How do I get started as a freelancer? How do I find my first clients? How do I turn my skill into a side hustle? these are questions that are commonly asked in recent years, and it comes as no surprise since the traditional 9–5 work model is collapsing and people are demanding more flexible work options. This high demand — along with the appearance of digital professions — has caused the freelance market to bloom.
In this article, ETIC will be guiding you through a step-by-step process, to get you started on the right foot in the freelance world.
An Intro To Freelancing :
In order to attract potential clients, you need to have an online presence and to showcase yourself, the best way to do that is to:
Build your own website
- Use your own domain: which will make you easier to find on the internet, and will showcase a higher level of professionalism.
- Easy to create call to actions and useful for contact.
What should you put on this website :
- 3–4 projects that you have worked on as your portfolio ( we’ll talk about this in detail later on in this article ).
- Put your photo there ( preferably a professional one ) because people are there hiring you and not a nameless freelancer with a generic skill or a portfolio.
- Put a link to your social profiles
How to set up your website :
- If you have some technical knowledge or web development skills you can always build it from scratch but we highly recommend using:
- Wix or any other easy and free to-use website builder.
- WordPress.
This step shouldn’t cost you a lot of time.
If you spend more than 3 hours on it, You’re doing something wrong — Ran Segall, The founder of flux academy
Tip: Don’t put too much effort and time into perfecting your website, Almost nobody will be looking there at first, so what are you insecure about 🤷♂️
Build your portfolio :
if you have some projects that are done, then you are already set for finding your first client
If not : then we would recommend the following :
- Start creating for fun, Give yourself a challenge and create daily, this will improve your skills and help you build a portfolio.
- Help your favorite foundation or non-profit organization, this depends on the type of skill that you have ( if you are aiming for freelancing in web development you can offer them to create their website )
Where do I Find my first Client :
In order to hire you, people need to:
- Know you
- Like you
- Trust you
That’s why we first encourage you to start locally with people who already trust you and know you such as your family, friends, colleagues, and your community members, because they are the people with the highest likelihood to hire you or to recommend you in case they don’t need your services currently.
Another way to find clients is to set up your social media profiles and clearly communicate to your audience what type of services you are offering, there will always be someone who could use your services, especially when you’re offering them services for a cheaper price as you get experience.
Your main goal when you are starting out is to gain experience and to build a reputation. Which will bring you more money in the long term
It’s far easier to trust a local with inexperience, than an inexperienced stranger from the other end of the world you’ve never met. — The right way to start freelancing
Some Final Tips :
- As you start putting yourself out there, you might get plagued by self-doubt. Don’t succumb to it 👊 and let it prevent you from selling yourself and pursuing opportunities that come your way.
- One of the most effective ways to show your expertise to future clients is to share reviews from your previous ones. So as you sign off your first freelance project don’t forget to ask for testimonials and be sure to include them in your portfolio.
Final Thoughts :
Do you have some experience in freelancing? Don’t hesitate to share your tips in the comments!
Some Helpful links:
Here are some very useful resources that could benefit you if you want to start freelancing as a:
