marketing Your Skills
Now that your portfolio is up, and you have an idea of how you want to get compensated, it’s time to score some clients!
There are 2 ways to do this: passively or actively.
A more passive approach, where the clients come to you, would be to sell your services on freelancing platforms like Fiverr. With Fiverr, you set up our profile/service and wait for a client to reach out to you – which is challenging if you’re new to the platform. The competition is high and you’re competing with people who are selling their services for really low prices (e.g. $50 for a logo, $30 for an edited video, etc.), making it difficult to earn more as a freelancer.
Another form of the passive approach is word of mouth. If your online portfolio website’s SEO is amazing, you could also be getting clients passively from that.
While all that is awesome, the problem with a 100% passive approach is that you can never guarantee that you will get a client. Unless you’ve already established yourself as a freelancer who is good in what they do, it’s difficult to score a client in this way.
So if you’re just starting out, or if you’re only a few months into your freelancing journey, I recommend a more active approach.
The active way is to be the one reaching out to clients. There are more traditional freelancing job portals like Upwork, Freelancer.com which is a little different from Fiverr. These platforms allow clients to post their job requirements and as a freelancer, you can respond to those requests and hope for the best. I have never been selected to work on a project on these platforms using this method, but it works for some!
Other than the website which was mentioned earlier, another huge avenue for marketing is content creation. I’ve been making videos and growing my online presence for the past 2-3 years, which eventually helped me a lot with my freelancing business.
The power of content is amazing and Nomademy will definitely be touching on this in the future!
5. Brush Up Communication and Interview Skills
As someone who is self-employed, you completely represent yourself and your business. It would be a shame to have a client reach out and eventually decline working with you due to poor communication, interview, or business skills.
So definitely take some time to improve these soft skills along with your technical skills!
This is a big picture on how I started freelancing, but we all know that it’s often the details that are hard to come by and apply. Which is why Nomademy wants to be with you on this journey! Stay tuned for more content on our website, blog, and YouTube channel✨
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