With remote work on the rise, many people are open to freelancing. With the desire for remote and location-independent work on the increase, starting a freelance business has become an attractive way of making a living.
Nowadays, it’s much easier to become a freelancer. Many companies are even getting more comfortable hiring freelancers rather than full-time employees.
The truth is that many jobs can be done remotely, and many companies don’t need to provide the same financial or healthcare benefits to freelancers as they do to full-time employees.
Thinking of starting a freelance business, consider these 5 simple steps:
- Define your goals for freelancing
You need to ask yourself this question: why do I want to become a freelancer?
- To create some income on the side?
- To replace your full-time income?
- How much do you want to earn while freelancing?
Two things that can help you when defining your goal IS to start freelancing part-time or as a side hustle. When there is less pressure to generate income immediately, you can be very thoughtful with the type of work you do and even the client you do it for.
The other is the need to make the leap to start freelancing full-time. After you must have tested the waters and verified you have found a freelance business you love and can make money from, you may choose to dive deep into it.
2. Choose which skills you’ll start freelancing with
As an intending freelancer, you need to know that your freelance business would be built around the unique skills you have to offer. Those skills are your biggest asset.
The first step you must take is identifying the different skills you have built over time that other people do not have and can pay you to use. It may be much better for you to start freelancing with skills from previous jobs. You can also start freelancing with skills outside your job description. You could also consider freelancing using your hobbies and self-taught skills.
While contemplating and comparing the list of skills you have, narrow down the list and prioritize the list, identifying the ones you want to get paid for and are more profitable.
3. Define your target clients
After you must have decided or identified the skills that you enjoy and are most profitable, it is important that you give thought to those who are going to pay you to use them.
Unlike other freelancers, you need to know the kind of clients you want to attract and position yourself to get them. Think about your clients, find out who needs the type of assistance you can offer with your skills, decide who you want to work with and the kind of help you can give.
Dig deep with Client avatars. Be more specific with the ideal clients you want and their categories. Find out the problems they may be facing and their stories.
4. Package your skills into a service offering
Selecting your skills was just the first step in starting a freelance business, after that you need to sell that skill to your target audience. Questions like these should be highly considered: How would you actually use those skills for someone else? What is the service you provide with those skills?
You should turn your service into a solution. Help the client understand how your skills would solve a problem in his or her business or enhance the business. For example, a copywriter could say: I can help you write better sales emails that convert to more customers.
You should also position your solution to your target client. Learn more about sales and negotiation. You also need to understand that people usually hire because they want one of these three below
- More Customers. Clients, subscribers, or followers
- To increase their profit
- To feel better about themselves
5. Legally incorporate your business before your street freelancing
It is important that you choose a business name and file for it. Perform business name research and get the chosen name registered and get the necessary licenses. Depending on your location, you may need to get other documents and pay some fees.
You may also need to apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Tax Identification Number (TIN). After you do this, you would need to Open a Business Account that would help you manage your finances and accept payments.
6. Create A portfolio to showcase your skills
Clients would trust you more when you have something to show the quality of work you are going to provide. To build trust with clients, you need a portfolio that shows examples of past work you have done.
When starting, you may have to render services at a hugely discounted price so that it would be easy for you to get works that would make up your portfolio. When building your portfolio, narrow your work to the ones you are truly proud of. Remember, less is more. Show some (not all) impressive work.
We believe these 6 Simple Steps would help you start freelancing on the right foot and position your freelance business for growth. To get more clients as a freelancer, sign up on Bixex.