People usually become freelancers because they have a passion for their craft, but there is lots of admin involved as well. There is more to a freelancer than just the work that gets pushed through the door. The life of a freelancer is very complex.
What is the point of being a freelancer if you cannot get the work? For a lot of people, finding work is the most challenging part of the job. It can be very tough to find steady and reliable clients.
There are a lot of new self-employed freelancers – Some have been forced to freelance due to losing full-time positions at companies due to the recent pandemic.
Preparing to start a career freelancing shouldn’t be done light-hearted. Here are some tips and tricks to help get you on your way to becoming a freelancer with a steady flow of work.
Table of Contents
#1 Get on LinkedIn and message old collegues
LinkedIn is an excellent platform to contact old and existing colleagues and connections on. When you’re short of freelance work reach out, write a post about your industry or what you stand for and start building up your brand.
Free time should always be used on admin tasks and ways to increase your brand awareness to help find new clients.
It can be tempting to just relax when you have free time, but don’t get into this habit! It can be hard to be productive when you have no clients but be strong. Before you know it, work may flood in and you will be regretting putting off those admin tasks.
Contacting old colleges is fun, as well as finding new connections. Connect with businesses and professionals in your area so you are aware of the competition and local businesses.
#2 Create briefs for work that you want to do
Sometimes freelancers can lose passion when they are working on projects that they don’t want to do. It’s sometimes difficult to get out of this loop, as it’s what you are experienced in. You have kind of cornered yourself in a certain niche.
One way to get out of this corner is to create your own brief around what you want to do and produce the work. You can even show off what you have just done on Twitter and start a discussion.
Obviously, you don’t get paid for this work because it’s for yourself, however in the long term, a potential client may see it and want to utilise your brains for their project.
Life is short, so I believe that everyone should work in a job they truly love and this tactic is how you proactively get what you want.
#3 Freelancers should be direct
Be direct about what you do and how you help businesses. Being direct shows that you have confidence and are not afraid to put in hard work.
This is part of a freelancers job, you need to be precise. Everyone is a potential client. Fly off an email, send them direct messages and follow through… Even pick up the phone!
Transparency is also important when freelancing. Be clear and direct about what you can provide and about what the client can provide for you. It’s always a two-way street and you want to be paid on time.
#4 Be proud of the work you create
Confidence is one of the contributions a freelancer can bring to the table. It’s hard thinking of new and creative ways to do something, and you can do it. Show this off and be proud of what you can do and the skills you have.
Clients love it when they can feel the passion inside. They want to be part of it. Promote yourself this way and people will buy into you.
Talk about the process you take when working with clients, maybe even talk about problems that came up during the project and how they were handled.
New talk about yourself negatively, this will only make people feel sorry for you or put them off hiring you for a job.
#5 Talk with your friends and family
One way to get work is to let friends and family know that you are looking for new opportunities. Word of mouth is very important when freelancing. Friends and family want to help each other succeed and you want to give a good impression of what you can do.
Apart from the 5 tips above; to reach people on a more global scale also give freelancing a try using Upwork.
