How to Become a Freelancer: 6 Steps to Mastering Freelance and Gig Work
Do you want more income?
Do you want flexibility and the ability to work from just about anywhere you want?
If you answered yes to both of those questions, starting a Freelance career might be the right path for you.
Let’s break down how to become a Freelancer in just 6 steps.
1. Set Goals
2. Find Your Freelance Niche
3. Create a Professional Online Presence
4. Master Pricing and Finance Management
5. Manage Your Time
6. Build a Strong Network
Now that you know how to become a Freelancer, let’s take a second to make sure we know what a Freelancer actually is.
3 Things to Know About Freelancers:
- A Freelancer is someone who works independently.
- They provide their services to different clients on a project basis.
- Freelancers have the freedom to choose their work, rates, and work schedules.
It’s going to take some hard work, but by the end of this article, you’ll have all the tools you need to be successful.
But first.
Did you know….
36% of workers identified as Freelance and Gig Workers. Up from 22% in 2016. You can read the full article here. Survey by Mckinsey and Company
39% of full-time workers say they have a side hustle. 44% of those workers believe they’ll always need a side hustle. (Data provided by Bankrate.com)
You might be thinking to yourself, “Why is he giving me these percentages, I don’t really care.”
I give you these numbers to show you that you’re not the only one in the Freelance and Side Hustle game, so you’re going to need to stand out if you really want to make money.
You came here for steps on how to become a Freelancer though, not for fancy percentages, so let’s get down to business.
Step #1 For Becoming a Freelancer: Set Goals
I’ll be honest. This first step may seem like a complete waste of time.
You may be thinking to yourself, “Why would I need to spend time thinking about and writing down my goals. I can just skip this step.”
The problem is if you skip this step, you’re not going to have a clear direction of why you’re becoming a Freelancer.
If you’re Freelancing to add to your income, set a goal for how much you want to make.
Are you shooting for $100,000 in a year? Great, now break it down more by the month, week and even day so you can figure out how much you’ll have to charge.
Maybe you’re becoming a Freelancer so you can get out of your 9 to 5. That’s great. Set a timeline for how long you want to be Freelancing before it can become a full-time job.
Step #2 For Becoming a Freelancer: Find Your Freelance Niche
You know the saying. “Jack of all trades, Master of none.” This fits pretty well into why this step is important.
You made it past Step #1, you have a clear goal in mind, now it’s time to decide what you’re going to focus your freelance business on.
Are you a great tutor who’s extremely knowledgeable in History? Are you knowledgeable in all types of History for all grades? If so, then that can be the focus of your business. A History tutor for all ages.
There are plenty of students that need tutoring in History. Don’t also decide you can help them in Physics and Chemistry if that’s not in your wheelhouse.
Become the best History tutor in the area and become the go-to person for that subject. You are way better off focusing on one subject area than trying to do too many things.
Down the line if you’re business is doing amazing and you want to try your hand in different areas, then fine. But, when you’re starting out, don’t try and spread yourself too thin.
Step #3 For Becoming a Freelancer: Create a Professional Online Presence
Word of mouth is one of the best ways to grow your freelance business. It’s organic, genuine, and once the ball starts rolling, doesn’t take much effort on your part since everyone else will be spreading the word.
Let’s face it though, if you don’t have an online presence in today’s world, you are setting yourself up for failure.
Take a second to think of one business that doesn’t have a website or social media page.
Thought of one yet? Me neither.
Wait. Actually. I had an old Italian guy who did cement work at my house. He didn’t have any internet presence. He actually barely spoke English. He was also 75 years old and took cash.
Unless you’re in that category, get a website and get social media.
Sites to Start a website
1. WordPress
2. Squarespace
I only gave you two options because if you can’t start a website with either one of these, you might want to think about not becoming a Freelancer.
They’re easy, there’s plenty of tutorials and help if you need it and they don’t cost much.
I would recommend not going with the free version of WordPress. It’ll look way more professional having .com at the end of your website.
Social Media Tips
- If you’re doing something that’s visual, focus on Instagram.
o Food businesses
o Photography
o Video
o Music
- If you’re writing or consulting, use LinkedIn.
The key to your social media page is to post as often as you can.
If you’ve heard of guys like Gary Vee, he says to post 1 million times a day. I’m sure he’s right cause he’s a millionaire, but if you’re just starting out, you have a lot on your plate so do what you can.
The key is to be consistent and professional. Put out the best quality work possible.
Step #4 For Becoming A Freelancer: Master Pricing and Finance Management
The ball is rolling now and you’re starting to see your business getting started before your eyes. Want to know how to derail the whole thing?
Screw up the pricing.
The key is to not charge too much and also not charge too little. So how can you figure out pricing?
Here are the 3 main ways you can make money as a Freelancer.
a. Hourly Rate – I’m not going to tell you how much to charge because it’s going to depend on your experience and your field.
I will say, you’ll need to have a way to show the client exactly how many hours you worked. They won’t want to be paying you for the 30 minutes you took to get Panera while you were supposed to be recording their podcast.
b. By Project – This way is a little better that the hourly rate when it comes to managing client expectations.
You don’t have to worry about billing specific hours, but you will have to have an idea of how long it’s going to take you so you don’t charge too little for the time you spend.
c. Retainer (Monthly, Yearly) – If you are going to be doing a lot of work for a client, this could be a great direction to go. Again it’ll require you to figure out how much time the projects will take so you don’t short change yourself.
By using Retainer pricing, you’ll most likely have a set fee per month or year for an unlimited amount of projects. Land a couple of clients on Retainer and you are on your way to seeing some nice profits.
Step #5 For Becoming a Freelancer: Manage Your Time
This is the portion of the post where I mention how important managing your time is. I know you’ve heard the term “work-life balance” a hundred times, but guess what, it also applies to Freelancers.
If you’re already working full-time and now trying to manage a Freelance business, you’re going to have to add a couple of hours to your day. Even more, you might have to work weekends. (You probably should so you aren’t working until 3 or 4am during the week.
Now, throw in a kid or two if you’re a parent, and like Linkin Park says, “Watch the time go right out the window”.
The point is, you’re going to have to manage your time if you’re going to be successful.
How To Manage Your Time:
- Track how much time you spend on your phone and social media doing non work-related things.
o If you have an iPhone, it even tells you how much time you’re spending and on what app. Analyze how much time you’re wasting, and put that time to better use.
- Dedicate time for the family.
o If it’s important or you to drop off and pick up your kids from school, block that time out of your schedule. Same goes for your kids practices, after school activities, dinner and bed time.
o Figure out what parts of family time are important for you and make them a priority.
- Don’t waste time watching TV.
o This may sound harsh, and obviously you’ll need to relax at some points t prevent burnout, but in general, spending all of your free time watching TV probably isn’t great for you.
Think about it this way, your Freelance job should be something you like to do so it shouldn’t feel like work as much as your 9 to 5 does. If it does feel like work, you need to go back to step number 1 and re-evaluate just why you’re Freelancing to begin with.
Managing your time the right way will allow for you to put 100% of your efforts into your Freelancing business which will hopefully help you to make it your full time business.
Step #6 For Becoming a Freelancer: Build Your Network
Having a strong network of connections is extremely important for both Freelancers and non-Freelancers, but let’s focus on why it’s important if you’re trying to Freelance.
When I first started writing I reached out to tons of people in my LinkedIn network, letting them know what I was doing and showed them some of my work.
Most of the time, I got ignored.
One time, I didn’t. It led to an opportunity and a very strong real-life relationship.
Building a network is hard work though, so it’s not for the weak at heart. You have to be willing and able to deal with hearing the word no. (Something my preschooler doesn’t deal with too well). You have to get used to being ghosted and not having things go your way, but have the determination to come back for more the next day.
How to Build Your Network
- Join social media groups.
o Don’t just join the groups though. Be active in the groups by posting and commenting on other people’s posts.
o Have good insights. Don’t just post things like “I agree” or “Great post”. Make people want to read what you’re posting.
- Send Direct Messages
o This phrase sends chills down the spines of some people, but it has to be done. The key here is not to send spammy direct messages.
o Be thoughtful on how you message your connections or new connections. Bring value to their day, don’t just message them asking for something with nothing for them in return.
- Go to Actual Real-Life Events
o Post pandemic, it seems like people forget that networking in person is a thing too. You’d be surprised at how many events, conventions and meetups are offered in whatever niche you’re Freelancing in.
o An in-person, real person connection is the best option to improve your situation. Even in 2023.
Having a strong network can give you a leg up on the competition, so even though this step is listed last, it’s a step you’ll need to be doing over and over and over again.
Final Thoughts
Building a Freelance business is not only a great way to make some side income, but it’s one of the best ways to build up your skills while you’re working your full-time job as a way to transition to doing something that you love for your full-time career.
It’s going to be hard.
At times, you might want to quit.
Don’t.
If you love what you’re doing as a Freelancer, hard work and determination is what will get you to the promised land.
If you need more Freelancing career advice, your friends at Your Career Strategy can help you through the process with any questions and guidance you may need. Schedule your FREE call today and get the ball rolling!