Freelancing Tips For beginners

 Start working as a freelancer without previous Experience

There are many people who decide to start working as a freelancer for different reasons. Either because they want a job that allows them flexibility and independence or because they don't like the idea of having a fixed position working for a single company.

The truth is that, currently, being a freelancer is an excellent option to start your career or to continue with a step further within what you have achieved within a company since almost any job can be outsourced and even work from home.

It is possible that the idea of being a freelancer or offering your independent services has also caught your attention. But you wonder what can I do to start working as a freelancer if I have no experience or have never done it?

If you are not sure what to do to start or you do not have work experience, we share some simple steps /freelancing writing tips for beginners to follow to start working as a freelancer:

1. Define what services you will offer as a freelancer

Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is to offer a service related to your career, but surely you also have other skills that your friends praise and that you have not had the opportunity to take advantage of.

You may even have voluntarily collaborated on a project and people have been very happy with the results. "You should charge for that." Does it ring a bell?

It is possible that you have a lot of experience in your professional area but also have other skills that you can offer as a service to people or companies that require it.

Do you know how to design, write, program? Or maybe you are an excellent photographer... Do a little mental exercise and think about it for a moment, you will discover that you can offer a service working in an area in which you may not even have imagined that you could profit economically.

Starting to work as a freelancer requires that you put your creativity to work and that you are determined to exploit your personal skills to the fullest.

It doesn't matter if you decide on an area in your career or another skill, once you have defined what service you are going to offer, it will be time for step number two.

2. Create a portfolio and ask for recommendations

It does not matter that you have done something voluntarily, for example helping a friend with a job, that it has been a special collaboration (outside your area) in your current job or that they are items that you have not sold. It can also be something created for fun or as a personal project.

You can start collecting samples and photographs of the most significant work you have done in a certain area, where you demonstrate your skills, the quality of your work and the experience you have in it. With this, you can put together a portfolio that will help you promote yourself.

3. Create a professional profile as a freelance

The next thing you need to do is develop a personal brand ; design a logo that identifies you, create a fan page on Facebook and open profiles on other social networks such as Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.

Then open an email account that reflects professionalism and that is especially useful for your work.

Important:

Do not use a personal email or with an unserious nickname. Preferably, buy a custom domain where you can create an email account and a personal website where you talk about your services. There are domains that range from $2 to $30 a year.

Put your portfolio online on all these sites so you can share it and your potential clients can see it.

4. Start proposing your freelancing services

Time to promote yourself:

At this part, you may feel a bit intimidated or don't know how to start. But don't worry, what you can do is write in a document (it can be a notepad, if you want) what you will tell the people you talk to, whether by phone, by mail, via chat, etc.

Prefer personalized messages instead of sending invitations from your fan page, the direct message is more effective.

You can make a different message, depending on the person you are addressing.

If it is a friend or family member, it may be enough to:

“Hello, I tell you that starting today I am offering such and such a service. This is my website and my fan page (put the links), recommend me to your acquaintances. Thanks".

For people you don't have a close relationship with, it might be something like:

Hi, I'm Ali. I invite you to learn about my new service in Z area. Visit my website and my fan page on Facebook (place the links). You can also contact me at this phone number or at this email address. I'm to order".

Once you have it written down, you can copy and paste it into your messages.

Pro Tip:

•             If your contact base is extensive, the best way to save time and know who read your message would be to temporarily hire someone to provide you with the mailing service. Thus, you only deliver the contact base and you will receive the report of shipments and openings.

Be creative but don't go on too long, get straight to the point by being brief and concise in your approach.

You can write different messages for the different networks or points of contact that you will have. You can even write one to serve as a guide for talking to the people you call on the phone.

Take some time to think about the words that describe your services and how they can help the person you are addressing. Do not forget to include your contact information and links to your networks.

 

One last tip:

Tips for Beginners freelancers

You can register on freelance platforms, such as Fiver, up work etc, where you can post your portfolio and start submitting proposals for your services. Clients will be able to leave you recommendations and rate your work so that you can build a better reputation as a freelancer.

As you can see, starting to work as a freelancer, even without previous experience, is easy if you plan your strategy. The important thing is that you are determined to make the most of your potential. Cheer up and you can achieve great things.

Greetings and good luck in your new Journey!