Freelancing can allow you to work in your time frame, neither going to the office daily, nor having to work 9-5. Freelancing is now one of the most popular and sought-after options for earning money online among freshers or beginners. You can be your own boss, with no schedule and complete flexibility to work.
In this blog, we will be sharing some quick tips on how to earn money online as a freelancer, and what are best practices to achieve your financial goal through freelancing.
How to start Freelancing
If you’re a beginner an just starting with freelancing, you might be excited enough to take any work from fiver or upwork. But as you start doing, its better to get your skills up.
Freelancing can be relevant to your skill sets. Its always better to provide freelancing services you’re good at, whether it is article writing, podcasting, graphic designing or anything that can be done online.
If you’re a beginner and studying in your college or university, you can still start freelancing, there is no specific course on how to start freelancing as a student. Even during college, you will have enough time to harness your skills and decide what suits your hobby.
1. Decide your freelancing niche
It depends on your skill. You can charge more if you’re good at specific service and showcase your skills through your portfolio and works. Instead of doing multiple field works, focus on one or two skill sets with their subcategories.
For example, if you select Graphic design as your freelancing career, you can add many service options such as Flyer design, logo design, business card design, and many others.
2. Create your Portfolio to showcase your work
A portfolio can build an aroma of trust with your client. It can also provide clear visuals to clients to understand the workflow and your best practices. Write some impressive case studies on your website and add authenticity to your work. Add quality images, better to add mockups and infographics, as these look more appealing to the client.
For example, if you’re a graphic designer and looking to build your portfolio for free, you can use dribble, Behance.
Although, building your own website to showcase your work brings more trust among potential client.
3. Pitch and Describe Your Work
Don’t hesitate to write about your work and how you planned your workflow and journey of the project. Describing your work can help your client to understand better.
In the next step, write a quality pitch with everything mentioned like budget, time frame, and if possible project or idea references.
As much as you describe your work to your client, it increases the chances of getting you hired.
4. Enhance your Skills
Start practicing your skills and add more value to your work. You should understand your newly learned skill and find relevant projects to make it more smooth for yourself to work on. You will start attracting potential clients as much as you practice and harness your skills, after all, they are paying for good work. And perfection only comes with practice. Whether it is WordPress websites, mobile applications, or graphic design, copywriting, etc. every skill needs time to master.
5. Pricing and Value of Your Service
In the previous section, we discussed practicing and enhancing your skills. Following that, you can put your service prices and get a good value for your work. Remember that, a potential client always seeks good results.
6. Be Consistent
The most important part of this journey should be your consistency in learning and achieving your goal. Many start with a positive mindset but fail or get diverted to different options.
Consistency is the cornerstone of success in freelancing work. It’s not just about delivering quality results on time; it’s also about maintaining a steady workflow and building long-term relationships with clients. Consistency in freelancing means setting clear expectations, meeting deadlines consistently, and communicating effectively with clients throughout the project. It involves honing your skills, staying updated with industry trends, and continuously improving your work.
7. Build Connections
Building connections and a robust client network is vital for success in freelancing. It’s not just about delivering excellent work; it’s also about fostering relationships and creating a network of satisfied clients who can vouch for your skills and professionalism. Freelancers can build connections by networking both online and offline, attending industry events, joining freelance communities, and actively engaging with potential clients on social media platforms and freelance marketplaces.