How To Jumpstart Your Freelancing Career

As seen on Forbes.

There is no one correct way to start your freelancing journey. In my work as a career coach, I’ve seen freelancers who chose to dive in headfirst, quitting their day job to pursue freelancing full-time. I’ve also known many who got their start by taking freelance work on the side while keeping their day jobs for some added security. 

Regardless of the approach chosen, freelancing careers are not born overnight. But there are things that we can learn from the experiences of others and fast-track the process just a little bit. In our previous article, we covered the skills you need to develop to make a career out of freelancing. This time, we will cover the three things you can do to jumpstart your freelancing career to set you up for success!

1. Identify Your Niche and Specialize

As a freelancer, you’ll need to wear multiple hats. Besides completing your projects on time, you’ll also need to ensure that you’re getting a healthy number of clients, getting paid on time, and keeping your books in order. For this reason, it’s ideal to focus on one or two target markets and offer a select few services, at least at the beginning.

While it can be tempting to cover as many target markets and offer as many services as you can, specializing in your niche makes it easier for you to understand your market, know the needs of your target audience, and tailor your services to meet their specific needs.

That being said, it is possible to over-specialize to the point of severely limiting your prospects, so don’t rush yourself. Take the time to assess your strengths, interests, and market demand to identify a niche that not only excites you but also has the potential for growth and profitability.

2. Develop Your Pitch 

Cultivating a successful freelancing career means knowing how to sell yourself, your skills, and your services. This is especially true if you’re looking to source clients from platforms like Upwork, where clients post projects and freelancers bid on them. With numerous freelancers vying for the same projects, your pitch could be the one thing that sets you apart from the competition.

There’s no real formula for the perfect sales pitch. A lot of the time, it all depends on your knowledge of your target audience and your ability to tailor your pitch to their specific needs and preferences.

When writing my pitch, I like to start by establishing my connection with the client. I could mention a common acquaintance who made the introduction or an event where we exchanged information. If applicable, you can also state that you found their details on gig platforms like Fiverr or Upwork. 

Next, you want to showcase your value. Focus on the end results they can expect, their pain points, and how you can help them through it. It might seem counterintuitive at first, but at least in this part of the pitch, it’s about them, not you. Listening goes a long way here.

Then, you also want to showcase something about your past work, so they have a better idea of your quality of work. Link to examples of past work, testimonials from satisfied clients, or relevant certifications and qualifications. Finally, end your pitch with a call to action. You might invite your client to schedule a call, review your portfolio, or hire you for the project. 

3. Master Your Process

The key to any business (and yes, as a freelancer, you are a business) is to establish efficient and effective processes that allow you to deliver work of consistent quality. 

This is where your time management skills will be put to the test. As a freelancer, there won’t be a shortage of tasks to do. May it be delivering the work your client asked for, or managing things in the backend, such as crafting proposals and following up on missed payments from past clients. 

My best advice is to start by breaking down your work into manageable chunks and establishing a clear timeline for each project. To make sure that you don’t miss anything, make it a habit to log your activities and use project management tools and software to organize your tasks, track deadlines, and collaborate with clients and team members if applicable.

Finally, regularly evaluate and refine your processes to identify areas for improvement and adapt to your business’s changing needs. As a newcomer to freelancing, you’ll likely run into a few snags, whether dealing with multiple rejections or missing a client deadline. But instead of getting discouraged, treat them as teachable moments and find ways to innovate on your existing processes.

Always trust in the process. It doesn’t matter if you start slow. As long as you build momentum, you’ll get there. Good luck!