How to Become a Freelancer in 2024 💸 the ultimate step-by-step guide to freelancing for beginners
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful video, Dina, a seasoned freelancer, breaks down the essentials for starting a freelance business. She covers the initial hurdles like business registration and portfolio creation, emphasizing the importance of showcasing work to attract clients. Dina explains the differences between inbound and outbound marketing strategies for acquiring clients and shares practical tips on cold emailing and networking. She also discusses the mindset needed for success, the challenge of pricing services, and the value of leveraging existing connections. The video is a comprehensive guide for aspiring freelancers, providing actionable advice to navigate the complexities of freelancing.
Takeaways
- 😀 Freelancing is a simple concept where you offer a skill and get paid for it, but starting a freelance business can be challenging.
- 📚 The first step to start a freelance business is to handle the legal aspects like registering your business, which can vary by location.
- 🎨 Creating a portfolio is crucial to showcase your work to potential clients, and it can be done through social media or a personal website.
- 🤝 Both inbound and outbound marketing are essential to attract clients; inbound involves clients finding you, while outbound requires you to seek them out.
- 📧 Learning to send effective emails and using social media platforms like Instagram can help in reaching out to potential clients organically.
- 📈 Networking is a powerful long-term strategy for gaining clients and referrals, and it's not limited to formal business events.
- 💼 Having an abundance mindset is important when networking, as there is enough opportunity for everyone, even those in the same field.
- 🔍 When working with clients, it's beneficial to show your progress at different stages to get feedback and ensure client satisfaction.
- 💰 Invoicing and collecting payment are necessary after completing client work, and various platforms can facilitate this process.
- 🛠 Building a portfolio when you have no clients can be done by offering free services at events or creating sample work.
- 💰 Pricing as a freelancer should be higher than a typical 9-to-5 job rate, and it's essential to research industry standards and consider various factors.
Q & A
What is the basic concept of freelancing according to the video?
-The basic concept of freelancing is that you have a skill that someone needs, and they pay you for that skill.
Why does starting a freelance business seem hard, and what kind of questions do new freelancers usually have?
-Starting a freelance business seems hard due to various questions new freelancers have, such as how to price their services, whether they need to register a business, where to get clients, how to invoice clients, and whether they need contracts.
What kind of business structures did Dina mention for starting a freelance business?
-Dina mentioned sole proprietorship, corporations, and in the US, LLCs (Limited Liability Companies) as possible business structures for starting a freelance business.
What is a portfolio in the context of freelancing, and why is it important?
-A portfolio is a place where freelancers showcase their work to potential clients, allowing them to see the style and types of designs. It's important because it helps clients decide if they want to work with the freelancer.
What are inbound and outbound marketing, and how do they differ in attracting clients for a freelance business?
-Inbound marketing is when clients find the freelancer through their website or social media and contact them. Outbound marketing involves the freelancer going out to find prospects and customers, such as networking and cold emailing.
How did Dina use networking to grow her calligraphy business?
-Dina attended networking events, particularly those for women in business or entrepreneurs, and made connections. She also met friends of friends, which helped her gain referrals and eventually more inbound inquiries.
What is the importance of showing work progress to a client during a project, and how does it benefit the freelancer?
-Showing work progress to a client allows for early feedback and the opportunity to make adjustments before the project is completed. This can save time and effort by avoiding the need to redo work after it's fully completed.
How can a freelancer invoice their clients, and what are some common platforms used for this purpose?
-Freelancers can use invoicing platforms like Wave, Stripe, and PayPal, which are free to use but have standard transaction fees. Other options include using accounting software like QuickBooks for invoicing.
What strategies did Dina suggest for building a portfolio when starting a freelance business with no clients?
-Dina suggested doing free work at events, creating samples at home, or offering free services to friends and acquaintances to build a portfolio. This helps in getting pictures and examples of work to showcase to potential clients.
How can freelancers determine their pricing, and what factors should they consider?
-Freelancers should not charge based on a traditional 9-to-5 job hourly rate, as freelancing often involves more non-billable hours. They should consider industry rates, their experience, and the value they provide. Networking with others in the same field can also help in understanding appropriate pricing.
What is the benefit of reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances for a freelancer's business growth?
-Reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances can open up new networks and potential clients. These connections can refer the freelancer to others in their network, expanding the freelancer's reach and opportunities.
Outlines
🤔 Starting a Freelance Business: Challenges and Initial Steps
Dina, a full-time self-employed professional with four years of experience, addresses the complexities of starting a freelance business. She outlines common concerns such as pricing, business registration, client acquisition, invoicing, and contract management. Dina shares her background in calligraphy and art, where she provided various services and products, emphasizing the universal needs of freelancers like client acquisition strategies, portfolio development, and payment collection. She advises on legal business structures like sole proprietorship or LLCs, and recommends researching or consulting with local business owners for guidance. For those in Canada, she suggests using the 'owner' website to simplify business registration.
🎨 Building a Portfolio and Finding Clients as a Freelancer
The speaker discusses the importance of creating a portfolio to showcase work to potential clients, suggesting social media and a personal website as effective tools. She warns against relying solely on freelancing websites like Fiverr and Upwork due to low pay and high competition. Dina then explains the difference between inbound and outbound marketing for attracting clients, advocating for outbound marketing as a proactive approach to find clients through networking and sales. She shares her experience with cold emailing and using social media platforms like Instagram to initiate contact with potential clients, recommending HubSpot's sales email templates as a resource. Networking events and building genuine relationships are also highlighted as long-term strategies for client acquisition.
🔍 Navigating the Freelance Landscape: Strategies and Mindset
Continuing the discussion on freelancing, the speaker shares insights on networking, suggesting that it's not limited to formal business events but can occur in social settings as well. She emphasizes the value of building connections and the long-term benefits of trust and referrals. Dina also talks about the importance of connecting with peers in the same field, even competitors, to foster a sense of community and mutual support. She shares personal strategies, such as leveraging online platforms like LinkedIn and Zoom for networking, and the practice of reconnecting with old acquaintances to expand one's network. Additionally, she touches on the mindset of abundance, trusting that there is enough opportunity for everyone, and the practical approach of showing work progress to clients to ensure satisfaction and avoid rework.
💼 Invoicing and Pricing Strategies for New Freelancers
The speaker provides guidance on invoicing clients and the option to collect a deposit before starting work. She mentions common invoicing platforms used in North America, such as Wave, Stripe, and PayPal, and accounting software like QuickBooks. Dina then addresses the challenge of building a portfolio without prior clients, suggesting offering free services at events or creating samples at home as a starting point. She also discusses the issue of pricing as a freelancer, advising against setting rates based on traditional full-time job salaries. She recommends researching industry standards and using resources like womenwoofreelands.com to understand market rates. The importance of networking for understanding pricing norms and the value of connecting with peers in the industry is reiterated. The speaker concludes with advice on leveraging personal connections and social media to find clients and grow a business.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Freelancing
💡Portfolio
💡Inbound Marketing
💡Outbound Marketing
💡Networking
💡Cold Emailing
💡Pricing
💡Imposter Syndrome
💡Invoicing
💡Referrals
💡Self-Employment
Highlights
Freelancing is a simple concept where you offer a needed skill and get paid for it.
Starting a freelance business can be challenging due to various questions about pricing, registration, finding clients, invoicing, and contracts.
Dina, with four years of full-time self-employment, shares her experiences in freelancing, including calligraphy and art business.
The importance of business registration and legal structure depending on the country is emphasized.
Creating a portfolio is essential for showcasing work to potential clients, often through social media or a website.
Freelancing platforms like Fiverr and Upwork are mentioned, but sustainability and competition concerns are raised.
Inbound and outbound marketing strategies for attracting clients are explained, with a focus on outbound marketing for new freelancers.
Cold emailing and direct messaging on platforms like Instagram are suggested as effective outbound marketing tactics.
Networking events and building connections are highlighted as long-term strategies for client acquisition.
The value of meeting people in the same field, despite competition, for referrals and support is discussed.
Online networking and utilizing social media for business connections are encouraged.
The process of working with a client includes showing progress at 30% and 70-80% completion for feedback.
Invoicing clients and considering payment platforms like Wave, Stripe, and PayPal are covered.
Common questions about freelancing, such as building a portfolio without initial clients, are addressed.
Strategies for overcoming self-doubt and determining pricing for freelance services are shared.
The importance of not undervaluing one's work and staying within industry pricing standards is stressed.
Reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances on social media as a method for expanding business networks is suggested.
Transcripts
[Music]
in theory freelancing is a very simple
concept you have a skill somebody needs
your skill they pay you for the skill
that's all but why does it seem so hard
to start a freelancing business and
you've probably clicked into this video
for this very reason you want to either
start a freelance business or you have
already started a freelance business but
you're struggling with all the different
kinds of questions that new Freelancers
have like how do you price yourself do
you need to register a business where do
you get clients what do you do to
invoice clients do you need contracts
stuff like that if you don't know me my
name is Dina and I have been full-time
self-employed for the past four years
and out of these four years a lot of the
times I was a freelancer I had a
calligraphy and art business where I was
offering my calligraphy services to
individuals companies I did on-site
calligraphy I taught public and
corporate calligraphy workshops and I
even sold home paintings to Realtors and
I'm like not a painter at all I've also
dabbled a little bit in social media
freelancing right now if you're trying
to start a freelance business and you're
trying to get into writing or graphic
design video editing being a VA being a
website designer or an artist or a
calligrapher this video will apply to
you even though my main freelancing
business was my calligraphy and art
business because all Freelancers need to
have similar things in place you need a
way to get clients you need to have a
portfolio and invoice your clients and
collect payment the first thing you need
to do when you're starting a freelance
business is get all the business
registration legal stuff out of the way
so depending on where you are located
and how businesses are structured in
your country you can start a sole
proprietorship or you can start a
corporation if you're in the US there is
also something called an LLC that you
can look into these kinds of business
structures are very different and if you
have no idea what I'm talking about you
need to do some research on this stuff
okay and if you're feeling really lost
you can ask some business owners in the
same area where you live on how they
structured their business if you're in
Canada like me there's actually a very
helpful website that can help you start
your sole proprietorship or register
your corporation and that is called
owner I use owner to register my
Corporation and it was such a simple
process so you can check it out below if
you reside in Canada the next step in
starting a freelancing business is to
create some kind of portfolio I will say
though the majority of people probably
need to have a portfolio but if you have
a lot of connections or you have big
guts you might not even need a portfolio
so first of all what is a portfolio a
portfolio is basically a place where you
are showcasing your work so that your
potential clients can see what is it
that you do what is the style what are
the kinds of designs and they can use
this information to decide if they want
to work with you probably the most
common way to create a portfolio is to
have some kind of social media presence
and a website I know there are websites
like Fiverr and upwork like these are
freelancing websites but I actually
think those websites are not the
greatest if you want to have a really
sustainable full-time freelancing
business because there are so many
people on those kinds of websites
charging really really low prices and
there's a lot of competition okay you
might have a lot of questions at this
point about what social media to use how
do you actually build a portfolio so I
have some specific tips for your
portfolio that I'm going to share at the
end of this video but I want to give you
an overview of the steps you need to
take first the next step after you have
built some kind of portfolio is to get
clients obviously there's a difference
between inbound marketing and outbound
marketing so you can look at it this way
with inbound marketing the customer
comes in to you maybe they're finding
you through your website or your social
media but they're the ones contacting
you and asking about your services
without bound you are going out to look
for these prospects for these customers
you are going to networking events you
are reaching out to people you are
co-emailing people so those are the two
types of ways to get clients you can
think about how you can get people to
come to you that's inbound marketing and
how you can go out and find your clients
at the start of a freelancing business
it's probably less likely you're going
to have people come to you directly
unless they know what you're doing and
you've been doing it for a longer time
so the best strategy is to do outbound
marketing and do outbound sales you are
going out to find your clients with
outbound you might feel like it's really
scary to email somebody that you don't
know and you don't know what to say but
it doesn't have to be this way you can
totally learn how to send really a
effective emails a couple years ago when
I started to sell paintings and do
on-site calligraphy and corporate
calligraphy workshops it was really
scary for me to contact people I did a
ton of research and actually I remember
coming across one of hubspot's blog
posts that came with some email
templates so I found them for you and in
my video description I have a link to 25
proven sales email templates one of them
that I've used a ton in my business is
the cold email template that starts off
with some recent information that you
saw about them so you can see this email
starts off with recently I noticed that
you company accomplishment
congratulations and this works because
it shows that you're paying attention to
the prospect a really good way you can
apply this to Instagram is actually
replying to somebody's Instagram stories
so it doesn't seem so salesy and like
you planned the whole thing it just
feels more organic that something
prompted you to reach out another one I
love is this one where you send a really
short email asking to talk to the right
person it doesn't come off as too salesy
and it's really easy for the other
person to deal with you and I have used
this a ton of course with these
templates you should change the tone
depending on how you act actually sound
in email or DMS but just reading through
these templates and explanations of why
certain things work in certain emails is
going to help you a lot so check them
out below and thank you to HubSpot for
always looking out for us and providing
us with these free resources other than
cold emailing and cool dming people
another really great way you can do
outbound sales and outbound marketing is
actually to go to networking events
networking is probably the method that I
would say has worked the best for me but
it is a long-term strategy you are not
going to get results right away because
you really need to build these
connections with people and then you
meet their friends of their friends and
it's going to take some time for people
to know you and trust you and give you
referrals and think about working with
you so you don't have to go to events
that are like specifically networking
events there's a ton of different ways
you can Network obviously there's
in-person events and I would say my
favorite ones to attend and the ones
where I've made the best connections are
the ones where it's like women in
business or entrepreneurs okay even
events where it's not really businessy
stuff so for example like a jewelry
making Workshop or if you're going to
the gym to do yoga or a Zumba class you
can Network there you don't have to go
to some kind of business event to
network what networking really is is
just basically making friends networking
is not a one-way relationship it is
truly like you having business friends
and it's mutually beneficial so with
making friends it does take some time to
get it started but once you have a good
Network and you've built this through
going out doing some Outreach outbound
work you will find that you will get
more inbound inquiries oh and another
tip I have for you is when you are
networking it's actually really good
idea to try to meet people who are
trying to do the same thing as you I
know you might think oh my God why would
I make them they're like my competition
but when you meet other people who are
like you so for example for me when I
was doing my calligraphy business it was
so useful to know other calligraphers
because they like they say my ass so
many times like for example if a
customer inquired about me doing
something but then I couldn't because I
am like not available or something I
just refer the customer to another
calligrapher or let's say I'm doing a
project and I really don't know what
calligraphy pen to use I would just ask
my calligrapher friends so it is so
beneficial to know other people who are
doing the same thing as you even though
they're trying to look for the same kind
of customer as you it's just so
beneficial to have these connections
because they can refer you they can help
you if you need help you can ask them
about specific things or for example
like if there's some kind of event like
they might ask you hey do you want to go
with me so actually you get access to a
lot more knowledge and people and in
general it's just nice to even just talk
about strategies for how to get clients
with your business friends who are doing
the same thing as you a really important
mindset I had to have when I was doing
my calligraphy business this was there
is enough opportunity for everybody and
I had to have this abundance mindset or
else I would just be so scared of
meeting anybody something I forgot to
say is for networking it doesn't just
have to be in-person events it could
also be online networking through using
social media like Instagram or LinkedIn
and also attending like online events
like Zoom events stuff like that oh a
trick when you're going to zoom events
is like if you can see the participant
names I usually just screenshot
everybody and then I go to LinkedIn and
then I search them up and then I'll
message them and like you went to the
same event right so it's really easy to
mesh stitch them and be like hey like I
was also in this event like I was just
looking at who's there and I found your
LinkedIn profile and I see that you do
this this well actually I do blah blah
blah blah blah and this is you know and
then like something interesting can ask
them a question really easy to connect
with people if you have a prompt the
next step in your freelancing business
is once you have your first client you
are gonna do the client work obviously
right but I do have a tip for you so
when you're just working with a client
don't just do the work and then at the
very end once you're 100 done with the
work show the client what I actually do
and what I found works the best is
actually to do 30 of the work first show
The Client you just like send a picture
or send kind of like a it depends on
what you're doing right it could be an
outline it could be a draft of what
you're doing let's say I'm doing a
calligraphy piece I would send the draft
and pencil of like the layout and
everything send it to the client after
I'm done 30 and just show the client hey
I'm working on this this is what it
looks like so far and this is great
because in the initial stages before you
spent so much time doing the client work
you can get feedback on your work most
of the times the client will come back
and be like oh my gosh this is great or
like could you just fix this one little
thing and then you are saving so much
time if you're able to like fix
something before you've actually
finished the whole thing and then you
might have to like start all over so I
show the client at the 30 Mark and then
also around when I'm like 70 to 80 done
like when I've almost done the thing I
like sending it to them and just saying
hey I am almost done this is what it's
looking like so far I'm just gonna do
the finishing touches and then we're
done so with art specifically I liked
having like two check-ins before I
finished the whole thing but I would say
it depends on what you are doing and if
the client is so busy then maybe you
don't want to check in so many times but
I think it is helpful especially at the
start of working with a new client you
want to check in more and then after
you've established a relationship and
maybe you're working multiple projects
then maybe later on you don't have to
check in as much because they know what
you're doing next up after you finish
the client work is to invoice the client
you can also collect a deposit before
you start on the client work so that is
also very common as well but you will
have to find a way to invoice your
client depending on where you live that
will dictate what kind of invoicing
software you can use but for me in
Canada and I think generally for North
America there is wave stripe and PayPal
so these are all free to use they just
have the standard 2.9 plus 30 cents per
transaction fee this is standard across
the board they're going to have that fee
but there are also a lot of other
invoicing platforms like for example if
you use an accounting software like
QuickBooks then you can also use your
paid accounting software to collect
payments so congratulations on getting
your first client and getting paid now
I'm going to answer some commonly asked
questions about becoming a freelancer
the first one is Dina how do you build
portfolio if you have no clients it's
like a chicken and egg thing like how
can I have a portfolio if I don't have
my first client so to give you an
example in my calligraphy and art
business I really really really wanted
to do on-site calligraphy on-site
calligraphy is where you are hired by
Brands and event organizers or stores in
the mall to sit there and make custom
calligraphy gifts or like custom cards
for customers that come in and I just
thought this was like so cool but the
thing is how could I get these things if
I have no experience if I don't have
pictures of me doing on-site calligraphy
if I haven't worked with any stores
before so what I actually did was I
searched for charity events in Vancouver
and I reached out to a bunch of charity
events and said hey I'm a calligrapher
like I can do on-site calligraphy for
free like I I'm gonna provide all the
paper and everything and I actually did
a couple of those at the start and I got
some really great pictures of me
interacting with people and I use this
to build my portfolio nobody has to know
that this was not a shop this was not
you being hired and eventually I got
hired to do some really cool on-site
calligraphy events another example is
when I had the idea to sell home
paintings to Realtors I'm not a painter
but I thought wouldn't it be cool let me
just try this business idea out so I
reached out to a couple Realtors and
then I said hey I'm trying this new
thing do you want like a free painting
for your next house sale and so I did
like maybe two or three of them and then
I had these paintings of homes that I
could have in my portfolio and all my
social media and then Realtors actually
started to ask me if I could do these
paintings for them and in the end I made
500 from painting when I'm not even a
painter so what I'm saying is if you
don't have experience go out and build
yourself a portfolio through doing free
events free work or you could literally
just make samples of your work at home I
know there's always like a debate going
on between should you do free work or
should you not do you need to charge for
your value I think at the very beginning
if you don't have a portfolio you kind
of like you need a way to start off and
the best way the easiest way to do that
is to do some free work you can't do
free work forever obviously next
struggle that a lot of Freelancers have
is not knowing how to price themselves
and I struggled with this a lot at the
beginning too because I thought I
haven't been doing calligraphy for like
five years I've only been doing it for a
couple months how can I charge this
price and there was a lot of imposter
syndrome and self-doubt as well the
first thing is do not charge what you
would be making at a nine to five job
working eight hours a day because as a
freelancer when you split up your day
you are not working on client work every
single hour of the day for eight hours
right maybe you're only doing one or two
hours that day the rest of the time you
are networking you are working on your
social media you're doing activities
where you're not getting paid so with
freelancing your rate is always going to
be way higher than your hourly rate in a
typical nine to five job when I first
started freelancing I found this really
really great resource by
womenwoofreelands.com they got a lot of
Freelancers to submit what they charge
and honestly this is so interesting to
look at and you can see by industry how
many years people have been working and
you can see what they are charging
you'll see there are some that are like
twenty dollars some that are a hundred
two hundred dollars so with freelancing
rate it can range a lot oh yeah and then
with upwork or with fiverr.com some
Freelancers are charging like you know
five dollars or ten dollars an hour
right so when you're coming up with your
pricing there are several factors to
consider you also don't want to charge
too low or else you'll be bringing the
entire industry down that's why with my
calligraphy business I actually talk to
a lot of calligraphers around my area
about what they charge for example for
like on-site calligraphy the going rate
is like minimum I would say 100 all the
way up to 250 depending on what you're
doing like if it's a really specialized
skill like engraving where you need more
tools you need more skill then you would
charge higher if it's doing calligraphy
on paper cards or something that may be
100 150 so that is the range I would
stick to and it is so useful remember I
said making friends with people who are
doing the same thing as you is so useful
because you can also ask about pricing
it's not good for one person to charge
so high one person to charge so low and
then maybe that customer is reaching out
to two people it's best to stay within
the range within your industry another
reason why I like the networking method
so much is because a lot of the times
like your potential customer has a lot
of options of who they want to work with
for example I'm looking for a video
editor and I'm sure there's thousands of
video editors online but the most recent
one that I'm working with is somebody
that I actually know in real life and
even though I'm paying a little bit more
than what I want I don't mind that
because I really like this person I
enjoy working with person and I know
that their quality of work is going to
be good so you'll find that some people
are flexible on price if they really
like you oh and another trick I have for
reaching out to people and putting
yourself out there on social media is
actually like okay if you don't really
have business connections what you can
do is when you're just scrolling on your
social media like Instagram or Facebook
you can reconnect with your old friends
like for example your high school or
your college friends your acquaintances
and the easiest way to do this is like
let's say you are just scrolling and
then you see somebody posting about
something and you think oh this is kind
of interesting like maybe somebody
posted something about their dog and you
haven't talked to them in years but a
really easy way you can get reconnected
is actually to reply to whatever they
post and be like I just ask a really
simple question like oh my gosh your dog
is so cute like oh I actually just got
dog myself like obviously depends on
like if you can find something similar
or something interesting and then you'll
be able to start a conversation that way
and then if you feel like you really
want to connect with this person like
you actually really want to reconnect as
friends then you could have a coffee
chat go out for lunch or something and
then when you're talking to them more
like they're obviously going to ask you
hey what's new with you then you can
share about your new business with them
and the thing is all of us we all have
like at least a hundred people in our
Network right so when you reconnect with
your old acquaintance you are opening up
the door to 100 more people so let's say
I'm trying to do graphic design and then
I tell my acquaintance I just started
this graphic design business and then
maybe like two weeks later she's talking
to her other friend and then the other
friend needs some graphic designer for
something and then she's like oh my gosh
well I was just talking to my friend
Dina she just started graphic design
business so don't underestimate the
value of your current connections so I
know this is a lot of information that I
just gave you but I really want you to
take it slow starting a business is a
process and it will get easier the more
you work on it right now if you're
feeling lost about invoicing and
contracts I do talk a lot more about
that in this video it is an older video
though it's kind of cringy but it's
still very informational so watch that
next if you want to learn more about
invoicing and contracts as a freelancer
foreign
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