The Right Way to Start Your Freelance Career

Do you like the idea of being your own boss? Are you confused about the best way to start your freelance career? Finding your first clients and being able to make a full-time career of it is something else that might be bothering you. Freelancing is an area that’s becoming very popular, particularly amongst India’s millennials. If you’re willing to go the extra mile to achieve your success and are passionate about your work, you’re off to a great start already. Here are a few more things you need to do if you want to get your freelance career off the ground. 

Start with Gigs on the Side

If you’re already in full-time employment but need a change of direction, stick with what you know first and find some freelancing work on the side. It’s going to mean extra work, to begin with, but you’re able to test the waters, get a few loyal clients and give yourself a solid foundation on which to build a sustainable self-employed career. 

Define Your Goals

Without clearly defined goals, you’re going to struggle to stay focused because you’re not sure where you’re going. Where do you see yourself a couple of years from now? Do you want to make freelancing a full-time career because you want to enjoy the benefits of being your own boss? Is your goal something else completely different but freelancing is a stepping-stone to getting there? What type of freelancer do you want to be? A freelance writer, designer, or developer? With a long-term goal clear in your mind, you can start figuring out the steps you need to take in order to get there.

There are a number of other decisions you have to make that are going to depend on the goals you choose. For example, do you need to look for an office to rent, or are you planning to work from home? If you’d like to work from an office, there are certain expenses you’ll need to cover, which of course is going to require some finance. There are plenty of options, for example, a small business loan or a credit card.

What is Your Niche Going to Be?

Whether you’re going to be a writer, designer, developer or something else, there’s going to be lots of competition. In order to stand out from all the others, you need to focus your attention on a particular niche market. There are plenty of work from home jobs you can do if you’re happy being a low-paid freelance worker. However, if you want to make a successful business of it, you need to be attracting clients who are willing to pay a little bit more.

Who is Your Target Audience?

Answering this is just as important as defining your niche. To start with, you can look at a broader spectrum of clients with a view to narrowing your focus in the near future. When it comes to focusing on a target audience, you should be looking for clients you can work best with. To help you decide, ask yourself the following questions:

• Who’s going to find my services useful?
• Who can afford to pay my prices?
• Who is it that makes the important decisions within the businesses you’re targeting?

Build a Portfolio Website

A powerful online presence is vital for anyone starting a freelance business. It’s going to be the first impression prospective clients have of you and communicate the services you offer. It’s also a platform to use for selling yourself. Include contact information, examples of your work, your relevant skills, education, accomplishments, and testimonials.